CORAL Report – 2004

The 15th Annual AdCom Meeting of CORAL, the Latin American Regional Council on Biomedical Engineering, an organization co-sponsored by the IFMBE and IEEE/EMBS, took place in Joao Pessoa (Brazil) in September 2004, during the III Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering (CLAEB´2004), an IFMBE regional Conference. This event was also sponsored by the the Brazilian Biomedical Engineering Society (SBEB).

Delegates of national biomedical societies from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela attended this meeting. Also, members of the EMBS chapters from these countries and observers from Chile and Uruguay were present at CORAL XV. The AdCom was honored with the presence of Prof. Joachim Nagel, IFMBE President.

As IFMBE liaison, Prof. Fernando Infantosi made a report of the Federation activities. He also emphasised that the IFMBE support was fundamental for the success of CLAEB '2004. In order to promote the 3rd Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering special issues of the Brazilian Journal on Biomedical Engineering (RBEB) dedicated to Latin America have been published in 2003 and 2004 (http://www.peb.ufrj.br/rbeb). The best papers have been awarded with free registration to the Conference. The Congress gathers Biomedical Engineering scientists from the Americas and other continents, presenting their latest research results. Moreover, the Cândido Pinto de Melo Award was established by SBEB. This Award was open for students effectively enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses. Around 100 students entered in this competition and the five finalists will receive a diploma and a cash prize from SBEB. IFMBE and CORAL will provide additional prizes for the first, second and third best student papers.

Delegates of the national societies reported on the biomedical engineering activities that had taken place in their countries in the last year and about the future national conferences. The CORAL XV meeting had many other important topics on its agenda. The debates included important considerations about CORAL and its membership, leadership, new member's procedures and the financial report. The Venezuelan Society of Biomedical Engineering will host the IV Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering, the next IFMBE regional conference in this region. This conference will take place in Isla Margarita, Venezuela, in 2007. The 2005 AdCom meeting will be held in Colombia, and the next, in 2006, will take place in Uruguay. The CORAL Board for the period 2005-2007 has been elected: President: Susana Llanusa Ruiz (Cuba), Vice-President elected: Miguel Cadena Méndez (Mexico), Secretary/Treasurer: Martha Zequera Díaz (Colombia). Also, the vocals were elected: Luis Alberto Vilcahuamán Cajacuri (Peru) and Renato García Ojeda (Brazil).

A. Fernando C. Infantosi