| 
The
2006 IEEE conference will incorporate the Nuclear Science Symposium
(NSS), Medical Imaging Conference (MIC) and Room Temperature Semiconductor
Detector (RTSD) Workshop, and also host shorter workshops that provide
timely presentations on Micro-pattern Detectors, Compton Scatter
Imaging, Dual-modality PET/MRI, Hadron Therapy and the Nuclear Radiology
of Breast Imaging (NRBC). The entire conference runs from Oct 29
- Nov 5 at the Town and Country Resort & Convention Center in
San Diego. The focus is geared toward a first-class scientific program,
with an atmosphere where original and outstanding work can be presented
in an informative and comfortable manner. The Town and Country provides
an ideal venue, with ample lecture space, accommodation and restaurants
on an attractive site that is also compact enough to permit attendees
to walk leisurely from one session to another. Much of the meeting
space, and many of the hotel rooms, have recently been redecorated.
The delightful San Diego climate provides more than enough encouragement
for discussion with colleagues over a cup of coffee beside one of
the hotel’s outdoor pools. Next door to the Town and Country
is a multitude of shops in Fashion Valley Mall, as well as a trolley
stop for transportation to much of the San Diego area, including
the Mexican border.
SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
We have received close to 1300 high-quality submissions for the
symposium, conference and workshops. Our thanks go to these many
contributors. The program chairs are now organizing the papers with
an expected schedule as follows. A one-day workshop will take place
on Sunday, October 29th, the NSS will begin on Monday, October 30th,
and continue through Thursday, November 2nd. NSS plenary sessions
and luncheon will occur Monday. The RTSD workshop also begins Monday,
October 30th, and runs through Friday, November 3rd, with a luncheon
on Thursday. The MIC will begin Tuesday afternoon with joint sessions,
and run through Saturday, November 4. The MIC plenary sessions are
Wednesday, and the MIC dinner is Friday. Other workshops take place
Thursday, November 2nd through Sunday, November 5th. The details
are:
The Nuclear Science Symposium (NSS),
Mon., Oct. 30 - Thurs., Nov. 2:
This year’s Nuclear Science Symposium promises to be one of
the best ever. We have received 565 submissions and are well along
in their review. There will be, as always, an excellent set of informative
short courses and the venue of sunny (we hope!) southern California
will surely be a great draw. For plenary sessions, we have timely
topics from three excellent plenary speakers. They are:
• Thom Mason - Director of the Spallation Neutron Source
• Tony Tyson - Spokesman for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope
(LSST)
• Dan Ingersoll - Advanced Reactors
The range of topics to be covered this year includes the following:
• Instrumentation for Homeland Security
• Analog and Digital Circuits
• Detectors and Electronics for the SNS
• Astrophysics and Space Instrumentation
• Data Acquisition and Analysis Systems
• Environmental Health and Safety Instrumentation
• Gaseous Detectors
• High Energy and Nuclear Physics Instrumentation
• Nuclear Measurements and Monitoring Techniques
• Photodetectors and Radiation Imaging
• Radiation Damage Effects
• Scintillators and Scintillation Detectors
• Solid State Tracking Detectors
• New Solid State Detectors
• Synchrotron Radiation Instrumentation
• Trigger and Front-End Systems
• Instrumentation for Medical and Biological Research
• Accelerators and Beam Line Instrumentation
• Computing and Software for Experiments
• Neutron Imaging and Radiography
The NSS luncheon with award presentations and topical speaker, will
be held Monday, October 30th.
You can reach Chuck Britton (ORNL), the NSS Program Chair, at brittoncl@ornl.gov;
Phone: +1 865 574 1878 and Vince Cianciolo, the NSS Deputy Program
Chair, at cianciolotv@ornl.gov;
Phone: +1 865 574 4712.
The Medical Imaging Conference (MIC),
Tues., Oct. 31 (pm) - Sat., Nov. 4:
The MIC is the premier research gathering for scientists and engineers
interested in the physics and engineering of medical imaging involving
ionizing radiation. It is one of the two major components of the
annual IEEE NSS/MIC (Nuclear Science Symposium/Medical Imaging Conference).
