The Bioengineering Division (BED) of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers hosts the annual Summer Bioengineering Conference (SBC). The 2012 SBC, to be held June 20-23, 2012 at the el Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, will be the 14th installment of this conference. The primary purpose of this conference is to promote state-of-the-art research, collaboration, and scientific discourse in the broad field of bioengineering with a focus on cutting edge biomechanics encompassing molecular to tissue and organism-level approaches. The conference has an excellent track record of bringing together researchers and educators from numerous disciplines at various stages of their careers. Distinguishing features of this conference are its relaxed atmosphere and purposefully unscheduled time to permit informal interactions and exchange of ideas among participants. This year we have selected The Art and Science of Imaging as it applies to biomechanical engineering as our theme. Medical imaging is fast becoming an essential tool, both for making fundamental discoveries and for translating them to routine clinical use. This year, for the first time, SBC will highlight Imaging as a way to educate and inspire our attendees to consider the use and integration of imaging in the various biomechanical engineering disciplines. The BED leadership is keenly aware of and committed to the future of bioengineering and takes dedicated measures to maximize student participation in the SBC through the high-quality scientific presentations, careful selection of keynote speakers and workshops, and a highly successful Student Paper Competition. The primary specific aim of this proposal is to energize students and offer them opportunities at the 2012 SBC to experience emerging biomedical technologies that apply across disciplines. We will maintain or increase student participation through a separate student Call for Papers, holding highlighted sessions where only student presentations are given, and reduce the student registration fee by $175.
The 2012 Summer Bioengineering Conference (SBC) will be held June 20-23, 2012 at the el Conquistador Resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. The primary purpose of this conference is to promote state-of-the-art research, collaboration, and scientific discourse in the broad field of bioengineering with a focus on cutting edge biomechanics. This year we have selected The Art and Science of Imaging as it applies to biomechanical engineering as our theme. The primary specific aim of this proposal is to energize students and offer them opportunities to experience emerging biomedical technologies that apply across disciplines at the 2012 SBC.