First International Conference on Biomaterials and Chemical Biology
Professors Ming Su and Art Coury of the Department of Chemical Engineering hosted at Northeastern University the first International Conference on Biomaterials and Chemical Biology. Collaborative research in these disciplines has the potential to advance the field of biomaterials in a unique way and lead to new discoveries for better medicines and treatments. The conference serves as a platform to further research in these areas through the exchange of knowledge, sharing of new technologies, and establishing close professional collaborative relationships internationally.
The conference featured 25 lectures from invited speakers. Keynote speakers included Professor Xingdong Zhang, Sichuan University; Professor Jiang Chang, Chinese Academy of Science; Professor and Chair of Department of Chemical Engineering,Thomas Webster of Northeastern University; and Professor James Hickman, University of Central Florida. The conference also showcased 25 posters highlighting the impressive research done by Northeastern’s chemical engineering students.
Northeastern’s Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs James Bean, and Dean of the College of Engineering Nadine Aubry appointed Prof. Xingdong Zhang as a University Distinguished Professor. Prof. Zhang is Professor and Honorary Director of the National Engineering Research Center for Biomaterials at Sichuan University, and a highly respected scholar renowned for his research in biomaterials and medical implants; innovative biomaterials for regeneration medicine; and tissue engineering. Being named University Distinguished Professor is the highest honor the university can bestow upon a distinguished scholar. Those named University Distinguished Professor have earned international recognition and distinction for transformative educational and scholarly contributions. After being presented the university medal of University Distinguished Professor, Prof. Zhang presented a lecture on his cutting-edge research on the use of Biomaterials in Regenerative Medicine.
The conference selected Assistant Professor Abigail Koppes, chemical engineering, to receive the Young Investigator Award, while graduate students James Walter Moxley and Qingxuan Li received awards in Outstanding Poster Design.
The conference was made a success by the generous support from the Wenzhou Institute of Biomaterials and Engineering, the Coury Family Fund, as well as dedicated staff support from Northeastern University.