Sep 17 2008
Renowned top medical experts and business professionals will describe the use of nanoparticles for drug delivery, treatment and imaging of cancer and other diseases at the upcoming NanoMedicine Summit, to be held next week in Cleveland, September 25-26.
Hosted by NorTech's Nano-Network, Cleveland Clinic, and Case Western Reserve University, the Summit will bring together scientists, clinicians, business professionals, and investors to discuss the latest nanotechnology discoveries and medical applications for the healthcare industry.
"This conference will highlight medical innovations being developed not only in Cleveland, but throughout the world. We are pleased to convene these leading medical experts in Cleveland and believe the Summit will help stimulate collaboration, resolve technical challenges and identify opportunities for future exploration in nanomedicine research and commercialization. Considering the region's strengths in medicine and healthcare, Cleveland is an ideal location for this conference to take place," said James Basilion, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering; and Director, NFCR Center for Molecular Imaging at Case Western Reserve University.
Keynote speakers to present at the conference include:
- Quentin Pankhurst, Ph.D. Director, Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory and Wolfson Professor of Natural Philosophy at The Royal Institution of Great Britain, United Kingdom. Dr. Pankhurst manages research programs in bio- and nanomagnetism aimed at making practical advances in the use of magnetic nanoparticles in healthcare. At the Summit, Dr. Pankhurst will discuss the emerging field of 'Healthcare Biomagnetics' -- the sensing, moving and heating of magnetic nanoparticles either in vitro or in the human body for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
- Samuel A. Wickline, M.D., Professor of Medicine, Physics, Biomedical Engineering, and Cell Biology and Physiology at Washington University. Dr. Wickline established the Washington University "Consortium for Translational Research in Advanced Imaging and Nanomedicine" (C-TRAIN) at the St Louis CORTEX Center devoted to diagnostic and therapeutic development of nanotechnology. At the Summit, Dr. Wickline will discuss nanoemulsions for molecular imaging and targeted therapeutics.
- R. Bruce Weisman, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry, Rice University. Professor Weisman is best known for his pioneering work on the spectroscopic properties of carbon nanotubes, including basic studies and applications. At the Summit, Professor Weisman will discuss near-infrared fluorescence of single-walled carbon nanotubes: a tool for developing medical applications.
- Kevin Rice, Ph.D., Professor and Division Head, Department of Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry, University of Iowa. Dr. Rice's research interests are in the synthesis and testing of carrier systems for targeted gene delivery. At the Summit, Professor Rice will discuss strategies to improve the level of expression from a nanoparticle gene delivery system.
"This Summit gathers the decision makers who will highlight some of the forward thinking technologies in the fast growing nanotechnology industry," said Christopher Coburn, Executive Director of Cleveland Clinic Innovations. "Nanoparticles continue to show innovative progress in imaging, diagnostics and therapeutics, these are exciting times."
Session topics to be discussed at the Summit include the use of nanoparticles for drug delivery and treatment of disease, imaging of cancer, biological investigation, and as building blocks for nanomedicine applications. A lunch panel will be devoted to the topic of commercialization of nanomedicine and a poster session will also be on display.
Please visit the conference website at http://www.nanomedicinesummit.org/ for more details and registration information. The 2008 NanoMedicine Summit is part of a five day series of activities during Nano Week in Northeast Ohio, September 22-26. Stay tuned to http://www.nano-network.org/ for more details about Nano Week.