2008 First Annual Meeting Biomedical Research

Memphis, TN, October 5-8 - The Hartwell Foundation held its first Annual Meeting Biomedical Research on October 5-8. Representing 13 different centers of biomedical research excellence in the United States, 24 Hartwell Investigators (Class of 2006 and Class of 2007) reported on their funded research. With excitement and enthusiasm characteristic of entrepreneurs, the diverse group of scientists each delivered a presentation that both explained their proposed research and reported on important progress.

The participants and The Hartwell Foundation board enjoyed hearing about a broad range of innovative research, covering: translational efforts in the pediatric intensive care unit to improve clinical outcomes for children suffering brain trauma; restoration of hearing; proposals to identify target drug therapy in various pediatric diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders; technologic advances in proteomics; new approaches for treating type-1 diabetes; alternatives to diagnosing and treating fetal developmental disorders; new approaches for vaccine development; brain tumor drug delivery systems; magnetic resonance for imaging lung structure in infants; and knifeless surgery in utero using high intensity focused ultrasound.

Following an intense day of presentations, the Hartwell Investigators and board members toured the St Jude Children's Research Hospital, focusing on the Hartwell Center for Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, the new imaging facilities, the new cyclotron, and new automated drug screening capability. Following the tour, Dr. William Evans, CEO of the hospital, hosted a luncheon for the group that included a visit by a pediatric patient being treated at St Jude.

The First Annual Scientific Meeting drew rave reviews from participants, who returned home infused with renewed energy and commitment; feeling as though they had expanded their creative capacity.

The Hartwell Foundation seeks to inspire innovation and achievement by offering individual scientists and engineers an opportunity to realize their professional goals. Through a unique and selective funding process, it provides financial support to stimulate discovery in early-stage biomedical research that it hopes will benefit children of the United States.