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T M C » P U L S E | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8 34 "Right now, we are focusing on nanomedicine as a tool, as a field, with the recognition that it can bring success. That's important," he said. "However, the true measure of success is when it is merged into the current oncological practice to the extent that nobody thinks of 'nano,' but they only think of the disease. Most importantly, they only think of the patient, so it becomes merged into the fabric." Other experts who attended the conference included returning speaker Barbara Bass, M.D., execu- tive director at Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation and Education and 98th president of the American College of Surgeons, and Steve Conlan, Ph.D., professor of molecular and cell biology at Swansea University Medical School in Swansea, Wales. NanoGagliato also welcomed Yinka Ajibola, founder of the Gilgal Education Foundation in Nigeria; Robert Wah, M.D., former president of the American Medical Association; and special guest speaker Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Lamborghini. Birth of NanoGagliato Mauro and Paola Ferrari traveled frequently from the United States to southern Italy after a close friend and colleague from the University of California, Berkeley asked Mauro to help him create the biomedical engineering department for the new Università degli Studi Magna Græcia in Catanzaro in 2003. After spending their summers in the region, the couple decided to look for a home up the hill, away from the crowded beach town of Soverato. They stumbled upon Gagliato, a down-on-its-heels town 25 miles south of Catanzaro. "At the time, [Gagliato] was dying. There were no shops, nothing," Mauro recalled. "I said, 'This is the ugliest place I have ever seen.'" Even against the backdrop of dereliction, the town enchanted Paola. "I found this area so beautiful and so energetic," Paola said. "It might not be the prettiest little town on the hill. However, it's the closest and has a lot of charm." After they purchased their house in Gagliato in 2005, Paola was deter- mined to make Gagliato more than their family's summer escape; she wanted to cultivate a space to stimu- late the intellect and bring together global experts. In 2008, the Ferraris invited seven nanoscientist friends to their Gagliato home. The small group from Japan, England, France and Germany gathered in the living room to discuss nanotechnology and nanomedicine over glasses of Italian wine. "When we started, nanomedi- cine wasn't as big of a movement as it is right now," Mauro said. "We thought we'd just spend some time together, go to the beach, talk and have sessions. Then, Susan Miller, M.D., family medicine specialist with Houston Methodist Academic Medicine Associates, participates in a Q&A with a young NanoPiccola student at the local school. Bringing a bit of savoir-faire to the Medical Center F r e n c h B i s t r o & Pa t i s s e r i e Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner Corporate Catering & Delivery available Visit our website for full menus w w w . e c l a i r p a r i s . c o m 2278 W. Holcombe Blvd. 8 3 2 . 6 2 3 . 7 7 5 4 10% OFF with this ad in September