Innovators Awards - 2024

Elias played a major role in the development of a scalpel-free form of brain surgery to treat patients with serious neurological conditions. Thanks in part to his research, the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of the procedure to treat essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease tremor. A 2022 study for which Elias, a neurosurgeon, served as principal investigator found that patients experienced a 70% reduction in tremors five years after treatment. Charlottesville, Virginia-headquartered UVA Health now performs more than 100 procedures using the technique each year, with scientists around the world investigating the use of focused ultrasound for many other medical conditions.