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Home > News and Events > News Releases > News Releases Archive News Releases: July - September 2002ContentsJulyJuly 1, 2002: NIBIB Core Establishment Group Receives NIH Director's Award Seven members of the core group that worked to initially establish the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering received a NIH Director's Award at a ceremony on June 19 at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH Main Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The award was presented by Dr. Elias Zerhouni, the new Director of the NIH, and was for "outstanding efforts in planning, organizing, and developing the newest NIH institute - the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering". Recipients included Guy Earl Hodgkins, Joan T. Harmon, Christine L. Hollingsworth, Charles Sabatos, Mariaileen D. Sourwine, Richard E. Swaja, and Charles E. Baron. Details of the award and photos of the recipients are available on the NIH Web site at http://www1.od.nih.gov/ohrm/Awards/2002/. July 10, 2002: IEEE and NIH Conduct First International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging The "First IEEE/NIH International Symposium: Macro to Nano" was conducted on July 7-10 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Washington, DC. This conference was sponsored by the NIH's National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), the IEEE's Signal Processing Society, and the IEEE's Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. This conference represented the first collaborative effort on a major imaging symposium by the NIH and IEEE. Over 500 participants attended this meeting which promoted an integrative, multi-disciplinary approach for biomedical imaging research through all scales of observation. Over 200 contributed papers were given as oral presentations or poster displays, and 44 invited papers were presented. Primary topics covered during the meeting included instruments, image formation, image reconstruction, image processing, and visualization. A special session on Federal funding opportunities for biomedical imaging research was also conducted. Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the NIH, and Dr. Roderic Pettigrew, Director of the NIBIB, presented welcome addresses that described the importance of biomedical imaging to the medical community and the appreciation of multi-disciplinary research by the NIH. Co-Chairs of the symposium were Drs. Michael Unser (EPFL - Switzerland) and Zei-Pei Liang (University of Illinois). Technical Program Chairs were Drs. Michael Vannier (University of Iowa) and Jeffrey Fessler (University of Michigan). NIH Coordinators were Drs. Richard Swaja (NIBIB) and Daniel Sullivan (NCI). AugustAugust 1, 2002: Biomaterials and Medical Implant Science Committee To Hold Workshop on September 19-20 The Biomaterials and Medical Implant Science (BMIS) Committee is planning to hold a workshop on medical implant retrieval at the University of Maryland Shady Grove Campus in Gaithersburg, MD. The Committee is chaired by Dr. John Watson, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, and is composed of a number of individuals at various NIH Institutes as well as representatives from NIST, NSF, FDA and other organizations. The goals of the Workshop are three-fold: 1) To define the role that the federal government can play in encouraging the use of explanted medical devices for research; 2) To design a possible structure for federal programs supporting gathering and dissemination of information derived from medical implant retrieval; and 3) To design a federal program to promote implant retrieval for use in research intended to promote safer health care. August 5, 2002: The NIBIB Continues to Grow - New Contacts and Organization As the programs and staff of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) continue to grow, the Institute organization and contact list are also changing. As of August 5, the following new assignments and contacts are effective at the NIBIB: Dr. Joan Harmon is the Acting Director of the Division of Extramural Activities. This division is responsible for facilitating and coordinating issues related to extramural grants for the NIBIB. Areas encompassed by this division include integration of extramural programs, grants management, and review; assignment of grant applications to appropriate programs; dealing with ethical, legal, and social issues; and compliance with NIH policy and legal requirements. Dr. Christine Kelley is the Acting Director of the Division of Bioengineering. This division coordinates extramural research programs related to bioengineering in areas such as novel biomaterials, tissue engineering, biocompatibility, drug delivery, medical devices and implant science, nanoscience, sensors, surgery, and platform technologies. Dr. Mary Pastel is the Acting Director of the Division of Biomedical Imaging. This division coordinates extramural research programs in biomedical imaging in areas such as diagnostic applications, cellular and molecular imaging, imaging informatics, image-guided intervention, contrast agents, and telemedicine. Dr. Richard Swaja is the Acting Director of the Technology Development and Integration Division. This division coordinates intra-NIH (including BECON, BRP, and BRG issues), inter-agency, and divisional cross-cutting activities in bioengineering and bioimaging; training; small and large business activities; and program development and communication. Dr. Donna Dean is the Acting Director of the NIBIB and is responsible for all aspects of Institute operations. Contact information for these and all NIBIB staff is available on the NIBIB Web site in the ABOUT NIBIB section. Please keep monitoring this Web site for new developments. August 10, 2002: Third Inter-Institute Workshop on Diagnostic Optical Imaging Planned for September 26-27 - Call for Abstracts The "Third Inter-Institute Workshop on Diagnostic Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy: The Clinical Adventure" is planned for September 26-27, 2002, at the Lister Hill Auditorium on the NIH Main Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. The