Contents

• January
• February
• March

January

January 6, 2004: Dr. Daniel Sullivan Named New Chair of the BECON

Dr. Daniel C. Sullivan of the NIH's National Cancer Institute (NCI) has been named the new Chair of the Bioengineering Consortium (BECON) effective January 21. He is the Associate Director of the Cancer Imaging Program at the NCI. Dr. Sullivan has been very active in BECON activities since the Consortium was established and was the NIH Chair for the BECON Symposium on "Catalyzing Team Science" in June 2003. He succeeds Dr. Jeff Schloss of the National Human Genome Research Institute who has chaired the Consortium since October 2001. Under Dr. Schloss' leadership, several trans-NIH biomedical research opportunities were initiated and implemented, two major BECON symposia were conducted, and the Consortium continued to develop and function as an effective and visible entity that coordinates focused research, multi-disciplinary and team research, trans-NIH activities, and inter-agency activities related to bioengineering.

January 30, 2004: 2004 Polymer Networks Conference Announced - NIBIB Co-Sponsor

The "Polymer Networks 2004" Conference (17th Polymer Networks Meeting) is planned for August 15-19, 2004, at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Main Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. This meeting, which is jointly organized by the NIH (NICHD and NIBIB) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is aimed at encouraging polymer physicists, polymer chemists, and materials scientists and engineers to apply their models and methods to address targeted biological problems such as developing models of cell- and tissue-level processes, and new methods for measuring and controlling bimolecular interactions. This meeting is part of a series of biannual international conferences that began in Strasbourg, France, in 1975. The programs include contributions from all areas concerning the formation, structure, properties, and applications of synthetic and natural polymer networks and gels. Each meeting has a specific theme, and the theme of the 2004 meeting is "Research or Gelatin Phenomena and Properties of Synthetic and Biopolymer Gels". Chairs for the 2004 meeting are Drs. Eric Amis (NIST) and Ferenc Horkay (NIH). Important dates include April 1, 2004, for receipt of abstracts and June 15, 2004, for advance final registration. Details about the conference including registration are available at http://www.polymer.nichd.nih.gov/.

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February

February 2, 2004: NIBIB Initiates Strategic Planning Process

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) has begun its strategic planning process. The Institute plans to build upon the strong research foundation already established and use many of the existing planning processes currently in place in order to capitalize on the unprecedented opportunities that lie in the future. A major component of the strategic planning process is the solicitation of broad public input. A new web page dedicated to this effort is available. The NIBIB welcomes comments from all stakeholders with an interest in the Institute and its programs.

February 2, 2004: Final Report From BECON 2003 Symposium on Catalyzing Team Science Released

The final report from the BECON 2003 Symposium titled "Catalyzing Team Science" has been released. This symposium focused on examining the forces that encourage and discourage team approaches to biomedical research and explored ways in which the NIH, academia, and others can stimulate and reward team efforts. The symposium was held on June 23-24, 2003 on the NIH Main Campus in Bethesda, MD and attended by over 350 representatives from academia, government, and industry. The final report, along with speaker presentations, breakout session summaries, and a videocast of the event, can be accessed at http://www.becon.nih.gov/symposium2003.htm.

February 4, 2004: AIMBE Annual Event Focuses on Partnerships in Imaging and Bioengineering

The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Annual Event is scheduled for February 26 to March 1 in Washington, DC. The title of this year's event is "Imaging and Bioengineering: Partners for the Future". The program focuses on two main topics - (l) new frontiers in imaging and bioengineering especially as related to discoveries across length scales and (2) best practices for translating discoveries from the laboratory to the industry and clinic. Roles of imaging and bioengineering disciplines and the interactive and symbiotic relationships will be highlighted. Related activities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) including the growth and development of the National Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and the NIH Roadmap Initiative will be emphasized. Details concerning this meeting are available at http://www.aimbe.org/meeting2004.htm.

