2025 Photochemistry Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar - This project seeks support from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and specifically, from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), for broadening the participation of biophotonics and biomedical-imaging investigators in the 2025 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) in Photochemistry. Specifically, we aim to utilize the NIH finding for supporting: (1) the participants in a “Biophotonis and Optical Imaging” session, and (2) promote the dissemination of fundamental photophysics and photochemistry research for development of biophotonics and biomedical applications. The first aim will allow us to bring experts in biomedical imaging and biophotonics to the photochemistry and photophysics communities represented by vast majority of the attendees of these GRC and GRS. The highly interactive nature of this meeting will promote constructive discussions and the emergence of new ideas important for advancing the biomedical fields. The second aim will ensure the cross-generational transition of knowledge and ideas. The GRC informal environment fosters open interactions between investigators from all career stages, essential not only for mentoring and education, but also for commencing new fruitful collaborations between scientists and engineers. The Photochemistry GRC is a five-day prime international meeting attracting broad multidisciplinary participation of scientists and engineers working on various aspects of light-matter interactions. The preceding one-day GRS is organized and led by students and postdocs attending the GRC, aiming at encouraging independent thinking and discussions on topics similar and/or complementary to those covered in the GRC. Topics on the molecular nature of cell physiology and development of advanced optical tools for deciphering phenomena in biological systems not only are of immense importance for advancing health science but also resonate truly well with the attendees of Photochemistry GRC and GRS. These crossdisciplinarity settings will prove beneficial for the conference by broadening its scope, and for the biomedical field by involving physical chemists and photochemists in the discussions, thus, ensuring the success of this project.