A primary focus of the 2006 MIC will be a vibrant program of oral
and poster presentations, including a plenary session and joint
sessions with the NSS and RTSD. The daily MIC schedule for Wednesday
through Saturday will include four oral or poster sessions (8:00-10:00,
10:30-noon, 1:30-3:00, and 3:30-5:30), with lunch scheduled noon-1:30
each day. Three MIC oral sessions and one MIC or joint poster session
will be scheduled each day. In addition to the MIC sessions, there
will be two NSS/MIC oral sessions, one MIC/RTSD oral session, and
one NSS/MIC/RTSD poster session. Approximately 90 MIC submissions
will be assigned to the MIC, NSS/MIC, and MIC/RTSD oral sessions.
Oral presentations will be 12 minutes with 3 minutes for questions.
The program will be drawn from 588 abstracts and summaries submitted
from well over 1500 investigators representing at least 35 countries.
Authors of 73 of this year’s MIC submissions requested assignment
to NSS/MIC or MIC/RTSD joint sessions.
The MIC Plenary Session will be Wednesday from 10:30 AM-12:15 PM.
Two visionary scientists and outstanding researchers, Ron Nutt,
PhD, and Jan Schnitzer, MD, have agreed to give presentations during
the plenary session on Wednesday morning. Ron Nutt, PhD, Chairman
and CEO, Advanced Biomarker Technologies, LLC, formerly President
and CEO, CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc., Knoxville, TN, is known to
most of the MIC community as he has made numerous contributions
to the development of clinical PET and PET/CT instrumentation, to
the development of the reality of routine FDG imaging, and to the
development of small animal PET and PET/CT instrumentation and its
use in preclinical research. Jan Schnitzer, MD, Scientific Director,
Professor, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, San Diego, CA, (see http://www.skcc.org/schnitzer.html)
is well known within the broader biomedical community for numerous
contributions including the use of radioisotope imaging for delineating
the role of the surface proteins of vascular endothelium in normal
and pathological processes, and for development and use of genomic
and proteomic techniques for in vitro and in vivo analysis of vascular
endothelium.
The Awards Session will be Friday, 10:30 AM -12:00 noon. At this
session, the MIC community will honor recipients of various IEEE,
NPSS, and NMISTC awards, including this year's recipients of the
Edward J. Hoffman Medical Imaging Scientist Award and the Young
Investigator Medical Imaging Scientist Award. Also, at the session,
will be public announcement of the young investigator recipients
of awards made for partial support of their attendance at the MIC.
There will also be public acknowledgment of the companies and organizations
whose generous support made such awards possible.
The MIC Dinner will be held Friday evening, November 3. While specific
plans are not yet final, we anticipate a most enjoyable evening
of dining and entertainment most likely at a location away from
the conference’s main venue. Following the practice of earlier
years, MIC Dinner attendees will be charged a fee for the dinner/evening.
However, we are very pleased that Siemens Medical Solutions has
offered significant support that will allow us to expand our activities
for the MIC evening beyond that which could be supported through
the normal conference fee structure.
Critical to creation of an excellent scientific MIC program are
those who volunteer their time and expertise in the assessment of
the submissions. The 2006 MIC Chairs acknowledge the essential role
of the 220 scientists/engineers who devoted time and expertise in
reviewing and scoring this year’s MIC submissions. The contributions
of all these colleagues are necessary for the success of the MIC.
Many thanks! The MIC Chairs thank and acknowledge the helpful and
generous assistance of all members of the organizing committee.
Everyone’s contributions and dedication certainly will help
to insure that the MIC continues to be the preeminent scientific
conference devoted to the physics and engineering of X-ray and radionuclide
medical imaging, and that of novel medical imaging technologies.
The 2006 MIC should be, as the MIC usually is, an excellent meeting
of communication and discussion of science and engineering. All
interested in the physics and engineering of emission and transmission
medical imaging, of multimodal medical imaging involving such, and
of novel medical imaging technologies are invited to San Diego to
participate in the 2006 IEEE MIC.
