Events: October 2011

Inventing the next generation robots requires advancements and integration of a range of disciplines including perception, autonomy, human-robot interaction, collaborative robots, and new platforms. Invited lecturer, Martin Buehler of iRobot discusses current research that spans the range from basic research to developing advanced prototypes that demonstrate new capabilities with a focus on manipulation and mobility.

Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Topics in Bioengineering Faculty Seminar Series invited lecturer Claudia Fischbach from Cornell University will discuss her work integrating biomaterials, tissue engineering, and cancer biology to gain an improved understanding of the molecular, cellular, and tissue level responses underlying tumor angiogenesis, stiffness, and bone metastasis.

The symposium will bring together experts in genetics, chemistry, biology, physics, medicine, and engineering to discuss the mechanics of motors—from naturally occurring motors, such as those inside cells, to new synthetic motors made from DNA. The exploration about how motors work and what we can learn from studying them will address an array of questions: Are motors specific for a single task, or can they adapt to multiple functions? What makes motors start and stop moving? What are common features that make an effective motor? How can we build on new understandings of motors to cure disease and make other improvements to human life?

This conference will focus on the immense range of scientific and practical of soft materials.The first two days will focus on recent scientific advances in soft materials, from biological matter to microfluidics to novel concepts in material science. The third day will focus on industry, with scientific leaders from major companies discussing industrial innovation with soft materials.The fourth day will discuss undergraduate education, centered around the most popular undergraduate course at Harvard, Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter. The conference will end with a lecture to this class by Dave Weitz and a world famous Chef.

Each year the winners of the Warren Alpert Foundation Prize are recognized at a symposium hosted by Harvard Medical School, followed by a luncheon or dinner at which the honorees are awarded the Foundation's prize. The 2011 Warren Alpert Foundation Prize recipients are Alain F. Carpentier and Robert S. Langer.