The 2015 Society of Chinese Bioscientistis in America (SCBA) International Symposium, a discussion forum for the world’s top minds in the biosciences, runs this year from June 26 through 29, held jointly by the Academia Sinica, the National Health Research Institute, China Medical University, National Taiwan University, and Taipei Medical University. The event is hoped to further promote the sharing of scientific knowledge and research results between Chinese scholars in Taiwan and abroad, and since its founding has become one of the most important academic meetings in the field of biology.
For the 2015 event the SCBA has invited top scientists from the US National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine, the Academia Sinica, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences to discuss the theme of “Scientific Discovery for Human Health.” Among these scholars is the keynote speaker, 2009 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Dr. Thomas Steitz, whose lecture topic is “From the Structure and Function of the Ribosome to New Antibiotics.” Ron DePinho of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center will also deliver a keynote lecture at the meeting. Distinguished lecturers for 2015 include the 2014 Tang Prize Laureate in Biopharmaceutical Science Tasuku Honjo and Academia Sinica President Wong Chi-Huey.
Over 300 bioscientists will attend the event to discuss the varied field of biology, including Biotechonology and Biopharmacology, Cancer Research, Gene Regulation and RNA Biology, Genomic Biology and Genetic Diseases, Immunity, Infection and Inflammation, Metabolic Diseases, Neuroscience, Aging and Degenerative Diseases, Plant Biology and Agricultural Sciences, Stem Cell, Gene and Cell Therapy, and Technology Development. In addition this years event includes a Poster Award and Travel Award, which have garnered 158 submissions; the two awards are meant to encourage young students on the path of research. Participants this year are from 15 countries in all, including the US, Canada, and China, and attendance is estimated to total nearly 1,000. The Tang Prize Foundation is also attending this year’s meeting, and will be providing information about the prize to attendees on the exhibition floor.
Since the SCBA began in 1984 it has promoted collaboration and discussion between Chinese bioscientists all over the world, in addition to providing the younger generation of scientists with consultation and other services. In 1986 the organization began holding their biennial international conference at various locations throughout the world, including San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing, and Taipei. (Information provided at the Academia Sinica website)