NIBIB is one of several NIH institutes participating in this workshop. A call for poster session abstracts has been issued with abstracts due at the NIH on August 15, 2002. Topics to be discussed at the conference include probes and devices in molecular imaging, optical coherence tomography, breast imaging and spectroscopy, brain imaging and spectroscopy, and epithelial imaging and spectroscopy. A special session on NIH support for optical imaging research will also be conducted. The Workshop Coordinator is Dr. Amir Gandjbakhche (NICHD); and the NIH Program Committee members are Drs. Brenda Korte (NIBIB), Richard Swaja (NIBIB), Laurence Clarke (NCI), Houston Baker (NCI), Jay Knutsen (NHLBI), James Mitchell (NCI), Paul Smith (BEPS), Robert Martino (CIT), and King Li (CC). August 12, 2002: NIBIB Officials Help Dedicate New UCSD Bioengineering Facility The new state-of-the-art Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall was dedicated at the UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering in San Diego, CA. The new bioengineering research building will accommodate the UCSD's Department of Bioengineering, the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering, and the von Liebig Center for Entrepreneurism and Technology Advancement and fulfill a goal in developing an integrative engineering and biomedical sciences program. The modern facilities will enable researchers to apply emerging technologies towards medical advancements in diagnosing and treating medical problems. The $37 million Powell-Focht Bioengineering Hall is the first of three new buildings under construction at the UCSD Jacobs School. More information about the new facility and the dedication proceedings can be accessed at http://www-bioeng.ucsd.edu/powell_focht/. Speakers at the dedication ceremony included: Frieder Seible, Interim Dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering; Richard C. Atkinson, President of the University of California; Edward W. Holmes, UCSD Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and Dean of the School of Medicine; Donna J. Dean, Acting Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB); G. Burtt Holmes, Chairman of Governing Board, The Whitaker Foundation; Joel Holliday, President of the Charles Lee Powell Foundation; Jean Goggins, Executive Director of the William J. von Liebig Foundation; and Shu Chien, Chair of the Department of Bioengineering and Director of the Whitaker Institute of Biomedical Engineering. Preceding the ceremony a visionary lecture was delivered by Dr. Roderic Ivan Pettigrew, Director Designate of the new NIBIB at the NIH. His address, titled "Challenges for Emerging Technologies in Medicine and Biomedical Engineering", emphasized the multi-disciplinary nature of modern bioengineering research and gave tangible examples of the benefits that have already been derived from bioengineering research. The captivating talk was very well received by both the biomedical and quantitative researchers that were in attendance. A complete webcast of Dr. Pettigrew's remarks can be accessed at http://rpvss.ucsd.edu:8080/ramgen/jsoe/Pettigrew.rm. August 28, 2002: NIBIB Conducts Training Workshop The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) conducted a Workshop on Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Training on August 26-27 at the Bethesda Marriott Hotel in Bethesda, Maryland. The objective of the workshop was to obtain recommendations from the extramural and NIH/agency training communities for the NIBIB to consider in the development of its near- and long-term training programs. A total of forty-two invited attendees with recognized experience and interests in multi-disciplinary training (30 extramural and 12 from NIH and other Federal agencies) attended the interactive workshop. To meet the objective of the workshop, the attendees addressed specific questions such as (l) what are the critical issues and challenges in multi-disciplinary training at all career levels, (2) which are the highest priority issues for the NIBIB to address in the development of its programs, (3) what concerns and issues should the NIBIB observe in developing its programs based on agency experience, (4) what relevant programs currently exist at the NIH and other agencies and how can the NIBIB complement these, and (5) what are the most effective methods for incorporating training into research programs. Proceedings of this workshop will be summarized in a report which will be issued on the NIBIB Web site in the near future. SeptemberSeptember 13, 2002: NIBIB, NCI and NSF Hold Workshop on Image-Guided Interventions On September 12-13, 2002 the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) held a workshop on Image-Guided Interventions at the Bethesda Marriott in Bethesda, Maryland. The workshop was co-chaired by Dr. Ferenc Jolesz from Harvard University, Dr. Russell Taylor from Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Michael Vannier from the University of Iowa. Over 60 researchers, engineers, clinicians and federal officials were in attendance to discuss advances in basic imaging science and engineering as they relate to minimally invasive treatments, biopsies, and surgical procedures that improve human health. The recommendations from this workshop will be used by the NIBIB, NCI, and NSF to enhance existing programs associated with image-guided interventions. A final report and the slide presentations from this workshop will be posted on the NIBIB website in the near future. September 23, 2002: Dr. Roderic Pettigrew Begins as NIBIB Director Dr. Roderic Pettigrew officially begins as the first Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) on Monday, September 23, 2002. The NIBIB was signed into law by President William Clinton on December 29, 2000. Since its establishment, the NIBIB has been led by Dr. Donna Dean who has served as the Acting Director. Dr. Dean will remain with the Institute as Deputy Director. Dr. Pettigrew comes to the NIH from the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. He will be initially located in the Democracy 2 Building on Democracy Boulevard in Bethesda, Maryland. |
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