Mapping the Future: Advancing Brain Cancer Care

Speakers: Dr. Fred Wu (Virginia Tech) & Dr. Wynn Legon (Virginia Tech)

The childhood brain cancer diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and diffuse midline glioma (DMG) are rare but aggressive cancers, and physicians lack an effective systemic therapy for them. Dr. Wu researches novel technologies to develop a precision-medicine based approach for drug delivery to treat these tumors. Focused ultrasound (FUS), used in combination with new and existing drug therapies as well as radiation, holds promise for improved treatments in these and other cancers. With labs at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke and the Children’s National Research & Innovation Campus in Washington, D.C., Dr. Wu aims to leverage technological advances from Virginia Tech and patient trial expertise at Children’s National to advance cancer care for children and others.

Dr. Wynn Legon is an internationally recognized innovator in noninvasive brain technology. He is pioneering the use of low intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU), a breakthrough method that uses sound waves to precisely and safely modulate human brain activity. This technology has the potential to transform treatment for chronic pain, anxiety, addiction, and cognitive decline, areas where existing therapies remain limited.

Dr. Legon’s work brings together neuroscience, engineering, and clinical translation. His team has shown that LIFU can engage deep brain circuits with millimeter precision, expanding possibilities beyond what current approaches such as TMS can achieve. He is driving efforts to turn this science into scalable and accessible therapies by developing next generation devices and methods designed for clinical use.

His vision is to accelerate the path from discovery to impact by creating new tools that advance brain science while improving human health and performance worldwide.