CIMIT Launches Inhalation Technology Program

CIMIT officially launched its Inhalation Technology Program on Feb. 3, with a series of events that brought leading together an enthusiastic group of researchers, doctors, industry executives and medical professionals for a full day of informational briefings and presentations.

In September, CIMIT announced that Air Liquide had committed $1.5 million to the organization as a gift to help develop a world-class platform for research and development related to technologies and techniques for inhalation therapy.

On Feb. 3, CIMIT’s informational-networking introductory launch included the following events:

1. An industry briefing, with local and regional companies participating.
2. A luncheon for investigators with clinicians and researchers interacting.
3. A CIMIT Forum that focused on cutting-edge research in the inhalation-therapy field. Close to 100 attended. Presenting were Warren Zapol, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and Myrna Dolovich, P ENG, of McMasters University, Toronto.

The events were orchestrated by the three leaders of the Inhalation Technology Program, Augustine Choi, MD, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Jose Venegas, PhD, of Massachusetts General Hospital; and Jussi Saukkonen, MD. Dr. Choi is chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at BWH. Dr. Venegas is associate professor of anesthesia (bio-engineering) at Harvard Medical School, and is with MGH in the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care. Dr. Saukkonen is director of the Pulmonary Clinics at the West Roxbury Veterans Administration Medical Center with an academic appointment at Boston University.

The next key date for this program is Feb. 15, when RFA Proposals are due for the annual CIMIT Science Awards and Clinical Systems Innovation grants.

In July, the weekly CIMIT Summer Educational Series will focus on inhalation therapy.