Dear Colleague,

On behalf of the IEEE Sweden VT/COM/IT Joint Chapter, we would like to invite you to the IEEE ComSoc Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Andrew Eckford, York University, Toronto, Canada. 

Title: High-speed molecular communication: A solution for 6G?

Time: 13:15-14:15 CET on Thursday, March 27, 2025

Location: Lund University, LTH, E Building, Klas Anshelms väg 10, Room E:2311, Lund, Sweden

Abstract: 

6G wireless systems are expected to offer ubiquitous connectivity in presently under-served areas, potentially provided by satellite- and space-based internet-of-things applications. In the search for enabling technologies to achieve these expectations, molecular communication is an important alternative to conventional electromagnetic-based wireless communication. In this talk, we give a brief introduction to molecular communication, and discuss how it may be used to communicate in "wave-denied" environments, where connectivity is desired, but wireless cannot be used. We also show that molecular communication can achieve surprisingly high information rates, theoretically unlimited and practically in the gigabit-per-second range, making it a compelling technology for 6G. We finish with a discussion of the current state of the field and propose some experimental next steps.

Biography:

Andrew Eckford is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at York University, Toronto, Ontario. His research interests include the application of information theory to biology, and the design of communication systems using molecular and biological techniques. He is a co-author of the textbook Molecular Communication, published by Cambridge University Press, which is the first book dedicated to the subject.

Andrew’s research in molecular and biological communication has been covered in media including The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, and IEEE Spectrum. He has received research  awards including the 2018 IEEE NANO Best Poster Award and the 2015 IET Communications Innovation Award. His work was a finalist for the 2014 Bell Labs Prize. He has served the community in a variety of prominent roles, including as the chair of the ComSoc Technical Committee on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications (2020-2022), and as the co-general-chair of the 2021 IEEE Communications Theory Workshop. He also served as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory (2016-2022).

Andrew received the B.Eng. degree from the Royal Military College of Canada in 1996, and the M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Toronto in 1999 and 2004, respectively, all in Electrical Engineering. Andrew held postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Notre Dame and the University of Toronto, prior to taking up a faculty position at York in 2006. He has held courtesy appointments at the University of Toronto and Case Western Reserve University. In 2018, he was named a Senior Fellow of Massey College, Toronto.

Welcome!

Best regards,
Michael Lentmaier (Chair)
IEEE Sweden VT/COM/IT Chapter