Translational Neural Engineering: Multiple Perspectives

描述(由申请者提供)：新的NIH路线图列出了一种简化的从床到床的理念，应该应用于未来的生物医学研究。在神经工程(NE)领域，Neurotech报告预测，2006年全球神经技术产品的总体市场将达到31亿美元。他们预测，2010年这一数字将达到76亿美元。对于从事更传统的“基础”研究的典型学术研究人员来说，这些趋势既是机遇也是挑战：这是通过商业化更直接地影响临床相关问题的机会，但也是适应更传统的学术科学和工程实践方式的挑战。尽管向翻译重点转变的需要影响到生物医学研究的所有领域，但由于大脑和神经系统处于生物保护状态，神经工程(NE)领域受到了独特的影响。这里的干预措施不仅面临着所有生物系统中一些最大的科学挑战，还可能引发严重的伦理问题。拟议计划的目标是为生物医学工程学会年会上举行的为期半天的翻译神经工程专题研讨会提供支持。这次研讨会的题目是“翻译神经工程：将台式计算机研究带入临床领域的多重视角”。这次专题讨论会的主要目的是考虑这样一个问题：什么是神经工程领域中翻译研究的可行模式？在对这一问题的回答中，隐含着这样的需要：定义翻译的NE研究，确定NE内的成功和不成功的策略，并强调NE内的需求和机会领域。为了实现这一目标，已经汇集了一份不同和范围广泛的发言者名单。翻译研究取得成功的成功的学术科学和工程研究人员、参与这一过程的临床医生、一名生物伦理学家和一家政府资助机构的代表已经同意参与。研讨会特别适合教育学生(他们占2100名与会者的65%)和初级教职员工。研讨会的长期目标是让传统研究人员掌握在翻译神经工程领域取得成功的技能、方法论和心态。会议结束后，一份关于翻译神经工程的白皮书将作为手稿提交给《神经工程杂志》。当长期目标得到满足，传统研究工程师得到充分培训，能够驾驭神经工程领域成功的转化性研究的水域时，拟议的研讨会就变得与公共健康相关。这将有效地为旨在提高神经系统疾病诊断和治疗成功率的令人兴奋的神经工程技术突破的临床应用提供一条更平稳/更快的途径。当长期目标得以实现，传统研究工程师得到了充分的培训，能够驾驭成功的转化研究的水域时，拟议的题为“翻译神经工程：将Benchtop研究带入临床领域的多重视角”的研讨会就变得与公共健康相关。这将有效地为旨在提高神经系统疾病诊断和治疗成功率的令人兴奋的技术突破的临床应用提供一条更平稳/更快的途径。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The new NIH roadmap lays out a streamlined bench-to-bedside philosophy that should be applied to future biomedical research. Within the field of Neural Engineering (NE), Neurotech Reports projects that the overall worldwide market for neurotechnology products will be $3.1 billion in 2006. They predict this will reach $7.6 billion in 2010. For the typical academic researcher engaged in more traditional "basic" research, these trends represents both an opportunity and a challenge: an opportunity to more directly impact clinically relevant problems via commercialization, but a challenge to adapt from more traditional ways of practicing academic science and engineering. Although the need to shift towards a translational emphasis affects all areas of biomedical research, the field of Neural Engineering (NE) is uniquely impacted by virtue of the biologically protected status of the brain and nervous system. Not only do interventions here face some of the greatest scientific challenges of all biological systems, they can also raise serious ethical concerns. The goal of the proposed program is to provide support for a half-day special-topic symposium on Translational Neural Engineering at the annual meeting of the Biomedical Engineering Society. The symposium is titled "Translational Neural Engineering: Multiple Perspectives On Bringing Benchtop Research Into The Clinical Domain". The main objective of the special symposium is to consider the question: What constitutes a viable model for translational research in the field of Neural Engineering? Implicit in the formulation of an answer to this question is the need to: define translational NE research, identify successful and unsuccessful strategies within NE, and highlight areas of need and opportunity within NE. To achieve this, a diverse and broad- ranging list of speakers has been assembled. Successful academic science and engineering researchers who have had translational research success, the clinicians who have been involved in the process, a bioethicist and a representative from a government funding agency have already agreed to participate. The symposium is particularly well-suited for educating students (who constitute 65% of the >2100 attendees) and junior faculty. The long-term objective of the symposia is to equip traditional researchers with the skills, methodologies and mindset for success in translational neural engineering. A white paper on translational neural engineering will be submitted as a manuscript to Journal of Neural Engineering after the meeting. The proposed symposia becomes relevant to public health when the long- term objectives are met and traditional research engineers are adequately trained to navigate the waters of successful translational research in neural engineering. This will effectively provide a smoother/faster path to market for the clinical application of exciting neural engineering technological breakthroughs aimed at improving diagnostic and therapeutic success for diseases of the nervous system. The proposed symposia titled "Translational Neural Engineering: Multiple Perspectives On Bringing Benchtop Research Into The Clinical Domain" becomes relevant to public health when the long-term objectives are met and traditional research engineers are adequately trained to navigate the waters of successful translational research. This will effectively provide a smoother/faster path to market for the clinical application of exciting technological breakthroughs aimed at improving diagnostic and therapeutic success for diseases of the nervous system.