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CIMIT and Dartmouth Hosting Conference on Advanced Technologies in the Neurosciences, Translational Research and Health Policy

Posted on: Friday, 7 October 2005, 15:00 CDT

Thought leaders from the U.S. and abroad will gather here October 18-20 for a collaborative conference focusing on the unique aspects involved in advancing technologies related to the neurosciences, translational research and health policy.

Jointly sponsored by Dartmouth Medical School (DMS) and the Center for Integration of Medicine and Innovative Technology (CIMIT), the three-day conference will address the cross-disciplinary implementation of bringing a scientific idea - specifically in the neurosciences - from conception to clinical usage.

A Boston-based consortium of Harvard teaching hospitals with MIT and Draper Lab, CIMIT is dedicated to improving patient care through novel technology. Like DMS, it is committed to breaking down barriers that slow progress, and to building collaborations that speed innovation and integration.

During the conference, "Advanced Technologies in the Neurosciences, Translational Research and Health Policy," a broad spectrum of neuroscientists and other intellectual leaders from DMS and CIMIT will focus on the complexities of implementing a neuroscience concept in patient care.

Neurosurgeon Spearheads Conference

Henry Schmidek, MD, FACS, Senior Neurosurgeon at Dartmouth- Hitchcock Medical Center, was instrumental in putting together the conference. "This will be one of the first meetings to address the intricacies of converging technologies, including nanotechnology, informatics, technology, genetics and biotechnology," he said. "These areas are undergoing exponential growth and will have a profound effect on almost every facet of medicine in the coming decade. The translation of these ideas to patient care is an extremely intricate process that involves ethical, financial, legal and policy ramifications. In thinking about the future of the neurosciences, it's critical that we have all the players and all the viewpoints at the table."

CIMIT: Bringing together Science and Technology

Since its inception, CIMIT has been bringing together clinicians from "problem-rich environments" with a desire to improve patient care, with technologists from "solution-rich environments" who have the expertise to design novel devices. According to CIMIT Director John A. Parrish, MD, "As a clinically-centered consortium we draw upon the strengths of clinicians, inventors, engineers, industry leaders, scientists, and the military. It is an idea that works. By acting as a bridge, we have shown that one investigator's idea, coupled with a team of experts, and nurtured in an environment of collaboration can create multiple uses, multiple partners, and multiple programs to address complex patient care problems."

Conference Highlights

Among the issues highlighted at the conference will be the scientific verification process, entrepreneurship, intellectual property rights, funding mechanisms, conflict of interest issues, and the role of national science policy in facilitating these activities.

On the first day, topics investigated will include advanced neurosurgical and neuroimaging techniques, patent reform, in vivo molecular imaging, concluding with a look at the laws, legalities and liberties of the technologies surrounding neuroscience. The second day will commence with a look at commercialization, entrepreneurship and venture capital, as well as the US science policy, followed by presentations on nanotechnology and cognitive neuroscience. The final day will include a variety of presentations on bioinformatics and the regulation, trials, pricing and profitability of new drugs and devices.

About Dartmouth Medical School

Dartmouth Medical School is a leader in the transformation of medicine, linking the march of biomedical knowledge to the development of new approaches to improve health and save lives. The nation's fourth oldest medical school, it melds the resources of a world-class medical center with the breadth of a nationally recognized educational institution to shape the doctors of tomorrow.

The Conference Design and Registration Information

This multi-disciplinary conference is designed for neuroscientists, clinicians, medical school and foundation decision makers, industry representatives involved with devices and pharma, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, and regional and national health policy specialists. It will be held at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Norton Woods Conference Center, in Cambridge.

To encourage substantive discussion along with the presentations, attendance is limited Registration is $1,800 for the full three-day conference. However, residents, fellows, junior faculty and students receive a reduced rate of $300 for the conference. For additional information, including a complete agenda, or to register, please visit www.cimit.org/atns.

Source: Business Wire

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