John Aarsvold (Emory University), the MIC Program Chair, can
be reached at jaarsvol@emory.ed;
Phone: +1 404 329 2213, and Bruce Hasegawa (UC, San Francisco),
the MIC Deputy Program Chair, at bruce.hasegawa@radiology.ucsf.edu;
Phone: +1 415 353 9472
15th International Workshop on Room-Temperature
Semiconductor X-and Gamma-Ray Detectors,
Mon., Oct. 30 – Fri., Nov. 3:
It is our pleasure to announce to you the 15th International Workshop
on Room-Temperature Semiconductor X-Ray and Gamma-Ray Detectors.
This biennial workshop represents the largest forum of scientists
and engineers working to develop new solid-state radiation detectors
and imaging arrays that operate at room temperature. As Chairs for
the workshop, we are particularly delighted to make the acquaintance
of new contributors, as there are many challenges that lie ahead,
some of which will be solved by those who are now relatively new
to the subject area.
It is our sincere hope that this conference will facilitate cross-fertilization
of research and spawn creative ideas, and that these ideas will
be incarnated into knowledge, leading to new directions and thrusts.
We urge you to take time at this meeting to build on the commonality
of your work with colleagues within the RTSD, NSS and MIC conferences,
and to share your data, energy and experience, and explore ways
to enhance cooperation and collaboration with others. The registration
fees and methods of payment will be the same for both the Workshop
and the NSS/MIC conferences. A special banquet for workshop attendees
and their guests is being scheduled.
The objective of this workshop is to provide a forum for discussion
of the latest results to advance the state-of-the-art of this technology.
We have chosen to hold this meeting in conjunction with the IEEE
NSS and MIC meetings for the purpose of encouraging information
exchange between a much larger body of scientists and engineers
who have an in-depth knowledge of detectors, instrumentation, nuclear
science and technology, and medical imaging. Joint sessions between
the NSS and MIC are planned to help bring together people with common
interests and offer the right environment for the creation of new
and fruitful associations.
Ralph James (Brookhaven National Laboratory), RTSD Co-Chair
can be reached at rjames@bnl.gov;
Phone: +1 631 344 8633 and Eugenio Perillo (University of Napoli),
the RTSD Co-Chair, can be reached at perillo@na.infn.i:,
Phone: +39 081676346.
Special Focus Workshops
1. Micro-Pattern Gas Detectors: High Energy Physics and
Beyond.
Sun., Oct. 29
This one-day workshop will bring together experts from around the
world to discuss and describe the latest results from micro-pattern
gas detectors. The topics include:
• High precision tracking for TPCs
• High rate tracking and aging studies
• Gaseous photomultipliers
• Detector simulation
• System aspects: detector and electronic integration
• Astrophysics and dark matter searches
• Medical imaging
• Industrial applications
Maxim Titov (Universty of Freiburg) and Archana Sharma (CERN) are
the workshop organizers. E-mail: titov@mail.desy.de.
2.Compton Scatter Imaging for Medicine, Astronomy and Industry.
Thurs., Nov. 2 (pm)
This half-day workshop will present the latest developments in Compton
scatter imaging for applications in medicine, astronomy and industry.
The format will include invited overview talks and submitted presentations.
The workshop will include a question and answer session with a panel
of experts.
Gary Royle (University College, London) and Tumay Tumer (Nova R&D)
are the workshop organizers. E-mail: groyle@medphys.ucl.ac.uk.
3. Bimodality PET and MRI Workshop. Thurs., Nov. 2 (evening)
Interest in truly simultaneous PET and MRI imaging has increased
particularly as the technology of solid state detectors and photodetectors
for PET has matured. This short workshop will include invited speakers
detailing the potential benefits of PET-MR imaging for medicine
(covering both sequential and simultaneous approaches), as well
as the particular challenges posed by the MRI environment for simultaneous
imaging. The workshop is not intended to present the status of the
various efforts underway (which will be covered in the regular conference
sessions), but will be more issue-focused.
Paul Vaska (Brookhaven National Laboratory) is the workshop organizer.
