Director of UNE Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences speaks at local business and education symposium

Director of the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences (CEN), Ian Meng, Ph.D., professor in the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine Biomedical Science Department, attended Educate Maine’s annual Education Symposium. Held in Portland, Maine, the summit invited business and education leaders from across the state to share ideas and examples of how Maine’s education system is promoting the growth of Maine’s economy, and how such growth can continue to be supported.

Meng participated in a panel titled, "Higher Education Partners Grow Profits for Maine Businesses: Models from the Field." The panel discussed university-industry partnerships and what is being done across the state to foster such relationships. During the panel, Meng presented some examples about how the CEN has partnered with local businesses to meet their specific research needs. He discussed the CEN’s partnership with Baker Scientific in Sanford. He also shared images of three-dimensional cell cultures grown in a new product by Corning in Kennebunk. These images are part of a long-term project that has been led by Peter Caradonna ‘13, manager of the Histology and Imaging Core. Finally, Meng briefly described how UNE’s Behavior Core’s relationship with local company Clear H2O, led to product testing and ultimately a product that is now commercially available.

Educate Maine is a business-led education advocacy organization with a mission to to champion college and career readiness and increased education attainment for all Maine people. It was the goal of the summit to help break down the barriers between the industry and education. 

To learn more about the University of New England’s Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences, visit www.une.edu/research/cen

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions