Leysin: Fabolous place for open minds

The third Research Networking Workshop (RNW) 2004 took place in a conference hotel in Leysin, Vaud, from September 3rd to 5th, 2004.

Goal was to strengthen the interaction between Co-Me researchers, particularly Ph.D. and M.D. students. The workshop was designed to provide a forum for information exchange, discussion, and the establishment of joint research efforts. This year's program was intended to meet, in particular, the interests of medical doctors. At the workshop, all participants, about 90 persons, had the opportunity to present their work in open poster presentations.

The highlights of the workshop included a live TV-Satellite-Transmission of Computer Assisted Surgery (CAS) performed by Dr. Marco Caversaccio of ENT Clinics, Inselspital, Bern. He conducted an endoscopic paranasal tumour removal. The audience was able to ask questions to the surgeon by open phone line at all times during surgery. The surgeon explained his technical equipment supported by a Computer Navigation System used for this intervention, calibrated the Navigation System and tired the tumour tissue piecewise out of the nose by an endoscopic instrument. The position of the endoscopic instrument's tip was always visible on the screen. Guest speaker was the internationally renown surgeon, Prof. Dr. Gerd Buess, who is an expert in Minimally Invasive Surgery and scientific leader of the Training Centre on Minimally Invasive Surgery at the University of Tuebingen). His talk on Developments towards minimally invasive surgery: what has achieved acceptance? went on the scientific issues and he revealed his personal experience with interdisciplinary research in medicine.

		Perfect forum for information exange between Ph.D and M.D. Students

Six poster sessions with different topics were hold showing about 70 posters in total. They lead to many discussions where the researchers were able to find new ideas and promoted their research. The social event on Sunday afternoon finalized the workshop with sightseeing tour of the Castle Aigle including lunch, a guided tour through its museum about winery, followed by a wine tasting of local wines.