Curing with Sound

Focused ultrasound is rapidly expanding the boundaries of what is possible in functional neurosurgery. From movement disorders to epilepsy, researchers are exploring how this noninvasive technology can precisely target and treat an expanding range of neurological conditions. In this episode of Curing with Sound, Vibhor Krishna, MD, Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Inpatient Operations in the...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Ashish Ranjan, PhD, a professor of radiation oncology and director of the Veterinary Research and Oncology Clinic at the University of Texas Southwestern. Dr. Ranjan discusses how emerging focused ultrasound applications, including histotripsy and sonodynamic therapy, are being used to treat solid tumors in companion animals.  He explains how vet...

Targeted drug delivery to the brain has long been hindered by the blood-brain barrier, a protective layer that prevents many therapeutic agents from reaching their intended targets. For patients with serious neurological disorders, this challenge can significantly reduce access to potentially effective treatments and limit therapeutic outcomes.  In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with...

Essential tremor is a progressive neurological condition that causes involuntary shaking, often significantly impairing everyday tasks. For many, the loss of fine motor control means giving up lifelong passions and careers. Even simple actions, like buttoning a shirt, eating, or writing, can become overwhelming, leading to frustration, embarrassment, and a diminished quality of life.  In this epis...

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a vital protective mechanism that shields the brain from harmful substances, but it also poses a significant challenge in treating neurological diseases. For patients with aggressive brain tumors or neurodegenerative conditions, the BBB can prevent life-saving therapies and chemotherapeutic agents from reaching their targets, leaving limited treatment options. In t...

Chronic pain affects one in five adults, yet it remains a deeply personal and often misunderstood experience. For many, the search for relief becomes a cycle of treatments that fail to deliver lasting results, sometimes leading to long-term reliance on medications that can significantly impact quality of life. In this special episode of Curing with Sound, we examine the future of pain management f...

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, largely because its dense tumor microenvironment makes it difficult for chemotherapy drugs to reach their target. This often leads to poor patient outcomes and underscores the urgent need for new therapeutic strategies to overcome these barriers. In this episode of Curing with Sound, Jae Young Lee, MD, PhD, professor and researc...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Peter Dolan, a lifelong athlete and prostate cancer survivor who chose focused ultrasound after receiving an unexpected diagnosis despite a reassuring MRI. Peter shares his experience navigating treatment decisions and offers a candid account of the outpatient procedure and recovery process. He describes a swift return to his active lifestyle, fr...

For pet owners, a diagnosis such as cancer or chronic disease often brings difficult decisions and limited treatment options, many of which involve invasive procedures. While human medicine has advanced significantly, many of these innovations have been slower to reach veterinary care, underscoring the need for more effective and less invasive approaches to animal health. In this episode of Curing...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Natasha Sheybani, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Virginia (UVA) and research director of the UVA Focused Ultrasound Cancer Immunotherapy Center. Dr. Sheybani shares insights into her groundbreaking work using focused ultrasound–based immunotherapy approaches in patients with metastatic breast cancer and ot...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Dr. Jean-François Aubry, Director of Research at France's National Center for Scientific Research and a leading expert in therapeutic ultrasound with over two decades of experience in the field. Dr. Aubry discusses transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS), an emerging neuromodulation approach that enables precise targeting of deep brain structur...

Launched in 2024, the European Union Focused Ultrasound Foundation (EUFUSF) is the newest sister organization of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, established to build and strengthen partnerships that expand the reach and impact of focused ultrasound across Europe.  In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Pascale Broks, the Foundation’s Development Director for Europe, who is spearhea...

The blood-brain barrier (BBB), while essential for protecting the brain from toxins, has long been one of the greatest obstacles in treating brain diseases, particularly aggressive cancers like glioblastoma. Most chemotherapy drugs simply cannot reach the brain in effective concentrations, leaving patients with limited treatment options and poor outcomes.  In this episode of Curing with Sound, we...

Adenomyosis is a condition in which the uterine lining grows into the muscular wall of the uterus, often causing heavy menstrual bleeding, severe cramping, and chronic pelvic pain. It is estimated to affect 25–60% of women worldwide. Despite its prevalence, treatment options in North America remain extremely limited. Many patients are forced to choose between long-term opioid pain management or a...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we explore how focused ultrasound is revolutionizing the field of veterinary medicine. Joanne Tuohy, DVM, PhD, Associate Professor of Surgical Oncology at Virginia Tech’s Animal Cancer Care and Research Center, investigates how histotripsy—a non-thermal focused ultrasound technology—could improve cancer outcomes for veterinary patients while advancing treatmen...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we explore a groundbreaking approach to one of medicine’s toughest cancers, glioblastoma (GBM), with Michael Canney, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at Carthera. GBM is the most aggressive form of brain cancer, notoriously hard to treat because the blood-brain barrier (BBB) blocks many life-saving drugs from reaching tumor cells. With survival rates of just one...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we sit down with Gary Shapiro, CEO and Vice Chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), and a valued member of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation Board of Directors. With decades of experience advocating for disruptive innovation, Gary offers a unique perspective on how focused ultrasound fits within the global ecosystem of transformative healthcare tec...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we meet Melissa McGinnis, an essential tremor patient whose life was transformed through focused ultrasound treatment. Melissa endured decades of progressive tremors that impacted every aspect of daily life since her diagnosis as a child–a rare occurrence for those with the condition. After learning about focused ultrasound during its clinical trials in 2012 a...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Patrick Hope, Executive Director of AdvaMed's Medical Imaging Division, about the critical but often unseen world of medical technology policy and advocacy that makes innovative treatments like focused ultrasound accessible to patients. Patrick shares how AdvaMed, an advocacy organization for the med tech industry, collaborates on initiatives to...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we explore how focused ultrasound is being studied as a treatment for depression and anxiety, told through the perspectives of both a leading researcher and a veteran who experienced it firsthand. Noah Philip, MD, is a professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University's Alpert Medical School and a leading expert on focused ultrasound neuromodulati...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Bill Traynor, a Canadian adventurer whose life shifted dramatically when he was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), a neurodegenerative disorder with an average life expectancy of just two to five years. Once enjoying high-impact activities like skydiving, race car driving, and scuba diving, Bill's active lifestyle came to an abrupt halt. ...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Rosie Xing, PhD, Managing Director of Global Planning, International Marketing, and Business at Chongqing Haifu Medical Technology, a world leader in noninvasive focused ultrasound systems. Founded in 1999 by Professor Zhibiao Wang, Chongqing Haifu has revolutionized treatment for patients across 400 medical centers worldwide, with their technolo...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we hear the remarkable story of Monica Russell, who has lived with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) for nearly 30 years. Diagnosed at age nine, Monica pursued a wide range of conventional and alternative treatments before participating in a focused ultrasound clinical trial at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto. Following two noninvasive treatments, she...

In this episode of Curing with Sound, we speak with Shiro Horisawa, MD, Director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at Tokyo Women's Medical University, who discusses innovative applications of focused ultrasound technology for treating dystonia and other movement disorders. Dr. Horisawa shares insights from his extensive clinical experience, including over 1,500 stereotactic brain surger...

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately one in eight men will be diagnosed with a prostate condition during their lifetime. Focused ultrasound offers a noninvasive, radiation-free treatment option for prostate conditions and has been approved in more than 50 countries, including the United States. In this episode of Curing with Sound, we explore focused ultrasound for prostate canc...