The University of Queensland`s School of Biomedical Sciences will launch a unique electronic conference this weekend.
Titled Biohorizons 05, the "eConference" will give first-year UQ human biology students and the general public a challenging insight into the topical subject of stem cells.
The eConference is convened by Dr Roger Moni and Dr Philip Poronnik from the School of Biomedical Sciences.
Dr Moni said the eConference was an innovative teaching method for first-year students aiming to engage them in a unique way and importantly, build extended international learning communities.
“This is the first time such an electronic conference has been run in Australia and also plans to involve participating overseas institutions including the University of Lund in Sweden,” said Dr Moni.
In addition, Year 12 biology students and their teachers from high schools around Brisbane have been invited to the opening of Biohorizons 05 as a novel initiative to present contemporary science issues to school students.
Participants will be welcomed by Professor Mick McManus, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Biological and Chemical Sciences at UQ.
The public lecture Stem Cells: From Consciousness to Cancer, Exploring the Art of the Possible will be presented by Professor Brent Reynolds of the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) and will be followed by a panel discussion with UQ academic staff and postgraduate students.
World-renowned neuroscientist, Professor Perry Bartlett, also from the QBI, will MC the event, which will be held at the UQ Centre on Saturday, September 10 from 10am to 12 noon, and is expected to attract up to 800 people.
Media inquiries: Dr Roger Moni (3346 9865) or Dr Philip Poronnik at the conference (0412 058 245).
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