E-mail: vaska@bnl.gov.
4. Innovative Techniques for Hadron Therapy.
Fri., Nov. 3.
The treatment of inoperable and radio-resistant cancer tumors using
particle beams like protons and light ions is becoming a medical
reality. The number of clinical facilities is growing very rapidly
around the world. After the first successful workshop organized
during the 2003 IEEE NSS/MIC/RTSD conference in Portland, we propose
this year to review the evolution of technological ideas and instrumentation
around this emerging topic. This is a perfect illustration of a
merging of nuclear and detectors experts with the medical imaging
community. The goal of the workshop is to provide a forum for interested
participants to discuss in a convivial way the progress in the field
and to exchange recent experiences. The format of the workshop will
consist of invited speakers, oral and posters presentations. The
agenda will include:
• Hadrontherapy: a clinical introduction
• Survey of new facilities and projects around the world
• New machine concepts (FFAG, portable proton linac)
• Instrumentation for beam control and real time dose monitoring
• In-beam PET systems
• Proton CT imaging
• Advanced dosimetry (micro and nano dosimetry)
• Modeling of the space radiation environment using ions
• Simulation using GEANT
• New ideas using antiprotons and neutrons.
Patrick Le Dû (CEA Saclay), Anatoly Rozenfeld (University
of Wollongong) and Stephen Peggs (Brookhaven National Laboratory)
are the workshop organizers. E-mail: ledu@hep.saclay.cea.fr
5. The Third Workshop on the Nuclear Radiology of Breast
Cancer.
Sat., Nov. 4 (pm) and Sun., Nov. 5
The goal of this one and a half day workshop is to present an update
on the technology and applications of dedicated nuclear radiology
breast imaging systems. Specifically, the program will cover topics
such as breast cancer biology, clinical state-of-the-art in radiology,
potential diagnostic and treatment roles of nuclear medicine, existing
and promising breast cancer radiotracers, clinical trial results
with commercial nuclear emission cameras dedicated to breast imaging,
international research groups working on improving nuclear breast
cancer imaging, long-term industrial outlook of dedicated breast
imaging modalities, and research funding opportunities.
Ray Raylman (West Virginia University), Craig Levin (Stanford University)
and Martin Tornai (Duke University) are the workshop organizers.
E-mail: rraylman@hsc.wvu.edu.
SHORT COURSE PROGRAM
There are currently six, one-day, short courses planned, covering
topics that are of interest to all the scientific programs. They
will take place during the first three days:
1. Interaction of Radiation with Matter: theory and practice - Bill
Dunn (Sun., Oct. 29).
2. Nuclear Science for Homeland Security - Tony Peurrung with Eric
Smith (Sun., Oct. 29).
3. Biology for Imaging Scientists - Caius Radu (Mon., Oct. 30).
4. Detectors for PET and SPECT - Harry Barrett with Lars Furenlid
(Mon., Oct. 30).
5. Small Animal Imaging: detectors and technical aspects - Arion
Chatziioannou (Tues,. Oct. 31).
6. Image Quality - Harry Barrett (Tues., Oct. 31).
Stephen Derenzo (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory), the Short
Course Co-chair, can be reached at sederenzo@lbl.gov,
tel: +1 510 486 4097 and Jennifer Huber (Lawrence Berkeley National
laboratory) the Short Course Co-chair, can be reached at jshuber@lbl.gov,
tel: +1 510 486 6445.
PUBLICATIONS
A Program Handbook will be available that lists the title and authors
of accepted papers. Abstracts will be available on USB memory sticks
as part of the registration material handed out on-site. Full papers
will be published in the Conference Record, a non-peer reviewed
journal of the conference proceedings, available only as CD-ROM.
Authors are also encouraged to submit their papers to IEEE Transactions
on Nuclear Science (TNS) or IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging
(TMI), the peer-reviewed journals most appropriate for this conference.
