17th Biennial International Photodynamic Association World Congress

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Project Summary / Abstract The mission of the International Photodynamic Association (IPA) is to promote basic, translational, and clinical research in photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photodiagnosis (PD), modalities which involve treatment and diagnosis of human disease using light-activated molecules called photosensitizers. The IPA is hosting the 17th Biennial World Congress to be held in handicap accessible Boston Marriot Cambridge Hotel in Cambridge, MA from June 28-July 4, 2019. The conference will be chaired by Dr. Tayyaba Hasan, Professor at Harvard Medical School, who has extensive experience chairing and organizing scientific conferences. A summary of the Conference plan is presented here. Highlights of the plan are: 1.) It is hoped that the Conference will open with lectures from 2 Nobel Laureates to inspire the young and established scientists. 2.) PDT School to provide an overview of the field to a broad audience. 3.) A clinical workshop to highlight recent FDA and other worldwide approvals regarding relevant drugs and devices, and to identify a way forward for Image Guided Resection and Image-Guided PDT. (No human subjects). 4.) A workshop/brainstorming session with clinicians, basic scientists, engineers, NIH personnel, industry and venture capital representatives to carve a “Roadmap for Impact” where PDT & PD may occupy a unique niche. 5.) Events to assist early career scientists, young investigators, women, and minorities from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in science to network to help sustain interest in PDT & PD. As with past meetings, this conference will bring together students, postdoctoral fellows, independent researchers, representatives from industry, and clinicians practicing and researching PDT & PD to exchange information, share cutting-edge discoveries and challenges encountered, and encourage collaboration in order to effectively translate PDT & PD based technologies into the clinic. To this end, a number of leading researchers in the field have committed their support for the conference and agreed to present their work and offer their perspective on the field in the form of invited lectures. Students, researchers, and industry reps will be invited to submit abstracts for either oral or poster presentations, which will be then be selected by the conference Program Committee. A series of workshops and discussion sessions will be held to facilitate interaction among attendees from basic, translational, clinical, and industrial research backgrounds. The majority of funds requested in this application would go towards providing financial assistance for registration and travel for individuals from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in science. As this Congress will be held in the USA for the first time in a decade, we expect significant excitement among the community, especially for researchers and companies based in the US, and anticipate 400-600 attendees. The impact on public health will be derived from the “Roadmap for Impact” for applications of Optical Imaging and PDT in medicine that underlies the ethos of the conference.