ESOF Mini Conference Guide now available

With over 125 main programme sessions covering nine scientific strands to which almost 700 speakers are expected to contribute, ESOF 2016 promises to be an exciting event. ESOF 2016 kicks-off on Sunday 24 July with nine sessions from the Careers programme. These sessions are of particular interest to students and early career researchers as they will explore key issues on mobility for early career researchers, peer review and making STEM subjects more attractive in schools. Alongside the programme, there will be a number of interactive sessions for early career researchers to make use of, such as the ‘Pie with the Professor’ event and the ‘careers clinic’.

Healthy populations is one of the largest strands at ESOF and will be the focus of Monday’s sessions. They will explore issue such as personalised medicine, child well-being, microbiomes, humanitarian medicine, eHealth and data issues and antimicrobial resistance. The strand includes a topical session on epidemics featuring Dr Paul Stoffels, Chief Scientific Officer at Johnson & Johnson, Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline and will be moderated by BBC global health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar. Further keynote speakers include Brian Cox, Sir Venki Ramakrishnan, Sheila Jasanoff, and Carlos Moedas, EU Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation himself!

Monday will also feature a session on gravitational waves. First detected in late 2015 and followed by a global media frenzy, gravitational waves are ‘ripples’ in the fabric of space-time that are now providing scientists with a completely new view of the Universe. The session will examine what scientists expect to learn from gravitational waves about cosmic objects and what it might mean for our understanding of the origins and future of the Universe.

The science to business programme, mainly held on Tuesday, is also set to be a popular draw at ESOF 2016 due, in part, to its inclusion of industry pioneers including Dr Hermann Hauser, founder of Amadeus Capital and Dr Ruth McKernan, Chief Executive of Innovate UK. The strand will provide an opportunity for industrialists, researchers, policy makers and business/academia support organisations to engage with one another, learn, network and debate the issues surrounding the exploitation of breakthroughs in science and to share ideas and best practise for improving the commercial outcomes from research. Topical sessions include the power of cross-border research with Fabiola Gianotti, the Arctic as a hot topic in international relations, doping in sports and an insight into the succes of Sir Andre Geim.

Wednesday will feature a session on Science Diplomacy with Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan as well as sessions examining scientific research into the smallest dimensions of materials and matter, the fastest chemical processes, and the most extreme and challenging terrestrial and extra-terrestrial environments.

Check out the online programme, or the mini pocket guide to discover more about the 600+ speakers, keynote speakers, 150+ sessions and more!

You can also download the official ESOF App: Search ESOF 2016 on the app store and access the full programme, speaker profiles, abstracts and presentation materials. The app also allows you to create a personal schedule, network with other delegates and explore the exhibition.