The Focused Ultrasound Foundation (FUSF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Albemarle County, which surrounds the city, though the two are separate legal entities. It is named after Queen Ch ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, that promotes the use of image-guided focused

ultrasound Ultrasound is sound waves with frequency, frequencies higher than the upper audible limit of human hearing range, hearing. Ultrasound is not different from "normal" (audible) sound in its physical properties, except that humans cannot hea ...

. The foundation is primarily funded through philanthropic donations. The Focused Ultrasound Foundation has received attention in part because of '' The Tumor'', a

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

by legal thriller writer

John Grisham John Ray Grisham Jr. (; born February 8, 1955 in Jonesboro, Arkansas) is an American novelist, lawyer and former member of the 7th district of the Mississippi House of Representatives, known for his popular legal thrillers. According to the Am ...

about a future

glioma A glioma is a type of tumor that starts in the glial cells of the brain or the spine. Gliomas comprise about 30 percent of all brain tumors and central nervous system tumours, and 80 percent of all malignant brain tumours. Signs and symptoms ...

patient who benefits from focused ultrasound treatment. Grisham is distributing the book at no cost to raise awareness about the therapy and the Foundation. Referencing the book and Foundation, Grisham states “This is the most important book I have ever written. I have found no other cause that can potentially save so many lives.”.

History

The Foundation was formed on the third of January in 2005, and received charity status in November of the same year. In October 2005 the Foundation hosted the 5th International Symposium on Therapeutic Ultrasound, at

Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the graduate medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical Area of Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is one of the oldest medical schools in the United States and is consi ...

, which resulted in the largest-ever gathering of world experts in the use of ultrasound for the treatment of

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

and other disorders. Under the Foundation's charter it operates as an unincorporated

association Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

Activities

The Foundation compiles and reports on web-based news related to focused

in therapeutic and

diagnostic medicine Medical diagnosis (abbreviated Dx, Dx, or Ds) is the process of determining which disease or condition explains a person's symptoms and signs. It is most often referred to as diagnosis with the medical context being implicit. The information re ...

, organizes and assists with symposia, discussions, and meetings pertaining to diagnostic and therapeutic focused ultrasound as well as student-related research programs. There is a strong concentration in high intensity focused ultrasound (

HIFU High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a non-invasive therapeutic technique that uses non-ionizing ultrasonic waves to heat or ablate tissue. HIFU can be used to increase the flow of blood or lymph or to destroy tissue, such as tumors, via ...

). The Association promotes collaborations between clinical and research groups via written and oral communication. The Focused Ultrasound Foundation offers a fellowship program to high school and university students allowing them to work with the Foundation’s medical and research teams. They often partner up with the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

and

Xavier University of Louisiana Xavier University of Louisiana (also known as XULA) is a Private university, private, Historically black colleges and universities, historically black, Roman Catholic, Catholic university in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the only Catholic HBCU ...

to help students begin their careers. In December 2019, Physics for Medicine Paris was inaugurated as a Center of Excellence, focusing on the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders. In September 2020, the Children’s National Hospital became the first pediatric hospital designated as a Center of Excellence, helping patients with specific types of childhood tumors. May of 2022 marked the ten-year anniversary of Sunnybrook Health Science Centre conducting brain surgery without scalpels. In 2016 they were the only Canadian site designated by The Focused Ultrasound Foundation.

In The News

In 2018, Virginia’s former governor,

Ralph Northam Ralph (pronounced ; or ,) is a male given name of English, Scottish and Irish origin, derived from the Old English ''Rædwulf'' and Radulf, cognate with the Old Norse ''Raðulfr'' (''rað'' "counsel" and ''ulfr'' "wolf"). The most common forms ...

visited the Focused Ultrasound Foundation to discuss state funding toward the technology. The Foundation received $11 million dollars of state funding under Northam’s predecessors. Northam pledged that he would continue the support and while also investing in education hoping to draw in more scientists. The Focused Ultrasound Foundation has been recognized by National Geographic UK for funding research regarding the ultrasound treatment technique that has the protentional to transform the treatment of life-threatening diseases and difficult-to-cure conditions.

References

External links

* {{authority control Health charities in the United States Medical imaging organizations Biomedical research foundations Medical ultrasonography Organizations established in 2005 Medical and health organizations based in Virginia