University of Memphis students will have the opportunity to showcase their biomaterialsrelated research for “Memphis Biomaterials Day 2016”, which will be held at the FedEx Institute of Technology on March 18.
The daylong scientific conference is organized by students from multiple universities, and focuses on research in the field of biomaterials, which is an interdisciplinary subfield of bioengineering.
The conference encompasses materials science, biology, physics and chemistry. The annual regional event is being co-organized by the University of Memphis, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Vanderbilt University and the University of Kentucky.
It’s an opportunity for graduate and undergraduate students to present their research before local experts in the field.
“The purpose of Memphis Biomaterials Day is to expose students to the various avenues available after graduation, such as academia, industry and entrepreneurship,” said Josh Herwig, a biomedical engineering graduate student at the U of M, and a coorganizer of the event.
Both oral and poster presentations will be featured at the event, as well as panel discussions geared towards specific career paths, and the perspective of women in the engineering profession.
The panel presentations will offer insight into the benefits, drawbacks, struggles and potential pitfalls of an academic, industrial or entrepreneurial career.
As well as showcase some of the amazing female academics, and industry professionals in the Mid-South, serving to empower female science and engineering students, Herwig said.
Biomaterials Days originated as an opportunity for student chapters of the Society for Biomaterials to highlight students’ work and cutting edge research.
Biomaterials Days existed prior to 2008, but that was the first year the Society for Biomaterials Council made the event official and allocated grant money to support the event.
Although the event is primarily geared towards those students interested in the biomaterials, engineering and life sciences field, it is open to all students.
Participating students will have the opportunity to win awards for the best original research presentations, but it is not a contest. The deadline for poster presentations was Feb. 15, however, applications will still be considered, as time and space allows, Herwig said.
This multi-university conference was hosted by Vanderbilt University last year, and it was lasted hosted by the U of M in 2012.
Additional information such as how to register, how to submit research or an itinerary for the event can be found on the Memphis Biomaterials Day 2016 webpage. Students can also email questions to Christopher Gehrmann at cjghrmnn@memphis.edu.
