ERC heads to USA for science conference

The European Research Council (ERC) has crossed the Atlantic to take part in the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in San Jose, California.

The event, which begins today and runs until 16 February 2015, sees the participation of ERC President Professor Jean-Pierre Bourguignon and eight ERC-funded researchers. The ERC will discuss the need to go beyond the frontiers of knowledge for Europe to stay competitive.

On the eve of the conference, Bourguignon said: “I am delighted to be back at the AAAS meeting with its inspiring mix of people interested in research in a broad range of fields. This year, the ERC is again represented by a number of great scientists who will showcase their research projects, exchange knowledge and testify to the importance of frontier research. The ERC’s core mission is to support bright minds like them, by giving them the means and freedom to develop their creative research ideas in Europe.”

The AAAS is the world’s largest and most influential general scientific society, and it annually gathers thousands of leading scientists, engineers, educators, policy makers, and journalists from around the world to discuss recent developments in science and technology. The theme of this year’s edition is ‘Innovations, Information, and Imaging’.

The ERC is attending the AAAS Annual Meeting for the eighth consecutive year, and this time will hold three scientific sessions focusing on the future of cancer research, the use of new information technologies in analysing historical data, and the built environment.