Symposium to Explore the Future of Bio-integrated Technology

Most people are aware of wearable fitness trackers and heart monitors. But what about technology that seamlessly integrates with the body to monitor vital signs, connect our brains to our computers, and even jumpstart the heart after a heart attack?

The future of bio-integrated technology is limited only by the imagination, and that future is starting to peek over the horizon.

Pioneers working on new forms of this technology will visit Northwestern next month to explore the phenomenon and discuss its future. Co-hosted by the National Academy of Engineering, “The Networked Body: How Wearables and Bio-Integrated Electronics Will Impact Our Future” will take place Tuesday, May 16 at Northwestern’s Allen Center.

Admission is free and open to the public, but registration is required. A reception and demos from faculty and student startups will follow the program.

Several newsmakers will speak at the event, including Mark Chevillet from Facebook’s Building 8, which recently made national news for its brain-computer interface that enables users type with their minds. Northwestern’s John Rogers, who also made news with his first-of-its-kind device that adheres to skin to measure biomarkers in the wearer’s sweat, will deliver the symposium’s opening lecture.

The event will also feature guests from companies and organizations such as Gatorade, the Chicago Cubs, the US Olympics Committee, and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The symposium’s full schedule:

12:30 p.m. Welcome remarks

• C.D. Mote Jr., president, National Academy of Engineering
• Daniel I. Linzer, provost, Northwestern University
• Julio M. Ottino, dean, McCormick School of Engineering

12:50 p.m. Opening lecture

• John Rogers, Louis Simpson and Kimberly Querrey Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurological Surgery and director, Center of Bio-Integrated Electronics, Northwestern

1:30 p.m. Sports and human performance

• David Camarillo, Tashia and John Morgridge Endowed Faculty Scholar, assistant professor of bioengineering, Stanford

2 p.m. Sports and human performance panel

• Bobby Basham, assistant director of minor league operations, Chicago Cubs
• Bill Moreau, managing director of sports medicine, US Olympics Committee
• Jon-Kyle Davis, research scientist, Gatorade Sports
• Jeff Mjaanes, head team physician, Northwestern

3 p.m. Health and wellness

• Rajesh Naik, chief scientist, 711th Human Performance Wing of the Air Force Research Laboratory
• David Mohr, director, Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies and professor of preventive medicine, medical social sciences, and psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Northwestern

4 p.m. Augmented experiences

• Mark Chevillet, technical project lead, Facebook Building 8
• Ed Colgate, Allen K. and Johnnie Cordell Breed Senior Professor in Design and professor of mechanical engineering, Northwestern
• Michael Peshkin, Bette and Neison Harris Professor in Teaching Excellence and professor of mechanical engineering, Northwestern

5 p.m. Reception and demos

Register for the symposium