Nir Lipsman, MD, PhD will lead a North American group of neurosurgical, psychiatric, and technology experts to advance the use of focused ultrasound for treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression–two neuropsychiatric disorders that can be challenging to successfully treat with medication.
In its first meeting this month, the committee initiated work on its mandate to 1) develop evidence-driven clinical study protocols, and 2) generate hypotheses for further clinical and translational research via workshops and collaborative projects.
Following the successful initial work of neurosurgical pioneer Jin-woo Chang in Korea, the Steering Committee will continue to pursue focused ultrasound brain lesioning for targets proven to reduce the symptoms of severe, medical refractory OCD and depression.
The committee is comprised of these experts from Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, the University of Toronto, and the Foundation:
- Chairman: Nir Lipsman, MD, PhD, Scientist, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto
- Rees Cosgrove, MD, Director, Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
- Anthony Levitt, MD, Psychiatrist, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
- David Silbersweig, MD, NeuroPsychiatrist, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Brigham and Women’s/Faulkner Hospitals, and Chairman of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Institute for the Neurosciences
- Darin D. Dougherty, MD, Associate Professor of Psychiatry Director, Division of Neurotherapeutics, Department of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Kullervo Hynynen, PhD, Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics and Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto
- Suzanne LeBlang, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Focused Ultrasound Foundation
Researchers who are interested in the work of this committee should contact Suzanne LeBlang, MD.