World-renowned neurologist and author Dr Oliver Sacks will address "Awakenings Revisited and the Art of Medicine" on Monday, July 20 2009 at McCormick Place, Chicago. The speech will be followed by a brief question and answer session.

The presentation, sponsored by Olympus America Inc., will occur during the 2009 AACC/CSCC Annual Meeting and the Clinical Lab Expo. In addition to the trade media, the presentation is open to registered meeting attendees. AACC members develop and perform diagnostic tests conducted in hospital laboratories, clinics, medical facilities and other health centers. 

Dr Sacks, called “the poet laureate of medicine” by The New York Times, is one of the great medical writers and storytellers of our time, transforming our understanding of the human mind and restoring narrative to a central place in the practice of medicine. Dr Sacks’ best-selling books include Awakenings (inspiration for the Oscar-nominated film), The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood. His latest book is Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain. With profound compassion and ceaseless curiosity, he shares stories of individual patients and explores the nature of perception, memory, consciousness and creativity to enlarge his audiences’ understanding of healing and the human mind and spirit. Dr Sacks is a professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center and has been appointed a Columbia University Artist.  He serves on the board of the Institute for Music and Neurologic Function, among other organizations. 

Olympus, whose Diagnostic Systems Group offers the broadest line of chemistry/ immunochemistry systems for hospital and reference laboratory testing, is sponsoring the AACC address as part of its Partnership Awards Program. The program is dedicated to expanding education and partnerships between science and industry. 

Along with this presentation, Olympus will also provide a charitable donation to the AACC’s Van Slyke Foundation as part of the Partnership Awards Program. "The grant to the Van Slyke Foundation helps provide opportunities for clinical laboratory scientists to come to the U.S. from abroad to enhance their education,” said Dr John Sherwin, the Foundation’s chairman.  “Olympus is supporting the important mission of helping improve healthcare, and healthcare education, around the globe.”

“We are proud to support the work of the AACC,” said Michael Krenz, Vice President of Diagnostic Systems Sales at Olympus America.  “Clinical chemistry professionals work every day with vitally important patient tests.  They adhere to rigorous accuracy and reliability standards, and yet, to be the best in their field, they must also never forget that there are real human beings with real lives behind each test.  Dr Sacks understands how scientific research, clinical medicine and human compassion intersect, and is a perfect person to bring his special insight to these dedicated professionals.”

Dr Sacks’ presentation will begin promptly at 1:00pm in the Grand Ballroom of McCormick Place.

Source: AACC