BioImaging Symposium Gathers Top Experts to Update Clinicians

Memphis Medical News
December 2007
By Holli W. Haynie

In November, students, clinicians and experts in the field of imaging converged upon the University of Memphis for a day of presentations on the latest technological developments in bio-imaging at the fourth annual BioImaging Symposium. This event began in Memphis to connect clinicians and students with national experts in the field, and to further establish the city’s role as a world leader in biosciences.

Hosts of the event included the University of Memphis, University of Tennessee (UT) Health Science Center, Memphis Bioworks Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Experts from the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern, Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins University, among others, visited Memphis to give one-hour presentations on various imaging advancements in ultrasound, nuclear imaging, molecular imaging, CT and MRI as well informatics. In addition, selected students presented posters of current research projects for review.

Symposium chair, M. Waleed Gaber, PhD with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging at UT explained the rapid advancement of the field makes it difficult for physicians and students to keep up with all the studies. The symposium gave people the opportunity to stay up-to-date on the latest issues in medical imaging over the past year without having to do all the work themselves, Gaber said. Clinicians who attend the event also receive CME credit hours.

Moreover, the symposium provided clinicians and students an intimate atmosphere where they have the opportunity to interact with experts, something that is virtually impossible at a massive medical conference.

“The best [formula] we found is to bring in top speakers in one day so people here in Memphis and the Mid-South – researchers, clinicians, scientists, students – could see the latest that [experts] have been talking about over the last year,” said Gaber. “If you are a clinician or physician in the Mid-South, set aside that day and come out and update your knowledge.”

Added Steve Bares, president and executive director of the Memphis Bioworks Foundation and co-chair of the symposium “I feel comfortable stating that no other gathering on these topics was more important during this past year, anywhere.”

The symposium essentially allows clinicians to fast forward through the journal reading process and gather information on what has and has not worked.

“This gives us an indication where the cutting edge stands, and then we can decide to be one or two steps behind that to be safe,” maintained Gaber. “It gives us ideas where we need to be in a year’s time.”

This year the symposium focused on imaging informatics in recognition of the importance of this rapidly growing field. With a new era in medical imaging, explained Gaber, comes a new era in infrastructure. Experts spoke on ways to get the most benefit from the effort used in acquiring images, from streamlined viewing rooms to larger screens in operating rooms.

Digital imaging technology has only become heavily used in the last five years, Gaber said, which presents scientists and clinicians with new challenges in availability, organization and efficiency of patient information and case studies.

“The most expensive part of medical imaging is taking the image so you don’t want to keep repeating this process,” Gaber said. “You want to make the best use of what you’ve got. You want to make it available to researchers so they can keep mining it and finding new things.”

Beyond keeping up to date, the other goal of the symposium is to encourage medical students who are thinking about a biomedical career. Grad and doctoral students who presented posters of their work during the poster session had the unique opportunity for face-to-face interaction with prominent doctors and researchers in the field.

“It gives students valuable feedback and it’s also a measure of the quality of work that we have,” Gaber said. “When you get a speaker from Johns Hopkins, you get a measure, as a student, where you stand; whether you are in or out of the loop; and it’s very important for their career.”

The biomedical industry in Memphis continues to pick up steam and events like the BioImaging Symposium offer a forum for discussion and education.

“With every conference we host, we further establish Memphis as a top-of-mind leader for researchers, companies, students, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists,” concluded Bares. “That kind of awareness and reputation will go a long way toward our ability to attract and retain business, research and talent in this highly competitive field of bioscience.”

The fifth annual BioImaging Symposium will be held Nov. 6-7, 2008. To keep up with the event and the panel of speakers, visit: www.membis.org