The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening announced today that Francis Collins will deliver a keynote presentation at SLAS2015

The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) announced today that Francis Collins, Director of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, will deliver a keynote presentation at SLAS2015, the Fourth Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Society, taking place Feb. 7-11, 2015, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., USA. This five-day annual event will convene thousands of the world’s leading scientists, researchers, academicians, business leaders, students and technology providers to share ideas, innovation and insight about laboratory science and technology.

The addition of Dr. Collins finalizes the prestigious lineup of SLAS2015 keynote presenters, which includes:

Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD is the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In that role he oversees the work of the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world, spanning the spectrum from basic to clinical research. Dr. Collins is a physician-geneticist noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes and his leadership of the international Human Genome Project, which culminated in April 2003 with the completion of a finished sequence of the human DNA instruction book.

Laurie Garrett is one of America’s leading commentators on global health issues. She is the only person to win the “three P’s” of journalism: The Pulitzer Prize, the Peabody Award, and the Polk Award. Ms. Garrett is a Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations, and is the bestselling author of The Coming Plague and Betrayal of Trust. She has written for Foreign Affairs, Esquire, and The Washington Post.

Dr. Donald Ingber, MD, PhD is the Founding Director of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, the Judah Folkman Professor of Vascular Biology at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, and Professor of Bioengineering at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Dr. Ingber is a founder of the emerging field of biologically inspired engineering. He has authored more than 375 publications and 85 patents, and has received numerous honors for his contributions to mechanobiology, tissue engineering, tumor angiogenesis, systems biology, and nanobiotechnology.

“We enthusiastically look forward to welcoming NIH Director Collins, Dr. Ingber and Ms. Garrett as the keynote presenters at SLAS2015,” said Daniel Sipes, SLAS President. “Collectively, these keynotes will serve as a cornerstone to an outstanding program of leading-edge education, breakthrough innovation and vital community connections tailored specifically to today’s scientific professional.” 

For information on exhibit and sponsorship opportunities, contact SLAS Exhibits Manager Barry Sacks.

The Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS) is an international community of more than 15,000 individual scientists, engineers, researchers, technologists and others from academic, government and corporate laboratories. The SLAS mission is to be the preeminent global organization providing forums for education and information exchange and to encourage the study of, and improve the practice of laboratory science and technology.