Focused Ultrasound Pioneer Yoav Medan, PhD, to Receive Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award

Published:
  • Yoav Medan, PhD, has devoted more than 23 years to advancing focused ultrasound as a vice president at Insightec and in advisory roles.
  • The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made major strides in establishing the field and improving the lives of patients.
  • The award will be presented at the 8th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, October 23-28, 2022.

Key Points

  • Yoav Medan, PhD, has devoted more than 23 years to advancing focused ultrasound as a vice president at Insightec and in advisory roles.
  • The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual who has made major strides in establishing the field and improving the lives of patients.
  • The award will be presented at the 8th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, October 23-28, 2022.

The Foundation is pleased to present Yoav Medan, PhD, with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.

The award recognizes an individual who has devoted a major portion of his or her distinguished career to advancing focused ultrasound therapy by establishing the field and improving the lives of patients.

Dr. Medan is among the elite pioneers of focused ultrasound therapy and has dedicated more than 23 years to advancing the field.

He received his PhD from the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology in 1984 and a business administration diploma from the University of Bradford in 1995.

In 1999, he joined device manufacturer Insightec and served as Vice President & Chief Systems Architect for more than a decade. During his tenure at Insightec, Dr. Medan designed and implemented a robotic system, defined the software of the treatment systems to expand its capabilities for innovative early research, managed the engineering effort of the brain preclinical system, and implemented a fast method for assuring the safe and correct output of installed focused ultrasound treatment devices.

In addition, he supported luminary research sites in demonstrating future applications on the Insightec platform, such as treating a moving liver with real-time target tracking and thermometry and demonstrating neural modulation in mice.

He is currently a member of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Board and has been influential in developing the technology behind FUSMobile, a focused ultrasound company addressing low back pain.

In 2011, Medan’s inspirational TEDMED presentation introduced focused ultrasound to countless individuals and inspired researchers to explore the technology. The video has been viewed more than 870,000 times.

“On behalf of the entire Foundation team, I am pleased to recognize Yoav for his dedication to the field of focused ultrasound,” said Foundation Chairman Neal F. Kassell, MD. “He has made a significant impact in the effort to establish this innovative and disruptive technology as the highly regarded field of medicine it is today.” 

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at the Foundation’s 8th International Symposium on Focused Ultrasound, October 23-27, 2022. The hybrid format event will take place in-person in Bethesda, Maryland, and virtual attendance will also be available.