ARTISTS AND SCIENTISTS MERGING TOGETHER IN ONE EVENING

LASER Chairs - Marilène Oliver and Pamela Brett-MacLean

DESIGN – SCIENCE INTERFACE

Ben King: Health + Design + Technology

Ben King will share stories as a designer trying to leverage empathy, creativity and technology in areas of the medical world such as surgical planning and rehabilitation medicine. King will focus on the Alberta Cancer Foundation funded Mobili-T project - a portable therapy system for individuals with head and neck cancer. 

Ben King designs medical products and experiences. He works with clinicians and researchers in various health care professions, as well as established health care companies and startups. Additionally, he is a design educator at the University of Alberta, with a focus on teaching students to problem solve in areas such as health, sustainability and design for social change.  

Robert Lederer: Aesthetics of Disability

Robert Lederer will talk about his search for meaning in the materiality and visual language of prosthetics.  He will look at some of the issues that confront designers when attempting to design prosthetics or assistive devices for persons with disabilities.

Robert Lederer is Associate Professor of Industrial Design and an Adjunct Professor in Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Alberta. His collaborative research ventures with the Faculty of Rehabilitative Medicine include examining seamless technological interfaces in patient treatment systems and designing products for an aging population (a project which received a commendation by the American Society on Aging for Exemplary Program in Industrial Design). This collaboration has now expanded to include Computing Sciences and Pharmacy with the establishment of the SMART CONDO - a research facility that examines issues of an aging population and independence.

Dr. Michiko Maruyama: From Science to Art and Design: Finding Inspiration

Dr. Michiko Maruyma will reflect on how as an industrial designer she finds inspiration in molecular biology. From the microbiology labs to the design studio, she will share her fascination with the microscopic world and how it drives her art and design. In addition, she will share her journey from design to cardiac surgery and how she integrates the two disciplines.

Dr. Michiko Maruyama graduated from the University of British Columbia Northern Medical Program in 2015 and she was accepted into the Cardiac Surgery Residency Program at the University of Alberta.  Prior to starting medical school, Michiko completed an Industrial Design degree at the University of Alberta. Michiko continues to actively explore and integrate medicine, art and design. She is currently in her third year of cardiac surgery residency and she is concurrently working towards a Master of Industrial Design degree.

SPONSORED BY

LASER (Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous) Talks is Leonardo's international program of evening gatherings that bring artists and scientists together for informal presentations and conversations. LASER Talks were founded in 2008 by Bay Area LASER Chair Piero Scaruffi and are in over 20 cities around the world. To learn more about how our LASER Hosts and to visit a LASER near you please visit our website. 

The mission of the LASERs is to provide the general public with a snapshot of the cultural environment of a region and to foster interdisciplinary networking.