Emerging Field of Imaging Genetics is Explored at UCI

August 3, 2005 / By Anna Lynn Spitzer

08.03.05 -- OCTANe@UCI and Calit2 will present “Genetic Medical Imaging — Converging Technologies Personalize Medicine & Treatment” as part of its “Innovation Series” Thursday, August 18, 2005 from 6 to 8:30 p.m., at the Calit2 Building at UC Irvine. Through facilitated presentations, demonstrations and discussion by UCI’s medical and visualization experts, participants will discover the emerging field of genetic medical imaging and explore the development of new disruptive technologies which will potentially affect millions of people who suffer from diseases such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, ADHD, autism, depression, alcoholism and more.

Visitors to the Center of GRAVITY
view HIPerWall.

Imaging Genetics integrates medical images with individual genetic information, providing a unique opportunity for doctors to personalize medicine and increase survival rates. Considerable computational power is required to integrate the vast amount of genetic data with the imaging data. This creates unprecedented relationships between the medical, imaging and computing communities, and holds new opportunities for medical science.

“This is a unique opportunity for collaboration paving the way for the development of more effective and targeted treatments,” said James Fallon, director of UCI's Human Brain Imaging Center.

In addition to the panel discussion, attendees will participate in a demonstration of Calit2’s HIPerWall, the world’s highest-resolution display for visualizing and manipulating massive data sets. HIPerWall’s resolution enables medical researchers to see complete genetic data sets that previously could only be viewed one slice at a time.

Image courtesy of BIRN (Biomedical
Informatics Research Network)

“In this instance, the HIPerWall serves as an innovative medium for engineering and computer scientists to collaborate with our campus medical community to further investigate and develop the field of imaging genetics,” said Albert Yee, Irvine division director of Calit2.

Panelists at the August 18 event include:

James Fallon, Ph.D . – Director, UC Irvine Human Brain Imaging Center; professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology;

Falko Kuester, Ph.D. – Director, Calit2 Center of GRAVITY (Graphics, Visualization and Imaging Technology); assistant professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science;

Bruce Tromberg, Ph.D. – Director, Beckman Laser Institute; professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering.

The August 18 event will be facilitated by James Hill, M.D., J.D., clinical assistant professor of radiology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, and a partner with Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear. Collaborative sponsors for the event include OCTANe, Tech Coast Angels and the Orange Coast Venture Group (OCVG).

About OCTANe@UCI

OCTANe is a non-profit corporation comprised of information and biomedical technology business executives, venture capitalists, service providers, private investors and leaders from UC Irvine as well as other universities, all working together to drive innovation and accelerate the growth of technology business in Orange County.

Media Contacts Shellie Nazarenus, (949) 824-9622, snaz@uci.edu

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Emerging Field of Imaging Genetics is Explored at UCI