Scientists discuss oil sands, health and energy at Canadian Light Source annual meeting

Understanding the environmental impacts of the oil sands, advances in health research illuminated by synchrotron light, and the role that synchrotron techniques play in nuclear energy research are all topics for discussion by scientists from around the world during the Canadian Light Source's 14th Annual Users' Meeting June 24 and 25.

Highlights include:

• The June 24 workshop "Illuminating Health from the Anatomic to Atomic" will explore how research being done at the CLS and synchrotrons elsewhere are contributing to a better understanding of human health and disease, from plumbing the molecular structure of proteins to revealing the inner complexities of the body through advanced medical imaging. Recent work by scholars in the University of Saskatchewan's Canadian Institutes of Health Research THRUST synchrotron health research program as well as international researchers will be showcased.

• "Digging into Canada's Oil Sands," also on June 24, will feature ways researchers are using the CLS to trace the environmental impacts of oil sands extraction.

• The plenary meeting on June 25 include the second Louis Delbaere Memorial Lecture by David Shuh from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, regarding the fundamental synchrotron research that is leading to advances in nuclear energy production. The plenary also includes facility updates by CLS management, science highlights, and a presentation by the winner of the Michael Bancroft Ph.D. thesis award, given annually to recognize the top Ph.D. research conducted at the CLS.