International Symposium on Biomolecular Ultrasound and Sonogenetics - Project Summary/Abstract
The goal of this application is to seek funding for travel reimbursement awards for students, postdoc fellows
and young independent investigators for the 2022 Inaugural International Symposium on Biomolecular
Ultrasound and Sonogenetics (ISBUS). The goal of this meeting is to foster interdisciplinary interaction and
to capitalize on the rapidly expanding scientific developments in several cutting-edge fields related to
biomolecular engineering and sonogenetics. The main outcome of the meeting will be new strategies for the
integrated application of these different technologies toward biological studies and medical applications.
Researchers, postdoctoral fellows, and students will be invited to present their latest research and to interact
with the leaders in these different fields. Such scientific interactions will enable ISBUS to explore and develop
exciting new fields. The specific theme of 2022 ISBUS conference will be `Biomolecular and genetic
approaches to ultrasonic imaging and control for biomedicine'. Within this central theme, a broad
spectrum of isolated groups have converged from disparate disciplines, but without any sense of community.
The need for ISBUS lies in the unique opportunity to bring these investigators together in one room for the first
time to exchange ideas and brainstorm new strategies for moving the biomolecular engineering and
sonogenetics field forward. The first primary goal of ISBUS will be to delineate the current status of different
fields of biomolecular engineering, ultrasound-based imaging and manipulation. Leaders from these different
fields will provide an overview of the dynamic landscape of development in their own fields as well as their
visions of emerging unmet needs. The emerging field of biomolecular ultrasound and sonogenetics will be
brainstormed with a focus on integration and leveraging the strength of these different disciplines. A
whitepaper will be formulated thereafter to provide a blueprint and stimulus for future developments in this field.
The second primary goal of the symposium is to attract and promote the participation of a diverse set of
researchers in this growing field. To this end, major aspects of the scientific program and travel awards are
designed to encourage, facilitate and highlight participation by women and members of underrepresented
minority groups. A Demo Day taking place on the last day of the meeting will also offer opportunities for
participation by local high school and undergraduate institutions. We believe that this conference is the first of
its kind and will create a gateway for the next generation of researchers to get inspired and involved in this
emerging area of technological and scientific convergence.