14. March 2007 14:53
Setting the Context of Nanomedicine for the Future
The European Science Foundation (ESF) recently undertook a Forward Look on Nanomedicine, defining the current status and future prospects in this new and important emerging field. One of the recommendations relating to research, training and improved communication was the need to establish a Pan-European conference series that was truly interdisciplinary in the field of Nanomedicine. The overall aim being to improve scientific exchange and dissemination at the leading edge of Nanomedicine research and development (in all sub-disciplines of the field). Also it was considered as essential to allow debate and discussion of ethical and societal issues and public engagement.
Nanomedicine 2006: the first in a series of biannual in-depth meetings
To meet these goals the ESF-UB Conference Nanomedicine 2006 was recently organised. The meeting was a resounding success with approximately 110 delegates from 25 countries, including world-leading experts from Australia, Canada and the USA. Through posters and short oral communications, early stage career researchers presented a wide range of exciting and important Nanomedicine-related topics such as diagnostics to imaging, drug delivery to tissue repair, materials science to characterisation of nano-structures, ethics and public engagement. Time was also allocated to two integral workshops: one reviewed the current status of the European Technological Platform (ETP) on Nanomedicine - an activity that has been setting the strategic research agenda for FP7; the other discussed the training and continuing professional development needs for an integrated training programme in Nanomedicine. Nanomedicine 2006 was supported by a newly established collaboration between the European Science Foundation (ESF) and the University of Barcelona (UB), which has settled the basis of a 5-year programme of research conferences activities in the Biomedical Field.
Future Research and Training in Nanomedicine
Under this new partnership, a strategy for future Research and Training in Nanomedicine was agreed, which will include parallel high-level Nanomedicine Conferences, a biannual series of ESF Summer Schools in Nanomedicine and a series of in-depth Workshops that will provide a forum for discussion and/or education in specific sub-disciplines of Nanomedicine. In addition, a European Masters/Doctoral Training curriculum specifically for Nanomedicine is being developed that will involve a Pan-European consortium of academic institutions.
Forthcoming Meetings & Summer Schools
- ESF Summer School in Nanomedicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom, 10-15 June 2007
- ESF-UB Conference Nanomedicine 2008, Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain, 19-25 September 2008
- ESF Summer School in Nanomedicine, Lisbon, Portugal, 2009 (dates to be announced)
More information available from ESF Conferences website.