February 9, 2004: Final Report Issued for NIBIB Workshop on Biomedical Industry Research and Training Opportunities

The final summary report has been issued for the "NIBIB Workshop on Biomedical Industry Research and Training Opportunities" which was conducted n December 16-17, 2003, at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland. A total of 45 people attended this meeting including 23 representatives from a broad scope of biomedical industries with total sales of more than $100 M per year. Industry participants were asked to address two questions - (1) what is the major problem that needs to be solved or research advance needed that will provide an significant improvement in healthcare for your industry and (2) how can NIBIB and industry collaborate to facilitate translation of research result s to patient applications and anticipated manpower needs? The final report (Adobe PDF [236K]) presents the proceedings of this meeting including problems/research needs and recommendations for NIBIB and industry activities.

February 12, 2004: NIBIB and DOE Conduct Joint Workshop on Optical Technologies

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) and the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Biological and Environmental Research (OBER) partnered to sponsor a "Joint NIBIB/DOE Workshop on Biomedical Imaging: Optical and X-ray Technologies" during February 10-11 at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland. Two days of information exchange that included plenary presentations, plenary discussions, and poster displays were aimed at communicating and identifying potential synergies and collaborations based on (1) biomedical research needs that could be addressed using optical technologies to DOE laboratory researchers, (2) related DOE national laboratory capabilities and programs to NIH intramural and extramural staff, and (3) funding opportunities for future research. About 100 total attendees participated in this meeting including DOE national laboratory investigators, NIH intramural investigators, NIH extramural program directors, and representatives from other government agencies. The General Chair of the workshop was Dr. Peter Kirchner of the NIBIB. A summary of this meeting will be posted on the NIBIB Web site in the near future.

February 26, 2004: Joint NIBIB/NIDDK/JDRFI Workshop Planned on Immunobarriers for Pancreatic Islet Transplantation

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering of the NIH, and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International are holding a workshop entitled "Immunobarriers for Pancreatic Islet Transplantation". The meeting, to be held on March 29-30, 2004 in Washington DC, will be chaired by Dr. Michael Lysaght of Brown University. We are bringing together bioengineers with expertise in biomaterials and tissue engineering with diabetes/islet cell researchers with expertise in immunology and transplantation. This will be a working meeting to gauge the state of the art, whether encapsulation will provide an immunobarrier for islet transplantation in the future, to define what needs to be done to hasten the practice into the clinic, and what NIH and JDRFI can do to ensure progress toward that end. We consider that this workshop will serve to advise NIH and JDRFI regarding future efforts in this area.

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March

March 23, 2004: Brain Scans on the Move

A unique device engineered by researchers at the University of Southern California may offer valuable insights into the brain activities that underlie a wide range of behaviors. With the miniature implantable pump developed by Dr. Daniel P. Holschneider and his colleagues, scientists can use remote control to infuse detectable tracer molecules into the bloodstream of freely moving laboratory rats engaged in specific behaviors. The distribution of tracer molecules during or just after a behavior reveals activated brain regions. The device broadens the range of behaviors that might be studied using brain-imaging techniques, since animals need not be immobilized or restrained. See the full story.

March 29, 2004: Registration Open for Joint BECON/BISTIC 2004 Symposium on Biomedical Informatics for Clinical Decision Support

Registration is now open for the Joint NIH BECON/BISTIC 2004 Symposium titled "Biomedical Informatics for Clinical Decision Support: A Vision for the 21st Century" to be held in at the William H. Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland on June 21-22, 2004. The symposium is the seventh annual conference coordinated by the Bioengineering Consortium (BECON) and the first joint symposium with the Biomedical Information Science and Technology Initiative Consortium (BISTIC). The event will be held on June 21 and 22, 2004, at the William H. Natcher Conference Center on the NIH main campus in Bethesda, Maryland. This symposium will focus on software tools and approaches needed to deliver biomedical information technologies to clinicians and patients at the time and place where decisions are made regarding risk, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. For more information about the symposium, including the agenda, scientific poster session, and on-line registration, please visit http://www.becon.nih.gov/symposium2004.htm.

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