Fifth International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion

s 17 Index of Authors 127 The Holiday Inn on King Second International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion Welcome to the Second Annual Event Akif Ündar, Ph.D., Conference Founder Departments of Pediatrics, Surgery, and Bioengineering, Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Children’s Hospital, Hershey, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. On the behalf of the organizers of the Second International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion, I would like to welcome you to the Second Annual Event at the Holiday Inn on King, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, May 18-20, 2006. The primary objective of the Second Annual Event is to explicitly describe the problems with current pediatric mechanical circulatory support systems, methods, and techniques during acute and chronic support. In order to solve these problems or suggest potential solutions, several leading pediatric cardiac surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, basic scientists, engineers, nurses, and pediatric perfusionists will participate as invited lecturers. Resembling the First Conference, the Second Annual Event will have three phases. First Phase: Leading clinicians, engineers, basic scientists, and perfusionists will describe the current devices and techniques currently in use. In particular, advantages as well as limitations of these devices and techniques will be described in detail in several Plenary Sessions and MiniSymposiums during the conference. Second Phase: Pediatric circulatory support devices currently in the development stage will be described. Novel research projects related to proteomics and nanotechnology will be included. Third Phase: All manuscripts from the presenters will be peer reviewed and published as a block in the September-October 2006 issue of the ASAIO Journal. This issue of the ASAIO Journal is dedicated to our Second International Conference. These three phases are identical to those we had in our First International Event. 2 However, there will be a slight difference between these two events. At last year’s event, only a couple of junior faculty participated as invited speakers. For this year’s event, approximately one-fourth of all invited speakers are junior investigators. The members of the Scientific Committee invited junior faculty based on their high-quality publications and novelty of their research projects and results. The Second Annual Event is truly an international meeting with participants from all over the world, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, The United Kingdom, and the United States. Major financial support is provided by the Penn State Children’s Hospital and the Penn State College of Medicine. In particular, the Departments of Pediatrics, Surgery, and Bioengineering in addition to the office of Continuing Education of the Penn State College of Medicine have been instrumental in organizing this event. Once again, I welcome each of you to this unique international conference. If the course of just one child is improved as a result of this event, we have reached our goal. REFERENCES: 1. Ündar A, Rosenberg G, Pierce WS, Cyran SE, Waldhausen JA, Myers JL. First International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion [Invited Editorial]. ASAIO Journal 51: iii, 2005. 2. Ündar A. Outcomes of the First International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion [Invited Editorial]. ASAIO Journal 52: 1-3, 2006.