While the scientific merit of romantic speed dating has yet to be examined, professional speed dating proved an interesting intellectual venture for the UAB departments of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering.

Last Friday, 35 doctors and researchers met in the West Pavilion Conference Center to discuss their clinical and research interests in the hopes of finding an avenue for a number of $20,000 pilot grants created to support collaborative projects between surgeons and biomedical engineers.

“This pilot grant program aims to promote innovation in patient-centered research and to increase research funding and publications,” Department of Surgery Chair Dr. Herbert Chen said. “It will provide seed money to allow surgeons and engineers to bring their ideas to clinical reality.”

After presentations from the department chairs, each of the 18 surgeons and 17 biomedical engineers had three minutes to introduce themselves and delve into potential research opportunities before the sound of a gavel rapping against a podium instructed them to move on to the next participant.

"Most people felt that they had made a connection with at least two or three people and were planning on meeting again after the event to further solidify their collaboration," Associate Professor Dr. Timothy King said. "The joint Surgery/BME pilot project program that was announced at the meeting will provide money to allow these possible collaborations to grow into real research programs."

Speed Dating participants—or any team of one biomedical engineer and one surgeon with a great idea for a collaborative project—can find the application for pilot grant funding here.

Download Dr. Chen's presentation here and Biomedical Engineering Department Chair Dr. Jianyi “Jay” Zhang's presentation here. The event program is also available to view or download here.

Those who participated in Speed Dating are encouraged to evaluate the event here.

Check out our Speed Dating photo album on Flickr: