Virginia Tech Focused Ultrasound Center of Excellence


The Focused Ultrasound Foundation has designated Virginia Tech as a Focused Ultrasound (FUS) Center of Excellence, making it the sixth such center in the United States and one of only 12 in the world. With strong institutional resources and rapidly growing focused ultrasound programs spanning nearly all of the technologies mechanisms, Virginia Tech strives to become a recognized leader in translational focused ultrasound research to accelerat the worldwide adoption of focused ultrasound for human and veterinary patients. The university's focused ultrasound program crosses departments, disciplines, and geography, including Roanoke, Blacksburg, and Washington, D.C., all working to impact human and animal lives in areas of critical unmet need, such as neurological disorders and hard-to-treat cancers.
Virginia Tech Focused Ultrasound Research Grant Applications, FY2025
Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute (FBRI) has partnered with the Focused Ultrasound Foundation (FUSF) to support both FUS research and Virginia Tech program growth, funded in part with $1 million of state funding in FY 25 and FY 26. Partnership funds will be used to support several research projects that should result in high impact publications, follow-on extramural funding, and ultimately transformational advances in health.
First round applications due Dec. 6, 2024
Second round applications due April 2, 2025
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Home ItemJenny Munson, Ph.D. , home
Professor, Director, Cancer Research Center – Roanoke
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Redirect ItemJoanne Tuohy, DVM, Ph.D, DACVS–Small Animal , redirect
Assistant Professor, Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
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Redirect ItemEli Vlaisavljevich, Ph.D. , redirect
Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, College of Engineering
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Vlaisavljevich explained the mechanics of how histotripsy, a novel ultrasound therapy for cancer treatment, works, its clinical applications, and the body's immune response to it.
Date: Feb 17, 2025 - -
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The Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Cheng-Chia “Fred” Wu will explore a new approach to brain tumor drug delivery.
Date: Aug 16, 2024 - -
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Virginia Tech becomes the sixth Focused Ultrasound Center of Excellence in the United States and one of only 12 in the world.
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Date: May 21, 2024 - -
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Munson, a biomedical engineer and associate professor of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, joins a group of the nation’s top biological and medical engineers.
Date: Mar 20, 2024 - -
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In a Journal of Neuroscience study, Virginia Tech scientists demonstrated the effectiveness of using low-intensity focused ultrasound to modulate activity in a critical region in the brain that processes and regulates pain signals.
Date: Feb 19, 2024 - -
Article ItemVirginia Tech scientist shows focused ultrasound can reach deep into the brain to relieve pain , article
A study by Wynn Legon, assistant professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, found that narrowly focused soundwaves aimed at an area of the brain called the insula reduced both the perception of pain and the body’s reaction to it.
Date: Feb 05, 2024 - -
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The cutting-edge medical device and its technology were developed in part by Kendall and Laura Hendrick Junior Faculty Fellow Eli Vlaisavljevich.
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Date: Nov 09, 2023 - -
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Date: May 19, 2023 - -
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Date: Mar 22, 2023 - -
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Date: Jan 17, 2023 - -
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Date: Mar 21, 2022 - -
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Wynn Legon, a neuroscientist and pioneer in the use of focused ultrasound, will continue advancing this technology when he joins the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC as an assistant professor on Sept. 1.
Date: Aug 09, 2021 - -
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Jessica Gannon, a doctoral student in biomedical engineering through Virginia Tech - Wake Forest University’s School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, received a graduate research fellowship program award. She is one of six graduate students in the College of Engineering who received the prestigious fellowship this year.
Date: Jul 16, 2021 - -
Article ItemFralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC to advance brain, cancer research with focused ultrasound , article
The institute is investing in an MRI-guided focused ultrasound facility with support from a $1.8-million grant from the Edward N. & Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee.
Date: Jun 04, 2021 - -
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Date: Nov 11, 2020 - -
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Date: Aug 27, 2020 -