The Sixth World Biomaterials Congress, hosted by the Society for Biomaterials, USA, will be held in Kamuela, Hawaii, USA, from May 15 through 20, 2000. The goal of the Sixth World Biomaterials Congress is to provide an international formum for biomaterials professionals and students to present new educational and scientific information in the multidisciplinary area of biomaterials. The Congress will be composed of plenary and invited speakers, special symposia, workshops, and presentations in both oral and poster formats organized in topic areas. The Congress will provide a unique opportunity for professionals and students to present and discuss their research with leading engineers, scientists, clinicians, and healthcare industrial and governmental representatives. The Congress provides opportunities for professionals and students to network on research, technical and employment issues. The World Congress on Biomaterials is only held every four years and the last World Congress hosted by the Society for Biomaterials, USA, was in 1984. In addition to 32 special symposia and 10 workshops, 10 clinical application sessions and 28 general sessions will provide opportunities for professionals and students to present and participate in the Congress. To assist students and young professionals in meeting the challenges of the biomaterials community in the 21st century, a Leadership Workshop dealing with topics related to policy making, regulation, clinical care, manufacturing, education and ethics is planned. Support funds provided by the NHLBI, NIAMS, and NIDCR will be utilized to provide partial support for student and young investigator travel awards, academic workshop registrations, and meeting registrations. A reduced registration rate will be provided to students.
