WC 2003 Keynote Speaker and Plenary Speakers Announced

World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering

24-29 August 2003

Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Sydney, Australia

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Lord May of Oxford

"The Role of Physics and Engineering in Tomorrow's Medical Education and Practice: the Past May Be a Poor Guide to the Future"

Throughout his career, Sydney-born scientist Professor Robert May (Lord May of Oxford, OM, AC, Kt) has pursued ideas in theoretical biology. His understanding has practical consequences of the utmost importance, notably in preserving biodiversity and controlling the spread of infectious disease.

Currently President of Britain's Royal Society, Lord May was chief scientific adviser to the UK Government for the five years to September 2000, and head of its Office of Science and Technology. He holds a Professorship jointly in the Department of Zoology, Oxford University and at Imperial College, London. Knighted in 1996, he was elevated to Britain's House of Lords in 2001.

"If there is one consistent thread that runs through my life from when I was young, it's that I enjoy playing games, whether it's Monopoly, Risk, chess, or contract bridge. Today, my professional interest is in working out the rules of the games that nature plays."

May is a world leader in mathematical biology, but his PhD, and his first chair, at the University of Sydney, were in theoretical physics. In 1973, however, with the burgeoning movement towards social responsibility in science, he moved to Princeton as Professor of Zoology.

He described the "boom-bust" cycles of some animal populations as examples of chaotic dynamics, in which the initial conditions- numbers of animals, rates of reproduction and so on-can never be described accurately enough to predict the outcome.

Soon afterwards he began applying his models of population biology to the interaction between parasites and their hosts, and particularly, on the role of infectious diseases in the regulation of natural populations of plants and animals.

This led to research on the interactions between populations of viruses and immune system cells and, in particular, why there is such a long and variable interval between infection with HIV and the onset of AIDS - a problem as yet unsolved. It is work that has been of critical importance in understanding the spread of HIV.

Lord May's current research deals with factors influencing the diversity and abundance of plant and animal species, and with the rates, causes and consequences of extinction.

May believes that societies should engage the full range of views in the debate about what kind of world we want to live in, and has worked to achieve this both during his tenure as Chief Scientific Advisor and in his present position as President of the Royal Society.

"Once we can agree on the values that motivate us as members of our societies, we then need to ask how best to pursue those values…. Our values will indicate what questions we should be asking about the natural world and humanity's impact on it; our science will ensure that the answers have a solid foundation."

Plenary speakers

Professor Carlo Montemagno, UCLA, Los Angeles, USA

"Beyond Carbon Nanotubes and Single Molecule Devices: Engineering Next Generation Embedded Intelligent Systems"

"A molecular T-model Ford" is how Scientific American described Professor Carlo Montemagno's nanobiomechanical motor system. Like the first Model-Ts, it may be a harbinger of an equally significant industrial revolution.

Montemagno, professor and chair of the UCLA Department of Bioengineering and a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UCLA, first engineered nano-sized devices in 2000 when he altered the molecular motor protein ATPase by attaching tiny metal propellers to it. ATPase, which occurs in all living cells, consists of six molecular structures forming the equivalent of a three-cycle motor, with a seventh molecule in the middle acting as the rotor. The motor draws its energy from the high-energy fuel molecules that power living cells in the human body, adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Consumption of three ATP molecules is required to complete one rotation of the motor.

These "nanocopters", no bigger than a virus particle, earned Montemagno a place as a Finalist in Discovery Magazine's Technological Innovations of the Year in the field of Emergent Technology.

Montemagno's group has now developed a chemical switch that gives them control over the motor, using metal ions such as zinc. This brings them a step closer to the eventual goal - to use such devices to repair cellular damage, manufacture medications, and attack cancer cells.

Montemagno has also recently been appointed co-director of the NASA-sponsored Institute for Cell Mimetic Space Exploration (CMISE), which will focus on development of systems that use nanoscale sensors, actuators, and energy sources to mimic a cellular system.

His research spans nanoscale biomedical systems, micro-robotics, directed self-assembly, hybrid living/nonliving device engineering, pathogen detection, and tissue engineering. Current research projects include development of muscle powered MEMS devices, and the engineering of on-chip detectors for pathogens.

Professor Richard Kitney, Imperial College, London, UK: "The Double Helix, and the Role of Engineering and Physics in the Post Genomic Age"

Professor Peter Hunter, University of Auckland, New Zealand: " The Electromechanics of the Heart and the Physiome Project"

Professor Peter Lewin, Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA : "Biomedical Ultrasound: A Glimpse into the Future"

Workshops, symposia, hot debates and more

One feature of the congress will be the workshops, symposia and 'debates' on topical issues. The topics have been drawn from very diverse areas and everyone will find something of interest in these special sessions. Some examples are; a debate on "Dose normalisation in chemotherapy" chaired by Prof Alun Beddoe, a workshop: "Engineering Approaches to the Detection of Microorganisms" chaired by Dr Walther Ellis, Jr., and a symposium "Biomedical Engineering in Integrative Medicine" chaired by Professors Kazuhiko Atsumi and Y-H Chang. You can check out the list of these special sessions in tracks 20 and 22 on the congress website. More are being developed and will be added to the site shortly.

The National Science Foundation will be running a Seminar entitled
"Engineering Applied to Alternative and Complementary Medicine:
Health Care Solutions with Potential to Reduce Health Care Costs"

Abstracts and Deadlines

As of 3rd April there have been over 1400 abstracts sent to reviewers. Others are yet to be processed and many more are anticipated over the next weeks.

A large body of abstracts from around the world will ensure an excellent, world-class meeting. However, in this time of global uncertainty, the organisers are aware that a significant number of people are waiting before committing themselves to travel or presentations. The extended deadline respects that uncertainty. Australia, the island continent, remains according to statistics one of the safest and friendliest places on earth to visit.

The deadline for early bird registration has also been extended until 19th May, 2003.

Bookmark the WC 2003 web address: www.wc2003.org and visit it regularly for the latest information. This newsletter is published bimonthly and we cannot guarantee that you will get all the information in time. We see our role as the provider of the most poignant details of this magnificent event.