Plenary Speakers
Plenary Series Sponsor
Meet the Visionaries Who Inspire Us
Each year LabAutomation features an outstanding series of plenary speakers whose work exemplifies the mission of ALA — to advance science and education related to laboratory automation. When you attend LabAutomation2009 you have the opportunity to interact with these visionaries who inspire us all.
9 a.m., Monday, January 26, 2009
Klavs F. Jensen, Ph.D.
Warren K. Lewis Professor of Chemical Engineering
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Researcher, professor, author, patent-holder, and award recipient are all accurate descriptions of LabAutomation2009 plenary series speaker, Klavs F. Jensen, Ph.D. As Warren K. Lewis Professor and Head of the Chemical Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Jensen's research interests revolve around microfabrication, testing and integration of microsystems for chemical and biological discovery, synthesis and processing. He also does work around chemical kinetics and transport phenomena related to processing of materials for biomedical, electronic and optical applications, and development of simulation approaches for reactive chemical and biological systems.
Jensen is the co-author of more than 450 published articles and holds some 20 U.S. patents. Among other accolades, he has been honored with the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation Teacher-Scholar Grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Allan P. Colburn, Charles C.M. Stine, and R.H. Wilhelm Awards of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
Jensen is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. He also serves on the Steering Committee for the International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, as well as on advisory editorial boards for several scientific journals.
9 a.m., Tuesday, January 27, 2009
John Abele
Co-founder, Boston Scientific
John Abele, Boston Scientific's Co-Founder and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) chairman, is a pioneer and leader in the field of less invasive medicine. He holds numerous patents and has published and lectured extensively on the technology of various medical devices and on the trends and issues affecting healthcare. In addition, Abele serves on the board of directors of Color Kinetics and is a member of numerous not-for-profit boards. Abele earned a B.A. degree from Amherst College.
12:45 p.m., Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Jeffrey Wigand, Ph.D.
Real-life scientist behind Russell Crowe's character in the Academy Award nominated movie, "The Insider."
In 1995 Jeffrey Wigand, Ph.D., achieved national prominence when he became the tobacco industry's highest ranking former executive to address public health and smoking issues. His experiences were inspiration for the 1999 feature film, "The Insider," starring Academy Award winner Russell Crowe as Wigand.
Wigand was formerly Vice President for Research and Development for Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation. Now a nationally recognized teacher, author and consultant on various tobacco issues, Wigand currently spends his time and efforts on lectures around the world, and on his non-profit organization, SMOKE-FREE KIDS, Inc., where he concentrates his energy on helping kids of all ages make better decisions and healthy choices regarding tobacco use.
Wigand earned academic degrees with distinction from the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education (MAT) from the University of Louisville
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