III Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineeringnotes from the Opening Ceremony of the CongressAlmost fourteen years ago, on the 6th of May, 1991, the Latin American Regional Council on Biomedical Engineering (CORAL) was formally established in Mexico City. The acronym CORAL comes from the denomination in Spanish: COnsejo Regional de Ingeniería Biomédica para a América Latina, which happens to be the same in Portuguese. It was founded with the co-sponsorship of the International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering. Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE-EMBS) with the mission to foster Biomedical Engineering in Latin America and the Caribbean. The members of this Council are the Latin American (LA) National Societies of Biomedical Engineering and the EMBS chapters of this region. The objectives of CORAL, as stated in its constitution, are to foster, promote and encourage the development of research, student programs, publications and joint efforts. Furthermore, it shall coordinate activities and act as a communication channel among national societies, groups or individuals within the region active in the field. CORAL shall also serve as a consultative organization to IFMBE and IEEE-EMBS. Over this period, the most important achievement of CORAL was transforming a sparse distribution of biomedical engineers into formal national societies and EMBS chapters in some LA countries. The first occurrence of a Biomedical Engineering National Conference, in countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and Peru, took place on the occasion of a CORAL Administrative Council (AdCom) meeting. Early in 1994, CORAL supported the Brazilian Society for Biomedical Engineering (SBEB) in organizing the World Congress on Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering (RIO.94). In this event a Latin American Student Competition was promoted. As a result, almost half of the nearly 1900 participants were from Latin American and Caribbean countries. One year later, in 1995, the CORAL AdCom, at its meeting held in Cuba, decided to organize the Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering as a tri-annual IFMBE Regional Conference. In order better to advertise this event, special issues of the Brazilian Journal of Biomedical Engineering (RBEB) dedicated to Latin America were planned. Further, the use of the SBEB electronic mailing list to improve integration and publicize the field activities in Latin America and throughout the world was approved. The first Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering was held in Mazatlan, Mexico, in November 1998. This event was organized and hosted by the two CORAL members of Mexico, the IEEE-EMBS Chapter and the Mexican Society of Biomedical Engineering. It was a major event gathering around 400 recognized researchers from all over LA, contributing in many different topics. IFMBE, Pan American Health Organization and IEEE-EMBS supported and contributed to the success of this Congress. The II Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering took place in Havana, Cuba, in May 2001. The organization was professionally conducted and the program quality reflected the great efforts by the hosts to well reflect the advances in the field. It was a very successful event with 567 attendees. Thirteen precongress courses were given and several keynote speakers addressed the audience in plenary sessions and special topic workshops. Promoting international activities in Biomedical Engineering as well as supporting the national events have been the key to CORAL's role in Latin America. With this aim, CORAL supported the organization of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE-EMBS held in Cancun, Mexico (September 2003). The III Latin American Congress on Biomedical Engineering, an IFMBE Regional Conference, is also a joint event with the XIX Brazilian Congress on Biomedical Engineering. Again, to advertise this event, special issues of the RBEB dedicated to Latin America were published in 2003 and 2004. As the World Congress RIO.94, it is hosted by SBEB but this time also organized by CORAL. Finally, it is worth emphasizing that this is an opportunity to meet old friends and make some new ones. On behalf of CORAL, I wish all participants a rewarding conference and an enjoyable stay in Joćo Pessoa . Paraiba. Boas vindas, Bienvenidos, Welcome
Antonio Fernando Catelli Infantosi
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