Parallels between pumping blood, oil focus of conference

“This meeting is not limited to the hydraulics of the heart and of oil pumps and pipes,” said Dr. Alan B. Lumsden, Professor of Surgery at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center, who conceived the idea for the conference. “It has a broader perspective such as imaging of pumps and pipes of all sorts, as well as understanding the mechanics involved in their evolution and gradual degradation. We hope to stimulate new avenues for research and collaboration with this gathering.”

Program directors from the co-hosting organizations are Ioannis Kakadiaris, Eckhard Pfeiffer Professor of Computer Science at UH, and Bill E. Kline, Manager of the Wells and Materials Division at ExxonMobil Upstream Research Company. All three – Lumsden, Kakadiaris and Kline – will be among more than 20 presenters with topics that include the areas of hydraulics, conduits and pumps, accessing targets, and imaging and monitoring.

In addition to presenting his own research in medical image computing during one of the afternoon sessions, Kakadiaris will give an overview of the competencies of the UH Biomedical Cluster. Lumsden and Kline will kick off the event with a discussion titled “Docs and Rocks,” with Lumsden addressing the anatomy and physiology of the cardiovascular system followed by Kline talking about the geology and physics of hydrocarbon production.

For more information, contact Susan McRee at 713-441-3018 or .