Conference kerfuffle hits scientists

Confusion over an upcoming cardiology conference in Shanghai has forced registered scientists and clinicians to fight for reimbursements, including one who faced more than $2000 in spurious credit card charges he suspects are related to the conference.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

"This is the strangest thing that I've ever been involved in -- it's very weird," said linkurl:C. Richard Conti,;http://www.medicine.ufl.edu/cardio/cr_conti.asp a professor of cardiology at the University of Florida and editor-in-chief of Clinical Cardiology, who was listed as one the meeting's four plenary speakers and as such, paid no registration fees but has already purchased his airline ticket to Shanghai. A month or two ago, David Iovannisci, a geneticist studying heart disease at linkurl:Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute;http://www.chori.org in California, received an email invitation to speak at the "1st International Cardiology Conngress" in Shanghai, to be held on 5-7 December of this year. The email, signed by Alex Li, provided...