XXX ICE and Midnight Sun Symposium June 2003

The Ragnar Granit Foundation jointly with the Ragnar Granit Institute, Finnish Cardiac Society, Finnish Society for Medical Physics and Medical Engineering, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the International Society for Bioelectro-magnetism organized the XXX International Congress on Electrocardiology in Helsinki, 11-14 June, 2003.
   Professor Jaakko Malmivuo served as President of the Congress. Dr. Jari Viik and Ms Soile Lönnqvist, from RGI, served as Chairman and Secretary of the Organizing Committee. Dr. Markku Mäkijärvi, represented the Finnish Cardiac Society in the Scientific Committee.
   The congress venue was the House of Estates in the heart of the monumental center of Helsinki.
   The congress was participated by over 200 active participants from 30 countries from all over the world. In addition to the 64 participants from Finland, 31 participants came from the USA and 15 participants from Japan. Several participants came also as far as from Brasil, Argentina and Taiwan.
   In addition to the scientific topics, which covered all aspects of electrocardiology a special session on the 30 year's history of the International Society for Electrocardiology was arranged. The history session was organized by Dr. Jerome Liebman, president of the International Society of Electrocardiology and Professor Peter Macfarlane, secretary of the Society. The congress proceedings is found at: www.rgi.tut.fi/ijbem
   The winner of the Kenichi Harumi Young Investigators' Competition was Edward J. Vigmond from the University of Calgary, Canada. The title of his talk was: "The Cable as a Basis for a Mechanoelectric Whole HeartModel".
   From the social program of the congress it should be especially mentioned in the Opening Ceremony the concert of the Childrens' String Orchestra of East Helsinki Music School conducted by Csaba and Géza Szilvay. The orchestra had over 60 musicians aged of about 10 years. Their violin soloist was Ilona Ahlberg.

   The social program also included an organ concert by Tapio Tiitu in the Temppeliaukio Church and the congress banquet at Restaurant Sipuli. The night was fully light and from the restaurant the sun was shining on the orthodox church almost until midnight.
   After the congress the Midnight Sun Symposium was organized in Saariselkä, Lapland, 15-17 June, 2003. Its scientific program was arranged by Professor Heikki Huikuri and Dr. Pekka Raatikainen. The Symposium was participated by about 60 participants. In addition to the scientific program the participants toured to the Saami Museum and Northern Lapland Nature Center Siida in Inari (www.siida.fi). The accompanying persons had an opportunity to experience gold panning.

www.rgi.fi/ice2003

Olaf Dössel Received the Ragnar Granit Prize in the XXX ICE

Professor Olaf Dössel gave the Ragnar Granit Lecture in the opening ceremony of the XXX ICE. The title of his talk was: "Modeling Cardiac Electric Fields".

Professor Dössel is with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Universität Karlsruhe, Germany. He is one of the world authorities on this topic.