— Scientists from around the world gathering in Shreveport to share research, interests — Louisiana Tech University is joining forces with LSU Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) in Shreveport to bring together biomedical researchers and experts from across the nation at the 32nd Annual Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference (SBEC 2016), March 11-13 at the Shreveport Convention Center.  Dr. Leon Iasemidis and Dr. Teresa Murray of Louisiana Tech’s biomedical engineering program, and Dr. Steven Conrad of LSUHSC will chair SBEC2016. SBEC 2016 will draw leading experts, researchers, clinicians, students and industry leaders from as far away as Saudi Arabia and India to share interests in biomedical applications and to showcase transformative research in the emerging field of biomedical engineering. The Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference, which began in Shreveport in 1982, is held annually at various locations throughout the southern United States and has grown into an international conference with participants from every part of the United States, Canada, South America, Europe and Asia. “SBEC 2016 provides a forum for researchers in engineering and medicine to present their findings and latest advances in biomedical research, learn from each other’s achievements, and identify potential avenues of collaboration in the near future,” said Dr. Bryant Hollins, conference chair for activities and awards and assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Louisiana Tech. “The conference was created by investigators at Louisiana Tech and LSUHSC primarily for biomedical researchers at institutions in the southern states of the U.S. Since then, it has evolved to an international conference and we are excited that, for the first time since its inception, it is returning to its birthplace in Shreveport.” According to Hollins, collaborations promoted by the SBEC advance the science and lay the foundation for discoveries in engineering and medicine to the ultimate benefit of the patient and the economic development of the State of Louisiana. Both Louisiana Tech and LSUHSC possess resources that can be leveraged to advance the state’s overall scientific stature in the nation. “Louisiana Tech has strong engineering departments and a very strong biomedical engineering interdisciplinary center, the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science (CBERS),” said Dr. Leon Iasemidis, the Director of CBERS and one of the three chairs of the Conference. “LSUHSC provides valuable insights into basic science and medical challenges. Together, Louisiana Tech and LSUHSC can develop creative solutions to important biomedical problems, as has been shown repeatedly in the past, has continued over time and accelerated more recently.” Areas of special interest for SBEC 2016 include neuromodulation, mobile medicine, big data science, bionanotechnology and bioimaging applications, bioethics and education, and will feature keynote lectures and student competitions. It also provides a venue for presentation and discussion by senior scientists and young scientists (post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students) from around the world as well as excellent opportunities for networking. “Louisiana Tech University has one of the oldest biomedical engineering programs in the country, and participated in the earliest Southern Biomedical Engineering Conferences,” said Dr. Stan Napper, vice president for research and development at Louisiana Tech. “With new leadership and enthusiastic young faculty in biomedical engineering, and with a strong partnership with colleagues at the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, we are proud to be hosting the 32nd Annual SBEC.” According to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), bioengineers work with cutting-edge technologies to tackle grand challenges that define the human experience. They advance human health, engineer better medicines, create the tools of innovation and scientific discovery, and harness the power of biological processes to aid our planet. From the wheelchair that helps people stay mobile to pain medicines to x-ray technologies, the products developed by bioengineers fit seamlessly into everyday life. “Louisiana Tech’s ability to host a conference with national and international impact speaks wonderfully to the opportunities the university provides to its students and faculty,” says Hollins. “This conference will provide our students and faculty the opportunity to present research to colleagues from around the world and form new collaborations. “The proximity of the conference’s location to our campus in Ruston and our Shreveport Center will provide additional educational opportunities for students at both the undergraduate and graduate level, as they will participate in the exchange of cutting-edge biomedical research findings.” SBEC 2016 is being hosted and organized by Louisiana Tech and LSUHSC, and it is sponsored by Louisiana Tech, the Center for Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Science at Louisiana Tech, and the Louisiana State University’s Health Sciences Center and the Biomedical Research Foundation of Northwest Louisiana in Shreveport.  Exhibitors at SEBC 2016 include the Innovation Enterprise at Louisiana Tech University, Nanogaia LLC, the Biomedical Research Foundation of North West Louisiana’s Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program, ASH Industries, Inc., OrganicNANO, BioSense Labs LLC, and Springer. For more information about SBEC 2016, visit http://coes.latech.edu/sbec-2016.  The SBEC 2016 program can be accessed at http://coes.latech.edu/sbec-2016/program.php.