Graduate Student and Assistant Professor Support for Polymers in Medicine and Biology Workshop

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

This award to Virginia Polytechnic Institute by the Biomaterials and Polymer programs in the Division of Materials Research is to provide partial support to graduate and junior faculty members to attend the "Polymers in Medicine and Biology" Workshop sponsored by the American Chemical Society, Division of Polymer Chemistry on June 17-20, 2007 in Santa Rosa, California. The workshop will be co-chaired by Buddy Ratner (University of Washington), Kathryn Uhrich (Rutgers University) and Judy Riffle (Virginia Tech). The program will focus on polymers in drug delivery and as vehicles for drug, gene and protein trafficking, tissue engineering, biomaterial surfaces, and interactions of polymers with cellular components. Macromolecular materials pervade the fields of medical implants and devices, synthetic and natural tissue scaffolds, drug/gene/protein delivery vehicles, macromolecular "drugs", bioimaging, diagnostic assays and artificial organs and joints. Realization and implementation in the potential contributions from macromolecules to nanomedicine, will require considerable concerted, integrated efforts among researchers from different disciplines including chemistry, physics, biology, pharmaceutical sciences, medicine, engineering and other fields. Planned poster sessions will provide students with an opportunity to present their research and to interact with other scientists in the field. The workshop will include 28 invited lecturers, which include nine women, three Assistant Professors and one Research Scientist (academic). Funds will be used to partially defray conference registration and travel costs for Assistant Professors, Research Scientist and graduate students. All of the students receiving travel funds will be presenting their research in the conference poster sessions. In addition, industry representatives will be providing recent development in their areas of expertise at these poster sessions.