8th International Biotherapy Conference

Nov. 11-14 2010 in Los Angeles, California
Sponsored in part by The Hope of Healing Foundation
 

     What a wonderful conference we had November 11-14, 2010 at the Universal Studios Hilton in Los Angeles, California.  A total of 73 people from 19 countries, representing 6 continents attended the conference.  As can be seen by the attached schedule, we were very busy.   The conference began with a delightful keynote address then lectures on Thursday afternoon, with a reception Thursday evening with exhibitors.  The next two days  classes were held from early morning to evening.  The conference closed after a morning of workshops on Sunday.  Topics discussed included:  bacteriophage therapy, maggot therapy, leech (hirudo) therapy, helminth (worm) therapy, bee venom therapy, ichthyotherapy (fish), canine detection, and equine therapy.  This was the first conference to cover mammal biotherapy (dogs and horses), and helminth therapy, and dedicated more time for bacteriophage and ichthyotherapy.  In addition, the American Apitherapy Society (AAS) held their annual conference in conjunction with the biotherapy conference, sharing food and exhibit space.  Attendees were free to participate in either society conference sessions.  There were 45 attendees for the apitherapy conference.

     Feedback for the conference was very positive—learning, networking and social interaction were all rated quite high.  Combining conference space/time with the AAS was also deemed a positive event—excellent interaction and learning with the two groups.  This stimulated questions about possibly considering future congresses for biotherapy, with multiple disciplines involved, rather than just one society.

     This conference of the International Biotherapy Society was conducted through the cooperation and efforts of several groups.  The conference was sponsored by the Biotherapeutics, Education and Research (BTER) Foundation, the Hope of Healing Foundation, and the University of Cincinnati.   The University of Cincinnati provided the CME for the conference.  The BTER Foundation organized the speakers and schedule, and the Hope of Healing Foundation handled registration, hotel logistics, and collaboration with AAS.  The BTER Foundation held a business meeting after conference hours and awarded 6 William S. Baer awards to individuals who have exhibited outstanding service in the advancement of biotherapy. The International Biotherapy Society also held its meeting and elected new officers and established future direction, including discussing the site for the next biotherapy conference.

For more information: www.bterfoundation.org or www.hopeofhealing.org

Aletha Tippett, MD
Conference Co-director
November 2010

For the conference schedule click here.