MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (December 10, 2007) – The University of Minnesota will be honoring Earl Bakken this week. The inventor of the battery-powered, wearable pacemaker and co-founder of Medtronic, will be getting an honorary degree from the Medical School – the only one distributed in its about 120 year history – and featured during a symposium event on Thursday, Dec. 13 beginning at 8 a.m.
Bakken will be presented with the award by Medical School Dean Deborah Powell, M.D., during a daylong scientific symposium celebrating the 50th anniversary of the invention of the pacemaker.
The event will take a look at the past, present, and future of the fascinating pacing technologies that has transformed the world of cardiac care, said Paul Iaizzo, Ph.D., program organizer and professor of surgery at the University of Minnesota.
“The University has a rich legacy in the cardiovascular sciences, including a leading role in the development of the wearable battery-powered pacemaker,” Iaizzo said. “This annual event is designed to honor Earl Bakken’s contributions to the medical device industry and offer a glimpse into the future of biomedical devices.”
Presenters will include Bakken; Johns Hopkins Medical Institute heart surgeon Vincent Gott, M.D., who trained under C. Walton Lillehei, M.D., Ph.D, who first deployed these devices.; David Benditt, M.D., professor of cardiology at the University who has been a key opinion leader in this field for decades and several others both from industry and academia.
Each will address various innovations in pacemaking over the years and look at emerging advances, including the use of robots to place leads, the effect of pacing on the brain, and the development of biologic pacemakers using gene therapy.
The event, officially titled, “The Pacemaker: Past, Present, and Future,” is sponsored by the Medical School and Academic Health Center at the University of Minnesota with support from LifeScience Alley.
The program will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 13 in Mayo Auditorium at the University of Minnesota.
For a complete list of speakers and to view the symposium schedule visit: http://www.vhlab.umn.edu/vh/bakkensymposiumprogram2007.htm
The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.
Contact: Nick Hanson, Academic Health Center, (612) 624-2449, hans2853@umn.edu
Molly Portz, Academic Health Center, (612) 625-2640, mportz@umn.edu