EXHIBITS PROGRAM
The 2006 NSS/MIC/RTSD Exhibits Program will take place in the Town
& Country Room (part of the Atlas Ballroom) on Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday with the Exhibits Reception on Tuesday evening. The
space is located near the registration desk and between the session
rooms and the poster area. The spacious area will give easy access
to all the booths with the maximum of comfort and visibility for
the exhibitor and visitor alike. The program of technical seminars
and product presentations associated with the exhibition will be
held in a seminar room near the exhibit area. In addition to the
exhibits, all poster sessions and general coffee breaks will be
held in the Atlas Ballroom and Atlas Foyer space, providing convenient
access to the exhibits. Up-to-date information on the Industrial
Program including the list of exhibitors, their contact information
and profiles, the exhibition floor plan, as well as details of the
technical seminars and product presentations, is available on the
conference web site (http://www.nss-mic.org/2006).
For all information concerning the exhibits program, please contact
the Exhibits Chair.
Ronald Keyser (ORTEC), the Exhibits Chair, can be reached at Ron.keyser@ortec-online.com,
tel: +1 865 483 2146.
COMPANION PROGRAM
San Diego and its surroundings offer a broad range of cultural,
cosmopolitan, natural and special attractions. The companion program
will have daily trips to places of interest for everyone.
Sunday, October 29: Sightseeing in Old Town San Diego
Old Town San Diego, the first European settlement in what is now
California, is called the state's birthplace. In 1769, Spanish priest
Father Junipero Serra founded California's first mission here. The
mission eventually moved further inland, and in the 1820s settlers
moved closer to the water into the Gaslamp Quarter, leaving “Old
Town” behind.
Today's Old Town San Diego centers on the oldest area. It includes
a state historic park and related historic sights outside the park.
History aficionados will find plenty of interest, but most people
come to shop and eat in the restaurants.
The State Historic Park occupies nine square blocks and preserves
many historic buildings, five built of adobe (mud) bricks. Other
buildings include California’s first schoolhouse, a blacksmith
shop, the state’s first newspaper office and a stable. These
preserved buildings, each a small museum in itself, give a glimpse
of life here from 1821 to 1872. Interspersed between museum buildings,
you’ll find shops, with emphasis on Mexican-style pottery,
tinwork and the like. If you just want to stroll and shop, it will
be easy, and you can extend your route outside the park and down
San Diego Avenue.
Monday, October 30: Jewels by the Sea
Our first stop in beautiful La Jolla is the Birch Aquarium at Scripps.
Overlooking the Pacific Ocean this facility presents undersea creatures
in realistic habitats. Afterwards, guests will enjoy a California
Tapas Buffet at Azul, nestled above La Jolla Cove and featuring
spectacular views. After lunch, they will explore the boutiques,
galleries and designer studios or beachcombing on their own at the
famous La Jolla Cove.
Tuesday, October 31: Orfila Vinyards
At Orfila Vinyards guests are introduced to the entire wine-making
process, from grape to bottle, firsthand. This 120-acre pristine
urban reserve produces some of San Diego’s finest wines including
Merlot, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
Sailing Aboard a Catamaran
Aolani is the prettiest 49-passenger, USCG-certified day sailing
catamaran in the Southern California. Its spacious saloon lets you
get out of the “elements” if wet or cold. Seating is
available for 30 inside the saloon with 360º views and seating for
10 in the adjacent cockpit. She is light-weight and strong (foam
& fiberglass). Catamarans are extremely stable with dual hulls,
offering speed, comfort and fun; you won’t even know you are
on the water. Choose to walk around the boat and mingle or find
a peaceful and quiet corner and watch San Diego’s most beautiful
sites. Fun guaranteed.
Wednesday, November 1: South of the Border Adventure
Spend a casual day in Baja California along Mexico’s northern
coastline. There will be a one-hour tour through the festive town
of Tijuana and the spectacular scenery of Baja’s coastline.
Our first stop is Rosarito Beach where guests will have an opportunity
to browse through the bazaars or stroll along the beach and visit
the cantinas. After a short ride along the coast, guests will partake
in a delicious Mexican lunch at Calafia. Here our guests are surrounded
by breathtaking ocean and coastline views in which to relax and
enjoy a tasty Margarita.
