Luis Kun, an information technology consultant and professor of systems management at the Information Resources Management College at National Defense University, Washington, DC, is a medical informatics expert and a consultant in the area of healthcare, public health, and scientific computing.

He spent 14 years at IBM, where he developed the first six clinical applications for the IBM personal computer; was one of the pioneers on bedside terminals for Intensive Care; and a developer of a semi-expert, real-time, clinical decision support system. He was also director of Medical Systems Technology and Strategic Planning at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. He advises several Federal Departments, plus the US Congress and the Executive Branch, on information technology infrastructure related to healthcare, terrorism, e-government, and homeland cybersecurity. Kun has lectured on medical and public health informatics, information technology, and bioengineering in over 50 countries, and co-edited Career Development in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (Springer, 2008).

Kun received his B.S. in electrical engineering, an M.S. in electrical engineering, and a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering, all from the University of California, Los Angeles.

• Creating Scientific Ambassadors (December 22, 2008)