UQ hosts biomedical engineering forum

Human organ cloning, genetic profiles and biological weapons will be some of the issues addressed at a mock United Nations summit during a biomedical engineering forum being hosted by The University of Queensland next month.

Senior secondary students from throughout Queensland and northern New South Wales will converge on Brisbane from July 1 - 6 to participate in the second annual Biofutures 2001 forum.

"Participants will engage in workshops, debates and lectures to gain exposure to the industry and a broad perspective of the issues facing modern bioscience," Biofutures 2001 Committee Chair Mr David Cowland-Cooper said.

The Genes for the People mock UN summit will centre on three motions concerning an international database of human genetic profiles, the legalisation of organ cloning from human tissues and research dealing with potential human pathogens and biological weapons.

Each topic will be addressed by a guest presenter and discussed by participants before a final vote at Parliament House on July 5.

Director of the Mater Medical Research Institute, Professor Derek Hart, will give the forum's keynote address in The Long Room, Customs House on July 3 at 7pm.

Prior to this, a hypothetical will be facilitated by ABC Radio personality David Harris, who will present contentious bioethics issues to a panel of prominent local professionals.

Participants in the hypothetical include UQ's Dr Jennifer Stow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Dr Sarah Ferber, Department of History.

Other participants include Mr John Smith, CSIRO Secondary Eduction Centre; Associate Professor John MacMillan, Queensland Health; Dr Angela van Daal, Faculty of Health Science, Queensland University of Technology; Dr David Wyatt, Novogenesis Pty Ltd; Adjunct Professor Noel Preston, Key Centre for Ethics, Law, Justice and Governance, Griffith University; Professor Mark Pearcy, School of Medical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology; and Mr Greg Lee, Department of Innovation and Information Economy, Queensland Government.

Throughout the five-day event, guest lecturers will speak on a variety of topics including biomaterial and medical engineering, retroviral gene therapy, bioengineering and biomedical research, biomechanics and innovation and entrepreneurship.

"The lecture series is an integral component of the program and will give participants the opportunity to hear directly from biomedicine professionals.

"We hope participants will come away from the forum with a broad understanding of the science behind biotechnology, the importance of biomedicine in their lives and inspiration to take up a career in the field," Mr Cowland-Cooper said.

Biofutures 2001 is sponsored by The University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and the Queensland Government's Department of Innovation and Information Economy.

The keynote address and hypothetical are open to the public and admission is free. To RSVP contact Mr David Cowland-Cooper (telephone 07 3365 3568, mobile 0414 498 556).

Media: For further information, contact Biofutures 2001 Committee Chair Mr David Cowland-Cooper (telephone 07 3365 3568, mobile 0414 498 556) or Joanne van Zeeland at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 7045).