Université Laval Announces Search for Canada Excellence Research Chair in Neurophotonics

Université Laval is seeking a world-class researcher to fill the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Neurophotonics and to occupy a tenured professor position. An amount of 10M$ will be provided by the Canadian government to this world leader to develop an ambitious research program in neuroscience and photonics. This amount will be matched by other contributions, both public and  private.

The CERC chair-holder is expected to play a role of catalyst between neuroscientists and physicists and lead the way in the design and use of novel enabling technologies for the study and treatment of diseases of the nervous system. He will therefore have a track record at bridging between these disciplines and will have demonstrated abilities to lead major networking initiatives at the national and international levels.

The CERC program is Canada’s most prestigious research funding program and Université Laval is proud to have received one of 11 chairs of this contest. This confirms its position as world leader in
optics, photonics and neurophotonics, and it brings new energy to face the biggest challenge addressed by modern science and technology: to unravel the mysteries of the brain.

The development of neurophysics and neuroscience is one of the main priorities of Université Laval. The Neurophotonics Center, which will host the candidate has already received more than 70M$ for its
infrastructures and is planning further developments estimated to 80M$.

For more information see http://neurophotonics.ca/documents/Call%20for%20applications%20CERC_EN_Short.pdf.

The Optical Society Names Brian C. Wilson Winner of Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award

Brian Wilson, PhD, co-Chair of the Biophotonics for Life Worldwide Consortium, has been awarded the Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award by the Optical Society.  Please join us in congratulating Dr. Wilson on this deserved recognition of his contributions to the field, and to the community, of biophtonics.  See the press release below:

WASHINGTON, April 9, 2013– The Optical Society (OSA) is pleased to announce that Brian C. Wilson of the University of Toronto, Canada is one of 17 recipients of its prestigious awards and medals. Wilson is the inaugural winner of the new Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award for his sustained contributions to the field of biophotonics, spanning more than 30 years and encompassing outstanding research, technology development, clinical translation and training and education, in the areas of light dosimetry, photodynamic therapy, fluorescence and Raman endoscopy, microscopy and nanophotonics.

“This year’s awardees have made tremendous strides in furthering the science and technology of light and deserve every accolade,” said OSA President Donna Strickland. “OSA is proud to honor Brian and all of the committed individuals for their leadership and innovation in the field of optics around the world.”

Established in 2012, the Michael S. Feld Biophotonics Award recognizes individuals for their innovative and influential contributions to the field of biophotonics, regardless of their career stage. The scope of the award encompasses all areas of biophotonics ranging from fundamental optics discoveries in biology to development of new theoretical frameworks and novel instrumentation to clinical translational research for biomedicine.

Although the criterion for each OSA award differs, the rigorous selection process is the same. A nomination form is submitted with a brief citation summarizing the nominee’s accomplishments with a particular emphasis on those that make him or her a candidate for the award, a one-page narrative on the most significant events in the candidate’s career, curriculum vitae and four letters of reference for the candidate. The OSA Board of Directors appoints a committee to oversee each award or medal selection process. The committee is responsible for the evaluation of each nominee and the selection of the individual or group that is most deserving of the award. Finally, the committee’s selection is presented to the OSA Awards Committee and Board of Directors for their review and final approval.

More information is available on the Awards and Grants section of OSA’s website.

About OSA

Uniting more than 180,000 professionals from 175 countries, the Optical Society (OSA) brings together the global optics community through its programs and initiatives. Since 1916 OSA has worked to advance the common interests of the field, providing educational resources to the scientists, engineers and business leaders who work in the field by promoting the science of light and the advanced technologies made possible by optics and photonics. OSA publications, events, technical groups and programs foster optics knowledge and scientific collaboration among all those with an interest in optics and photonics. For more information, visit www.osa.org.

Dennis Matthews Elected SPIE Fellow

Dennis Matthews, PhD, co-chair of the Biophotonics4Life Worldwide Consortium, has been promoted to the rank of Fellow of SPIE, the international society of optics and photonics.  Fellows are "SPIE Members of distinction who have made significant scientific and technical contributions in the multidisciplinary fields of optics, photonics, and imaging. They are honored for their technical achievement, for their service to the general optics community, and to SPIE in particular."  Dr. Matthews and 28 other new Fellows were honored at an award ceremony luncheon during Photonics West attended by 2,000 SPIE members.

Dr. Matthews is professor emeritus at the University of California Davis, director of the NSF Center for Biophotonics Science and Technology, and associate director for biomedical technology for the Comprehensive Cancer Center at UC Davis.  He is the principal investigator on a number of grants including the NSF Ecosystem for Biophotonics, and is site director of the Center for Biophotonics Sensors and Systems, an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center.  A former program and division leader at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, he is responsible for developing new biotechnology programs for the lab.

Credited with inventing the x-ray laser at LLNL, Dr. Matthews' career has included an ongoing interest in the translation and commercialization of new physical science and engineering technologies to address grand challenges in medicine and life sciences.

Dr. Matthews is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the Society of Photo an Industrial Engineers, and the Optical Society of America.  He is the author of more than 275 publications, holds 30 patents, and is the co-editor or the Journal of Biophotonics.