Newswise — Successful applicants will receive up to $100,000 for the one year program dependent on part-time or full-time participation. Up to 5 new awards are available during 2009 and up to 10 new awards are available for 2010. This program is open to clinicians only. Recipients are required to work in an existing MRgFUS center with a recognized expert as a mentor. Applicants with flexibility regarding location can be matched with centers. Applicants should have a reasonable prospect of working in the MRgFUS field after completion of the fellowship. Applications are invited on an ongoing basis.
A separate program has already been established by the Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation for research awards.
MR-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) is one of the most promising new medical technologies to have emerged in the last decade for the non-invasive treatment of solid tumors and numerous other conditions. Already FDA and CE approved for the treatment of uterine fibroids, and CE approved for pain palliation of metastatic bone cancer, the field of MRgFUS is set to enlarge rapidly as numerous medical device companies progress their research programs. This research includes treatment of prostate cancer, breast cancer, brain tumors, and stroke.
Focused ultrasound destroys cancerous tissue and benign tumors through heating. Unlike HIFU treatment, which relies solely on ultrasound guidance, MRgFUS utilizes intraoperative MR to image and guide the procedure.
MR thermometry provides real time thermal measurements and pin-point accuracy. By integrating the disciplines of interventional radiology, radiation oncology and surgery, the development of MRgFUS technology has led to a need for specific clinician training. The Fellowships in Focused Ultrasound program is designed to meet this need by expanding the number of experienced practitioners in the field.
Applicants can access further details and online application by visiting www.fusfoundation.org
About The Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation:
The Charlottesville based Focused Ultrasound Surgery Foundation's mission is to shorten the time from technology development to patient treatment, to develop new applications, and to accelerate the worldwide adoption of MRgFUS. The Foundation's activities include: funding translational and clinical research, providing fellowships for training physicians and scientists, hosting symposia and workshops, maintaining online informational resources, and establishing new centers of excellence.
About Magnetic Resonance Guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS):
MRgFUS is a disruptive technology that is poised to revolutionize the treatment of a wide variety of medical disorders by serving as the ultimate in minimally invasive surgery; an alternative to radiation therapy; the means for precisely delivering drugs in high concentrations to the point where they are needed, avoiding systemic toxicity; and, dissolving blood clots and restoring circulation.
MRgFUS holds the potential to non-invasively treat breast, prostate, liver, and other benign and malignant tumors; to convert metastatic cancer from a lethal disease to a manageable, chronic disorder; reverse the disabling and life threatening neurological deficits from stroke; to alleviate the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, epilepsy, and chronic pain; and to address a host of other disorders ranging from heart disease to diabetes. The procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis, does not require general anesthesia or incisions, results in minimal discomfort and few complications, and allows rapid recovery.
MRgFUS is the result of the integration of two technologies: high intensity focused ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging. Focused ultrasound technology uses multiple intersecting beams of ultrasound energy focused with extreme precision on a target as small as one millimeter in diameter. Where each individual ultrasound beam passes through the tissue there is no effect, but where they intersect in the body, the focused energy creates a cumulative effect, enabling precise ablation of tissue, highly targeted drug delivery, or liquefaction of blood clots. Magnetic resonance imaging is used to visualize normal anatomy and abnormal structures within the body, to localize the tissue to be targeted, to guide and control the treatment interactively, and to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy.
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