Thursday, November 2: Sea World
With more than 100 million visitors since its opening on March 21,
1964, SeaWorld is San Diego’s No. 1 tourist attraction and
one of the most popular marine parks in the world. The founding
principles of education, entertainment, research and conservation
make SeaWorld San Diego an ideal place to learn about, enjoy and
gain an appreciation for some of the ocean’s most fascinating
creatures.
Spread out over more than 189 acres on beautiful Mission Bay Park,
SeaWorld is known for spectacular animal shows, interactive attractions,
aquariums, rides and dining facilities. Over the years, the park
has grown from a small display of marine animals into one of the
largest and most respected marine zoological facilities in the world.
The highest standards of animal husbandry, education and marine-life
display have earned SeaWorld San Diego accreditation from the American
Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). SeaWorld is now home to more
than 20,000 animals, including 16 species of marine mammals, more
than 430 species of fishes and more than 100 species of birds. The
world-famous killer whale Shamu has been thrilling guests from around
the world since 1965 as the star of the Shamu Adventure show. California
sea lions Clyde and Seamore, Dolly Dolphin and O.P. Otter are among
other beloved SeaWorld animals that have entertained audiences over
the years.
Friday, November 3: Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory is a world-class center of astronomical research
that is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology.
The observatory is home to five telescopes that are used nightly
for a wide variety of astronomical research programs. The research
is conducted by Caltech’s faculty, post-doctoral fellows and
students, and by researchers at Caltech’s collaborating institutions.
Palomar Observatory is a privately-owned observatory located in
San Diego County, 90 miles (145 km) southeast of Mount Wilson Observatory,
on Palomar Mountain. The observatory currently consists of four
main instruments: the 200 inch (5.08 m) Hale Telescope, the 48 inch
(1.22 m) Samuel Oschin Telescope, the 18 inch (457 mm) Schmidt telescope,
and a 60 inch (1.52 m) reflecting telescope. In addition, the Palomar
Testbed Interferometer is located at this observatory.
San Diego Zoo
There are some “Beastly Wonders” going on at the world-famous
San Diego Zoo and guests will be a part of it during their private
Behind-the-Scenes tour! The San Diego Zoo, founded by Dr. Harry
M. Wegeforth in 1916, has grown from modest beginnings. Today, guests
will enjoy a private tour; an extraordinary way to see the San Diego
Zoo. Following the Behind-the-Scenes tour, guests can further explore
the zoo and visit new innovative exhibits, trademarks of the San
Diego Zoo. Recent additions and renovations to the Zoo include:
the Giant Panda Research Station, Gorilla Tropics, Hippo Beach,
Polar Bear Plunge, Scripps Aviary, Tiger River, and Sun Bear Forest.
Saturday, November 4: San Diego City Tour
First-time visitors to San Diego have a dazzling array of choices
to make. Between the natural beauty of the beaches, parks, countless
shopping and dining options, and a bustling nightlife, there’s
a world of possibilities. Our City Tour runs through Old Town, Balboa
Park, the Gas Lamp District, Seaport Village, and the San Diego
Zoo among other important sights.
Anne Smith and Carolyn Hoffman are the Companion Program Co-chairs
REGISTRATION
Registration for all activities at the conference will be handled
electronically through the conference web-site at http://www.nss-mic.org/2006.
The discounted registration fees, and special hotel conference rates,
will end on Friday October 13. As an aid and incentive to young
scientists, a number of trainee awards will be available to assist
with hotel/registration costs.
Other Key Players:
Jean-Francois Pratte, Assistant to General Chair; Ed Lampo, Local
Arrangements Chair; Tony Lavietes, Treasurer.
Please keep an eye on http://www.nss-mic.org/2006
for up-to-date news.
Graham Smith can be reached at the Instrumentation Division, Brookhaven
National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA; Phone: + 1 631 344
4253; e-mail: gsmith@bnl.gov.
Bonnie Sherwood can be reached at the Director’s Office, Brookhaven
National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA;Phone: +1 631 344
7250; e-mail: sherwood@bnl.gov.
|
