The Young Innovators of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, Parts I

Session Title for Website and App: The Young Innovators of Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, Parts I and II

Special Session Program Description:

Description:
This is the continuation of a two-part invited platform session, scheduled on Friday of the BMES conference, that has been held annually at the meeting since 2014. In some years, these two sessions have been counted towards the total allocation of sessions in the CMBE track. The 12 selected Young Innovators authors of the October 2024 CMBE issue have been promised this presentation opportunity in nomination solicitations circulated in Fall 2023, and this arrangement has had the full support of the BMES Publications Committee and Board of Directors in the past. We view the Young Innovators sessions have a synergistic benefit to the Society, to the journal, and of course to the outstanding junior faculty selected for the issue.

Fits with BMES:
The two-part Young Innovators sessions have been very well attended in past years. The selected authors have been highlighted in a full-page advertisement in the meeting program, and in posterboards displayed around the conference venue. This generates a "buzz" and excitement among BMES members, who are interested to see who has been selected for this year's issue, and also great interest among eligible researchers who would like to become one of next year's Young Innovators. All PI's are required to present the work themselves (e.g., no student/postdoctoral coauthor presenters), helping to ensure that the quality of the presentations is high. In the opinion of the CMBE Editor-In-Chief (King) the Young Innovators special issue, coupled with the BMES invited sessions, are the key element to the recent success in the journal, and its rising impact factor and reputation. Thank you for your continued support of this enterprise.

Suggested Chairs and Speakers:
It is suggested that some combination of the CMBE special issue co-editors serve as session chairs for the two sessions:
1. Michael King, Rice University
2. Robert Raphael, Rice University
3. Joyce Wong, Boston University

However, if any of these co-editors cannot attend the conference then other interested senior or mid-career researchers working in the CMBE field would be welcome to co-chair the session. Many CMBE Young Innovator alumni are usually in attendance at the meeting!

Note: The 12 invited Young Innovator authors are listed below.
De la Puente, Pilar U. South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
Fogg, Kaitlin Oregon State U.
McHugh, Kevin Rice U.
Datta, Meenal U. Notre Dame
Zervantonakis, Ioannis U. Pittsburgh
LI, Jiahe U. Michigan
Polacheck, William North Carolina State U.
Moore, Erika U. Maryland
Loebel, Claudia U. Michigan
Mistriotis, Panagiotis Auburn U.
Schutt Ibsen, Carolyn Oregon Health & Science U.
Coskun, Ahmet Georgia Tech and Emory

Committee, Sig, or Organization Title: Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering, an official journal of the Biomedical Engineering Society