Information and Communications Technology for Ubiquitous-Healthcare

CONFERENCIA

Fecha: Jueves 24 de mayo, 12.00 h.

Lugar: Salón de Actos del Edificio Mecenas.

Por: Prof. M. Jamal Deen, McMaster. University (Canada).

Organiza: Máster “Métodos y Técnicas vanzadas en Física”

ACTO DE INVESTIDURA Doctor Honoris Causa 2012

Viernes 25 de mayo, 12.00 h en el Crucero del Hospital Real

Information and Communications Technology for Ubiquitous-Healthcare

Over the past century, in most developed and rapidly developing countries, there has been a continual increase in life expectancy primarily due to improvements in public health, nutrition and medicine. However, this is now coupled with aging population demographics and falling birth rates, which when combined, are expected to significantly burden the socio-economic well-being of many of these countries. In fact, never before in human history have we been confronted with such a large aging population, nor have we developed solid, cost-effective solutions for the healthcare and social needs and well-being of the elderly.

In our work, we are using advances in information technology, wireless communication, web-based technologies and autonomics, to develop new, smart and cost-effective solutions for the health wellness of the elderly. Such a solution would enable elderly to lead independent lifestyles in their own homes while being continuously monitored for the early detection of symptoms, so diseases can be treated earlier than in later stages as is currently done; to promote health wellness; as well as to treat chronic illnesses. In particular, through a few examples, we will discuss our ongoing work and the challenges we have uncovered, plus some of the research issues we are pursuing. In particular, we will focus on the critical role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in developing innovative, low-cost and high impacting solutions to the pending elderly demographic crisis.

M. Jamal Deen was born in Georgetown, Guyana, South America. He completed a Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering and Applied Physics at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. His Ph.D. dissertation was on the design and modeling of a new CARS spectrometer for dynamic temperature measurements and combustion optimization in rocket and jet engines, and was sponsored and used by NASA, Cleveland, USA. He is currently Professor and Senior Canada Research Chair in Information Technology at McMaster University. His current research interests are nano-electronics and opto-electronics and their emerging applications to life and environmental sciences. His research record includes more than 440 peer-reviewed articles (about 20% are invited), 15 invited book chapters and 6 awarded patents, all of which were used in industry. He has also successfully transferred powerful engineering and circuit models to numerous companies in Canada, USA and Japan.

Dr. Deen was a Fulbright Scholar from 1980 to 1982 and an American Vacuum Society Scholar from 1983 to 1984. He has won the 2002 Callinan Award and the 2011 Electronics and Photonics Division Award from the Electrochemical Society. In addition, he has won the highly prestigious Humboldt Research Award in 2006 and the Eadie Medal from the Royal Society of Canada in 2008, the IEEE Fessenden Medal in 2011, and seven best paper awards. Dr. Deen other honors include being elected a Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) - The Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences of Canada – which is the highest honor for academics and scholars in Canada; a Fellow of the American Physical Society (FAPS); a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society (FECS); a Fellow of The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (FIEEE); and an Honorary Doctor of Engineering from the University of Waterloo