FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE.

 

For more information, contact:

Elizabeth Maynard-Garrett, APR

UTHSC Communications and Marketing

(901) 448-4957, or

 

Anne W. Manning

(901) 448-4072

 

MEMPHIS BIOIMAGING SYMPOSIUM BUILDS BROAD-BASED SUPPORT

Memphis High-Tech Startup, Luminetx, Leads List of Regional

and National Sponsors

 

            Memphis, Tennessee (October 26, 2005) – World renowned experts in the major fields of medical imaging will gather at the Fogelman Executive Conference Center for the Second Annual Memphis BioImaging Symposium next week.

The event kicks off at 6 p.m., November 3 with “The NIH Outlook for Imaging” presented by John Haller, PhD, representing the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering. 

Internationally recognized scientists, David Piwnica-Worms, MD, PhD, professor at Washington University, St. Louis, and Lei Xing, PhD, associate professor at Stanford University, will lead Friday’s program with keynote presentations on “Small Animal Imaging” and “Imaging in Therapy” respectively. A full day of presentations by distinguished lecturers on leading-edge research will follow; topics include: digital radiography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, nuclear imaging and ultrasound.

“Drawing experts of this caliber takes financial support which we are honored to provide,” said Jim Phillips, CEO and chairman of Luminetx, who provided the major sponsorship this year to support one of the premier events in the Memphis bioscience community. “Luminetx intends to help drive Memphis into the forefront of the biotechnology landscape.” Luminetx vaulted into national prominence with the VeinViewer Imaging System, recognized by Time Magazine as one of the most amazing medical inventions of the year.

Siemens Medical is playing a major role as well. The company made a three-year commitment in 2004 to help launch and establish the Memphis BioImaging Symposium (MemBIS). Other sponsors for the 2005 symposium are Baptist Memorial Health Care; Boston Scientific; Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada; Hologic; Methodist Healthcare; Planar Systems; Smith & Nephew; Vital Images; VWR International and The Whitaker Foundation.

Co-hosts are the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Memphis BioWorks Foundation.  Pre-registration is available on-line through November 1 at www.MemBIS.org. 

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