Carnegie Mellon's Philip LeDuc participates in think tank forums

National Academic Keck Futures Initiative

PITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University's Philip R. LeDuc will join more than 70 of the brightest scientific researchers Nov. 12-15 at the National Academies Keck Futures Initiative on Complexity at the Beckman Conference Center in Irvine, Calif.

Invited participants will discuss the topic of complexity in areas spanning everything from neural function to social systems and achieving a sustainable future.

"This is a great opportunity for me to interact with professionals from a broad spectrum of fields and to exchange research ideas," said LeDuc, an associate professor in mechanical engineering with a courtesy appointment in biomedical engineering and biological sciences.

The event, a joint venture between the National Academy of Science, the National Academy of Engineering and the Institute of Medicine, brings together researchers from a variety of academic disciplines, including engineering, computer science, physics, biology and chemistry.

In early November, LeDuc also was invited to attend and speak to researchers at a think tank event for the National Institute of Health's National Cancer Center about how systems such as cells and cancerous tissues in the human body may operate in a similar manner to a robotic system. These two events are focused on generating out-of-the-box thinking and approaches for taking on some of the biggest challenges in the future.

"There is going to be a lot of debate about how we will be able to approach grand challenges through non-traditional approaches. Carnegie Mellon has long been an innovator in bridging disciplines toward these ends, and this is a potential example of how approaches that were developed for systems such as robots could contribute to areas such as biology and medicine," said LeDuc, a recipient of the 2005 Beckman Award for leading-edge research in the biological and chemical sciences even though he is a mechanical engineer.