Julie L. Swann, Harold R. and Mary Anne Nash Associate Professor in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and co-director of the Georgia Tech Center for Health and Humanitarian Logistics, has been invited to speak at the 2012 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Vancouver February 16-20. Swann’s presentation, titled “Improving the Allocation of Limited Healthcare Resources in the Developing World”, will be part of the Anthropology Meets Engineering: Technological Innovations in Global Health symposium.

The abstract from Swann’s presentation reads:

In the developing world, it is even more important than otherwise to allocate limited healthcare resources effectively (and possibly equitably). Operations Research and scientific methods for the system can help improve these decisions.  We focus on scientific innovations to improve the allocation of limited resources across a network, especially in resource-poor settings.  Examples include pharmaceuticals to ongoing health clinics, disaster response supplies, or the distribution of breast milk to underweight infants in ways that promote effectiveness, efficiency, and equitability.

Keeping with the 2012 AAAS theme, “Flattening the World: Building the 21st Century Global Knowledge”, the symposium will cover multiple disciplines including anthropology, engineering, and public health. This symposium will present case studies of various innovations to make health care more affordable in both developing and developed nations. Speakers will include the inventors of new technologies, public health experts, and anthropologists who will discuss issues related to culture, equity, ethics, and use.

AAAS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson, and professional association. The Annual Meeting is one of the most widely recognized pan-science events, with hundreds of networking opportunities and broad global media coverage.

For more information, visit http://www.aaas.org/meetings/2012/program/symposia/submit/.