Frontiers of Biomedical Imaging Science 2009: workshop report and research opportunities.

The second ‘‘Frontiers of Biomedical Imaging Science’’ conference was held at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN from June 2 to 5, 2009. The impetus for the ‘‘Frontiers’’ conferences is that current specialized meetings focus mainly on a single modality and/or disease entity, limiting the opportunities for cross-fertilization across different imaging methods and biomedical research areas. Furthermore, most conferences encourage short presentations of new research but do not synthesize these into clear presentations of the state of each field, and themeetings are usually so large that close interactions are not easy to foster. To make the ‘‘Frontiers’’ series of greater value, attendance was limited to 300 people, and the state-ofthe-art of various subfields of biomedical imaging science were reviewed in a didactic fashion, along with future opportunities, so that experts in any onemodality would find themeeting informative. It is hoped that this design allows for imaging scientists from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, optical imaging, computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission CT, and ultrasound to connect and appreciate advances in other specialties. Focused and emerging applications of imaging were also selected for in-depth coverage. In particular, the ‘‘Frontiers’’ conferences are excellent opportunities for trainees in imaging science to extend their knowledge, which otherwise could be difficult, as trainees tend to be highly focused in specific areas. The goals of the second ‘‘Frontiers’’ meeting was to provide a forum that cuts across imaging modalities to present the latest advances and specific applications of imaging science and to emphasize how imaging contributes not only to radiologic diagnoses but also to novel insights into problems in biology and medicine. Towards this end, 27 speakers were invited to present 40minute reviews of (a) recent advances, (b) the current state of the field, and (c) anticipated advances and future opportunities in their area of expertise. Talks were grouped thematically within sessions to complement and build on each other, providing attendees with a comprehensive picture of each area.