Nominated: Prof Tom Franz for a 2011/12 NSTF-BHP Billiton Award in the individual category "Outstanding contribution to science, engineering, technology and innovation through research and its outcomes over the last 5–10 years".

Proposed: A transdisciplinary Centre for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology at the University of Cape Town by Prof Tom Franz.

Started: Mazin Sirry his 6-month research visit at the Tissue Bioengineering Laboratory at Mississippi State University, USA, funded though a Max & Lillie Sonnenberg Scholarship from the University of Cape Town.

Commenced: Prof Tom Franz his 3-week research visit to the University of Southampton as a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the UK Royal Academy of Engineering.

Welcomed: Jannik Buescher from the University of Amsterdam, Netherlands, for a 4-month research internship in tissue regenerative scaffolds.

Announced: Seminar on mathematical modelling of the electrical propagation in the heart by Dr Sehun Chun from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) on 9 Feb 2012. Please see announcement for details.

Published: Special issue on "Numerical studies of problems in biophysics, biomechanics and mechanobiology" guest-edited by Dr Tom Franz for the International Journal of Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering [Editorial, Table of contents].

Welcomed: Dr Laura Dubuis from the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne, France, as post-doctoral fellow on computational and experimental soft tissue biomechanics and mechanobiology for regenerative therapies.

Rescheduled: Research seminar on cell biomechanics by Prof Amit Gefen to 7 Feb 2012. Please see announcement for details.

Offered: Four lectures on mechanobiology by Prof Amit Gefen on 6&7 Feb 2012. Please see announcement for details.

Arranged: Research seminar on cell biomechanics by Prof Amit Gefen on 3 Feb 2012. Please see announcement for details.

Delivered: Dr Dieter Legner an invited seminar on computational modelling of the heart at the University of Kaiserslautern, Germany.

Scheduled: Visit of Prof Amit Gefen of Tel Aviv University during 2-9 Feb 2012 to establish collaborative research and teaching in mechanobiology and cell mechanics. Open lectures on mechanobiology will be announced shortly.

Confirmed: Seminar on computational cardiac mechanics and electrophysiology by Dr Roy Kerckhoffs from the Cardiac Mechanics Research Group, University of California in San Diego, on 12 Dec 2011. Please see the announcement for details.

Won: Dr Jeroen Kortsmit the price for the best oral presentation in the post- doctoral category at the MRC Research Conference 2011.

Invited: Dr Tom Franz to join the editorial board of the International Journal of Numerical Methods in Biomedical Engineering (IJNMBE).

Granted: UCT Visiting Scholarship to Prof Amit Gefen from the Tel Aviv University for visit in Feb 2012 to establish collaborative research and teaching in mechanobiology and cell mechanics.

Awarded: Ad hominem promotion to Associate Professor to Dr Tom Franz from the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town.

Attracted: Laura Dubuis as post-doctoral fellow in biomechanics and mechanobiology of soft biological tissues from Jan 2012 onwards.

Accepted: Proposal for mini synmposium on Computational Biomechanics of Cardiovascular and Cardiac Diseases and Therapies at the 10^th World Congress on Computational Mechanics (WCCM 2012), São Paulo, Brazil, 8-13 July 2012. Abstract invitation. Due date: 30 Nov 2011. For more info please contact Dr Tom Franz.

Served: Dr Jeroen Kortsmit, Hugo Krynauw and Fulufhelo Masithulela as judges at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists in Cape Town.