editor’s desk
W. Conard Holton
Associate Publisher/
Editor in Chief
cholton@pennwell.com
Strategic thinking for
the life sciences
In the life sciences, many important applications have emerged from technologies first developed during
the 1990s telecom bubble, or more recently from technologies as diverse as nanophotonics and smartphones. This dynamic mix of technology and opportunity is generating paradigm-shifting products that
enable better standards of care, spare patients’ misery, or provide greater functionality and lower cost.
Strategies in Biophotonics is a new event launched by Laser Focus World and our sister publication
BioOptics World to foster the development of such innovations and help them navigate the tricky waters
of commercialization. We are doing this because we noticed that existing conferences focus on various
areas in biophotonics—including photonics technology, life science advances enabled by photonics, or
general biomedical device design and manufacturing—but none was dedicated to the significant issues
of both development and commercialization of biophotonics-based systems.
Our goal for the conference is to help optics- and photonics-based device and system developers cover
all the important bases to succeed. The program will highlight key examples of clinical and scientific needs,
demonstrate the critical role of biomedical optics and photonics, and discuss needs for the devices and
systems to fulfill their potential. Networking will be a critical component of the event. The expo will give
exhibitors a chance to meet with researchers and engineers from key organizations wanting to develop
devices and systems that incorporate photonics and/or optics.
The two-day Strategies in Biophotonics conference and exhibition, along with its pre-conference workshop, will be held September 9-11, 2014, at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel. I will write more about it in the
coming year. Even if your field is not bio, I’m confident that the discussions will give you some ideas for
your own area of interest and spark a bit of strategic thinking. Intrigued? Check out the website for the
conference and expo, www.strategiesinbiophotonics.com, and follow along as we update it.
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Stephen G. Anderson, SPIE;
Dan Botez, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Walter Burgess, Power
Technology; Connie Chang-Hasnain,
UC Berkeley Center for Opto-electronic
Nanostructured Semiconductor
Technologies; Pat Edsell, Avanex;
Jason Eichenholz, Open Photonics;
Thomas Giallorenzi, Naval Research
Laboratory; Ron Gibbs, Ron Gibbs
Associates; Anthony M. Johnson,
Center for Advanced Studies in
Photonics Research, University of
Maryland Baltimore County;
Kenneth Kaufmann, Hamamatsu
Corp.; Larry Marshall, Southern Cross
Venture Partners; Jan Melles,
Photonics Investments;
Masahiro Joe Nagasawa, TEM Co. Ltd.;
David Richardson, University of
Southampton; Ralph A. Rotolante,
Vicon Infrared; Samuel Sadoulet,
Edmund Optics; Toby Strite,
JDS Uniphase.
EDITORIAL OFFICES
Laser Focus World
Penn Well Corporation
98 Spit Brook Road, LL- 1, Nashua, NH 03062-5737
(603) 891-0123; fax (603) 891-0574
www.laserfocusworld.com
CORPORATE OFFICERS
Frank T. Lauinger Chairman
Robert F. Biolchini President and CEO
Mark Wilmoth Chief Financial Officer
TECHNOLOGY GROUP
Christine A. Shaw Senior Vice President/
Group Publishing Director
Subscription inquiries
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Susan Smith Publisher, (603) 891-9447; susans@pennwell.com
W. Conard Holton Editor in Chief, (603) 891-9161; cholton@pennwell.com
Gail Overton Senior Editor, (603) 305-4756; gailo@pennwell.com
John Wallace Senior Editor, (603) 891-9228; johnw@pennwell.com
Lee Mather Associate Editor, (603) 891-9116; leem@pennwell.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Jeffrey Bairstow In My View, inmyview@yahoo.com
David A. Belforte Industrial Lasers, (508) 347-9324; belforte@pennwell.com
Jeff Hecht Photonic Frontiers, (617) 965-3834; jeff@jeffhecht.com
D. Jason Palmer Europe, 44 (0)7960 363 308; djasonpalmer@gmail.com
Adrienne Adler Marketing Manager
Meg Fuschetti Art Director
Sheila Ward Production Manager
Chris Hipp Senior Illustrator
Debbie Bouley Audience Development Manager
Alison Boyer Ad Services Manager