Nanotechnology and Informatics

Noon November 12, 2004 and 6 PM November 18, 2004

Engineering in Medicine and Biology and Computer Society with Marquette University and Milwaukee School of Engineering present

Two Hot Topics in Two Weeks:

1) Nanotechnology: Towards Applications in Medicine 

by Wolfgang Porod.

-when: Friday at 12-noon, 11-12-04.

-where: Room 200 of the Olin Engineering Building, Marquette University, 1515 W. Wisconsin Ave. Parking in MU ramp on 16th Street, 1 block north of Wisconsin Ave. 

-why: This is cutting-edge nanotechnology! What do you need to know about nanotechnology? Ask Dr. Porod he is a distinguished lecturer in nanotechnology for both Engineering in Medicine & Biology (EMBS) and Circuits and Systems (CAS) Societies; as well as Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions in Nanotechnology. 

-AND - hors doeuvres are available before this seminar at MU, funded in part by a grant from Frank & Frieda K. Brotz Foundation.

Nanotechnology refers to our emerging capability to image and manipulate matter on size scales of 100 nanometers or less. This unprecedented control presents exciting possibilities for a wide range of applications, and among the most exciting ones are applications in biology and medicine. We will give a brief overview of some basic nanotechnology concepts and capabilities, and we will then outline some promising biomedical applications for diagnosis and therapy. We will discuss several examples, such as nanoscale magnetic tags, semiconductor quantum dots as optical bar codes, gold nanoparticles for cancer therapy, arrays of micron-scale cantilevers for screening of genetic sequences, and nanometer-scale modifications of implant surfaces for improved durability and biocompatibility. 

WOLFGANG POROD currently is Frank M. Freimann Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame. He received his Diplom (M.S.) and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Graz, Austria, in 1979 and 1981, respectively. He joined the University of Notre Dame in 1986 as an Associate Professor. He now also serves as the Director of Notre Dame's Center for Nano Science and Technology. His research interests are in the area of nanoelectronics, with an emphasis on new circuit concepts for novel devices. He has authored some 300 publications and presentations. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and he has served (2002-2003) as the Vice President for Publications on the IEEE Nanotechnology Council. He also has been appointed an Associate Editor for the new IEEE Transactions on Nanotechnology. He is a Founding Member of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society's Technical Committee on Nanoelectronics and Gigascale Systems, and he has been active in organizing Special Sessions and Tutorials, and as a speaker in IEEE Distinguished Lecturer Programs. 

2) The Evolving Needs in Informatics for Health Care Providers

by Matt Tector. 

-when: Thursday evening at 6:00, 11-18-04 

-where: Alumni Partnership Center, Milwaukee School of Engineering, on Broadway 1 block south of Juneau with parking in MSOE surface lot, east of Broadway.

-why: Clinical laboratories retain outdated paper-based procedures for patient care. Dr. Tector will present the need and opportunity for properly developed information technology to assure quality in patient care. 

-AND - hors doeuvres are available before this presentation @ 5:30 funded by EMBS & CS Societies.

Clinical laboratory data is essential for the quality and cost of patient care as well as the development of new drugs during clinical trials. Since clinical laboratories rely on automated instruments and laboratory information systems to collect these data, one would expect cutting edge information technology in the laboratories. Quite the contrary, most laboratories still retain the outdated paper-based procedures, which are slow and error-prone. Even more arduous, clinical trials/studies must search for laboratory data through stacks of paper in archival medical records. This presents a clear interdisciplinary opportunity among engineers, scientists and medical professionals to properly develop information technology in the clinical laboratories to optimize workflow, minimize error, reduce cost and assure patient safety. 

Matt Tector is Resarch Scientist at St. Lukes Medical Center, Transplant Research Laboratory. 

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Last modified: November 08, 2004