This grant proposal is to partially fund conference fees and/or travel expenses for 22 speakers and 24 graduate students to attend the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS). The multidisciplinary membership of BEMS includes physicists, electrical engineers, cell biologists, animal physiologists, physicians, epidemiologists and other public health practitioners interested in the interaction between electrical and magnetic fields of all frequencies and biological systems. BEMS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Frederick, Maryland. BEMS publishes a refereed archival journal, Bioelectromagnetics, and a periodic newsletter and organizes an annual meeting. The goal of the annual meeting is to advance the field by stimulating discussions and interactions among participants representing all these disciplines in an open forum. Major interests of the Society include clinical applications of electric and magnetic fields for the diagnosis and treatment of human disease and health effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields. Review of the needs assessment after the 2007 Annual Meeting led to the development of a technical program for 2008 that will cover a variety of topics in plenary sessions with an emphasis on interactive format: a) two Bench-to-Bedside sessions focused on multidisciplinary approaches to selected clinical problems (antibiotic-resistant biofilms; neuroprotective effects of surfactants; fibromyalgia; bone healing) and showcasing translational research of BEMS members; b) a session on Radio Frequency and Extremely Low Frequency Exposure Standards; c) a plenary session on Mechanisms for Biological Effects of EMF; and, d) a roundtable discussion about the controversial issue of Mobile Phone Use and Brain Tumors. Of twenty-one confirmed plenary speakers, seven are from outside the US and three are women. The scientific program provides also for 88 platform presentations in 14 sessions and two poster sessions (200 projected). In 2008, the meeting will be held in the United States based on a scheduled rotation. San Diego was selected as the site by the Board of Directors. ?
The relevance of this annual conference of the Bioelectromagnetic Society (BEMS) to public health is that it will foster basic science research and an exchange of information between scientists studying electromagnetic field interactions with living systems at the molecular, cellular, clinical and population (epidemiological) level. Interactive sessions showcasing potential new electromagnetic treatment modalities will highlight contributions of BEMS members to translational research in selected medical areas. Other sessions will review potential health risks of environmental electromagnetic fields with implications for manufacturers of electronic devices, for the evolution of exposure standards at home and at work and for regulatory agencies such as the FDA and FCC. ? ? ?
