Grant: Meetings, Planning & Dissemination Grant: Cancer Research

The Workshop on Advanced Imaging Devices for early breast cancer detection and diagnosis will be jointly hosted by Lakehead University and Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute (TBRRI) - Canada's newest molecular imaging and advanced diagnostic research institute, in September 2011. The goal of the Workshop is to bring together creative researchers from across Canada with potential industrial partners to stimulate new collaborations to design, develop and commercialize the next generation of detectors dedicated to early breast cancer diagnosis and breast cancer management. This includes (but not restricted to) advanced x-ray mammography devices, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) devices and combined PET/MRI systems. There will be around 20 participates who are intended to give talks on their research in the area of Advanced Imaging Devices dedicated to imaging in breast and 3 key-note speakers. Presentations have been followed by discussions during networking breaks and in breakout groups with representatives from industrial companies (ANRAD Corp, Tornado Medical Imaging, Sentinelle Medical Incorporated and Weinberg Medical Physics). Talks and discussions will focused on: (1)improvement of diagnostic accuracy of digital x-ray mammographic systems facilitating more effective screening; (2)developing of effective, safe, and low-cost complementary-to-mammography techniques facilitating detection of pre-invasive breast cancers (3)increasing the functionality of breast imaging devices making them more cost-effective; The proposed Workshop with enhance existing and facilitate new collaboration between Academia and Industrial partners needed to move new breast cancer imaging tools from the laboratory to the clinic where patients can benefit from the new research.