Pre-Meeting Workshops

Expand Your Skills Before the Conference! 

Enhance your conference experience by participating in our pre-meeting workshops. These focused sessions provide specialized training and hands-on learning opportunities led by experts in biomaterials. Register early, as space is limited, to ensure you don’t miss this chance for professional growth. Workshops will be held the morning of Wednesday, March 25. 

Workshop 1

Future Biomaterials Faculty Workshop

This workshop will focus on applying for faculty positions and how to get started in an academic career. It is geared towards those applying for a faculty position in <1-3 years. We will describe the application and interview process (where to look for positions, components of the application package, typical interview schedule/questions), how to stand out/network and land that position, and what to do now that you have gotten an offer (negotiating). Current junior faculty will also describe their experience and advice for getting started in a new academic position (how to set up and manage your lab, how to recruit and mentor students, etc.). There will be opportunities to network with fellow participants and panelists. In the months following the workshop, workshop attendees that are applying for academic positions in the coming academic year, will be offered an opportunity to receive feedback from current biomaterials faculty on one of the most daunting and often nebulous aspects of the faculty interview – the “chalk” talk.

Workshop 2

Collective Call to Action: The Importance of Advocacy and Avenues for Engagement in Biomedical Engineering

Recent policies imposed by the new administration, including grant disruptions and mass firings of leading experts across health and science agencies, critically threaten our nation’s leadership in scientific innovation, the livelihood of our biomedical workforce, and patient care. Now more than ever as we navigate this uncertain political climate, it is imperative that scientists bridge this gap between policy and research by collectively speaking out and engaging in advocacy efforts. There are several impactful ways for biomedical engineers to contribute to these conversations to benefit the field and society. By attending this workshop, attendees will gain insights into how biomedical engineers can effectively communicate with diverse stakeholders to influence science policy decision-making. AIMBE staff and Fellows will share resources and best practices along with their personal experiences in advocacy. Speakers will also share the impact that these activities have had on the field of biomedical engineering and their careers.

Workshop 3

Forum to Identify Uninformative, Unproductive and possibly Unscientific Standardized Assays Conducted in the Name of “Biocompatibility” Which Do Not Contribute to Safety, Performance or Qualification of New Medical Products

 Although the Society For Biomaterials was chartered to advance the science and safety of biomaterials in medical devices, through the decades we have come to realize that “standardized” testing has come to dominate the regulatory qualification of new or “me too” medical devices. Not only is repetitive standardized testing (and some unvalidated!) now required, but some protocols for standardized tests are even challenged. Most of this pseudo-rigor does not advance safety, is excessively redundant and is conducted in the false name of “risk reduction”.

All this money and energy for show, does not contribute to “biocompatibility” of medical devices, but instead serves to assuage the need to demonstrate false diligence. Presenters at this workshop will offer examples of such non-contributing testing, of overly zealous testing requirements which carry little scientific benefit (if any), and examples of how other biocompatibility issues were overlooked. The Workshop will invite experts recently involved in the significant revision of ISO-10993 which has been rebuked thus far by FDA. Experts on subjects such as material-mediated pyrogenicity, 
sensitization and other standardized assays will be invited to reveal the lack of contribution to the science of biomaterials and safety for certain medical devices and materials.

Workshop 4

Industry Career Roundtable Workshop

This round table session will give participants an opportunity to network with professionals from industry, government, and academia involved in translating technology from benchtop to patients. This workshop will include a speed dating format with experts primed to discuss one of 5-6 topics and attendees can change tables every 10-15 minutes. Topics could include: getting my first job, large company versus small company, and opportunities in industry outside of traditional research and development roles.

Workshop 5

Advances in Biomaterials Science and Translational Technology Workshop

Cutting-edge advancements in biomaterials are revolutionizing healthcare, enhancing patient outcomes, and driving economic growth globally. This workshop, organized by the Chinese Association for Biomaterials, aims to bring together leading experts to discuss key elements of successful biomaterial technology development, biomedical applications, and clinical and industrial translation. It seeks to bridge the gap between innovation and practical, impactful solutions in healthcare. The workshop will also provide an excellent platform for networking and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among participants, including academic researchers, clinicians, industry professionals, and students. Experts at various career stages, from early-career investigators to established leaders, will be invited to share their insights and experiences from academic, industrial, and clinical perspectives.

Workshop 6

Advances in Biofabrication and 3D Printing: From Hardware to Application

This workshop considers the intersection of fabrication hardware, material innovation, and translational applications related to biofabrication and 3D printing. This workshop will review recent developments in biofabrication and 3D printing technologies, which involve the processing of three-dimensional structures via the joining of materials in a layer-by-layer manner, for processing biomaterials into artificial tissues as well as biosensors, drug delivery devices, and medical instruments. The workshop will include presentations and live demonstrations of technologies such as suspended bioprinting, melt electrowriting, and hybrid 3D printing. The session will also consider how open-source platforms support reproducibility and access across biofabrication and 3D printing labs. This workshop aims to stimulate new research directions and partnerships, including industry-university collaborations, involving 3D printing of biomaterials for use in medicine, surgery, and dentistry.

Workshop 7 

Ignite Ideas: A Creative Brainstorming Workshop 

Brainstorming is a crucial skill to generate creative and innovative ideas, whether in the context of business, academia, or personal projects. This workshop will provide practical tips and techniques to enhance brainstorming abilities, to facilitate generation of a wide range of ideas, and to solve complex problems.