Dear Fellow-Members of EMBS:
Greetings for the Holidays and Very Best Wishes for the New Year 2021.
2020 has been a tumultuous year with the pandemic and the global changes. More than ever engineering has played an integral role in shaping our efforts in combating the virus, from diagnostics to modeling to vaccine production. We hope that 2021 will see the resolution of the virus and our Society can begin meeting in person again.
I have had the privilege of being the President of the Society in 2019 and 2020 and have had the good fortune to have an ExCom and AdCom whose members have provided wisdom and guidance in shaping the Society. Our Annual Meeting, which we approached with trepidation owing to its virtual status, was very successful and we were delighted to see the high quality of the papers/presentations and the robust participation of the members. We look forward to seeing what 2021 portends for the Annual Meeting.
The foundation of our Society lies in the Technical Areas that define us and over the past two years we have triggered significant changes. The growing importance of data-driven engineering and sciences, the future of systems medicine which integrally involves engineering and the brain initiative which continues to be a final frontier, cannot be understated. EMBS will pursue these areas with vigor.
In 2020, the members ratified our new Constitution, By Laws and Handbook and these will help us navigate the coming years in the Society. I want to thank our past President, Nigel Lovell, and other colleagues in developing the new By Laws. Our Executive Office continues to be the very best support for the Society under the leadership of Laura Wolf and we have come to rely on their permanent support. I would be remiss if I did not mention the incredible future that is ahead with Dr. Metin Akay as the next President and a new slate of outstanding Vice-Presidents. Societies thrive through the selfless engagement and sacrifice of its members and elected officials and I have been exceptionally fortunate in having such outstanding colleagues in EMBS.
Finally, I wish you happy holidays and the best for the New Year 2021!
Shankar Subramaniam
President, EMBS