Conference Overview

The Institute of Engineering & Management (IEM) in Kolkata will host the International Conference on Advancing Science and Technologies in Health Science (IEM‑HEALS 2026) from September 11 to 13, 2026. The three‑day event will be held at the CII Auditorium, IEM Management House, and will bring together health science, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, medical technology, research, innovation and entrepreneurship on a common platform.

Collaborations and Partners

The conference is organised by the Department of Basic Science & Humanities, IEM, in collaboration with Smart Society USA, Smart Society Canada, Springer Nature, the Institution’s Innovation Council and the Rotary Club of Salt Lake Silicon Valley. An innovative passport‑and‑boarding‑pass system will be used for delegate onboarding.

Programme Highlights

The inaugural and valedictory sessions will feature senior leadership from the IEM‑UEM group, including Prof. Dr. Nabarun Bhattacharya (Pro Vice‑Chancellor, UEM), Prof. Dr. Arun Kr. Bar (Principal, IEM), Prof. Dr. Anupam Bhattacharya (Principal, Management), Prof. Dr. Malay Gangopadhaya (Dean Academics and Vice‑Principal) and other senior officials.

Two major hackathon initiatives will be run, the flagship Hack 2 Heal 2.0 – Global Hackathon, with participants from more than 42 countries (USA, Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore, etc.). The hackathon aims to identify pressing healthcare challenges and develop technology‑enabled solutions with real‑world impact.

The academic programme includes paper presentations, technical poster exhibitions and innovative project exhibitions. A specialised workshop titled “Genome to Code: Exploring Avenues of Bioinformatics” will also be held.

The technical programme is divided into three tracks:

1. Artificial Intelligence, Clinical Decision Support and Health Informatics;

2. Medical Imaging, Computer Vision and Biomedical Signal & Data Analytics;

3. Computational Genomics, Bioinformatics, Systems Medicine and Mathematical Biology.

Selected papers will be published in the Springer Nature ACSAR (Advances in Computer Science Applications and Research) conference proceedings.

Speakers

The speaker panel comprises international and national experts, including:

  • Prof. Mojgan Rezvani (Canada)
  • Prof. Nikolay Dokholyan (USA)
  • Prof. David A. Hood (Canada)
  • Prof. Matthew Chua (Singapore)
  • Prof. Shoji Yokobori (Japan)
  • Dr. Somnath Dutta (IISc Bengaluru)
  • Dr. Nirmalya Sen (Bose Institute)
  • Dr. Debjani Dutta (NIT Durgapur)
  • Dr. Jayasri Das Sarma (IISER Kolkata)

and others.

Global Excellence Awards

A Global Excellence Award will recognise distinguished contributions to health science and allied areas. Awardees are:

  • Dr. Saroj Mandal, Padma Shri Awardee (2026) – Medicine, for cardiovascular medicine and patient care;
  • Dr. Jayasri Das Sarma, IISER Kolkata – for neurovirology and neuroimmunology;
  • Dr. Abhijit Chowdhury, Indian Institute of Liver and Digestive Sciences – for translational medicine;
  • Dr. Santasabuj Das, NICED – for infectious disease research;
  • Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Zoological Survey of India – for zoological research, biodiversity and conservation;
  • Prof. Shoji Yokobori, Nippon Medical School, Japan – for pioneering research in neurocritical care, neurotrauma and innovative therapeutic approaches.

Organisers’ Vision

Prof. Dr. Satyajit Chakrabarti, Vice‑Chancellor of IEM and UEM, stated that IEM‑HEALS 2026 reflects a commitment to creating a global platform where scientific excellence, technological innovation and human‑centred healthcare converge, aiming to inspire young minds to transform ideas into societal impact.

Prof. Dr. Prabir Kumar Das, Convener of IEM‑HEALS 2026, highlighted that the conference brings multiple disciplines together, encouraging interaction among researchers, students, healthcare professionals and technologists.

Prof. Dr. Debasmita Bhattacharya, Convener, emphasized the goal of fostering bold, collaborative innovation beyond laboratories through hackathons, project exhibitions and research presentations.

With participation from across the globe, high‑impact research, hackathons, distinguished speakers and awards, IEM‑HEALS 2026 aims to position Kolkata as a major hub for health science and technology innovation and to provide Indian researchers and innovators a platform to showcase solutions worldwide.