The purpose of this award is to support international travel for distinguished invited speakers, including young investigators and investigators from underrepresented groups from the US, to attend the Inaugural International Workshop on Multiscale Mechanobiology (IWMM) to be held in Hong Kong, May 15-18, 2014. Mechanical modulation of cell, tissue and organ functions has been long recognized as an important basic science issue and has generated global interest in the field of mechanobiology. One of the challenges in the field of mechanobiology is the inherent nature of multi-disciplinary and multiscale hierarchies. Therefore, biologists, engineers, physical scientists, and clinicians must come together and develop new approaches and future vision for mechanobiology. In addition, the spatial and temporal scales in mechanobiology must be bridged via modern biology, quantitative molecular imaging, and large-scale computation. The objectives of this IWMM: (1) bring together top leaders in the US, Asia, and Europe/Middle East in the relevant fields of biology, engineering, physical sciences, and medicine to exchange cutting edge research in multiscale mechanobiology; (2) expose young investigators including junior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students to advanced research in multiscale mechanobiology; and (3) develop blueprints for the future of multiscale mechanobiology.
Several transformative broader impacts will be realized by this inaugural IWMM. The exchanges, brainstorming, and breakout sessions will be captured in a whitepaper forming the blueprint of multiscale mechanobiology for publication in primer journals and rapid open access disseminations. In addition, an edited book on Multiscale Mechanobiology will be compiled at the end of the Workshop for publication. Finally, the Workshop will include young investigators and prepare them for the future and opportunities of multiscale mechanobiology. Young investigators will be intimately involved in the Workshop, providing a unique experience to observe how the future of mechanobiology will be shaped collectively.
