TED has earned a reputation as a meeting of the minds, where the brightest of the bright share their ideas with the curious, the cultured and the cool. Sanford-Burnham’s Dr. Jamey Marth, director of the Center for Nanomedicine, a partnership with the University of California, Santa Barbara, will take his place on TED’s elite roster on October 10.

In case you’re not familiar with the TED phenomenon, it began as a convention showcasing speakers from the worlds of technology, entertainment and design. The 15-minute presentations, known as TED Talks, then took off on the web, reaching millions who could never have attended the convention. Topics range from “Are Mushrooms the New Plastic?” to “What Physics Taught Me About Marketing.” Talks have also included performances by world-class musicians and demonstrations of jaw-dropping technology.

TED Talks have become extremely popular on the internet, and TED has branched out to allow interested parties to present their own local events under the name TEDx.

TEDx American Riviera, as the Santa Barbara event is known, will focus on imagination. The 17 speakers will prompt us to ask how imagination affects our lives and influences technology, entertainment and design. What does imagination mean to you? Does it evoke thoughts of wonder, delight and potential? Ideas and dreams? Making the impossible possible?

Dr. Marth’s imagination has led him to work on nano-sized “smart devices,” to diagnose, target, treat and cure disease before it can cause symptoms and spread. This technology could lead to revolutionary treatments for diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, to name a few. For the TEDx audience, he will present “Nature, Nurture, and Nanomedicine.” Other speakers include international bestselling author Noah benShea, healthcare robotics expert Dr. Yulun Wang and 4th Degree Black Belt Melodee Meyer.

TEDx Riviera is sold out, but the event will be streaming live at http://tedxamericanriviera.com. You can also learn more on Twitter at @TEDxAmerRiviera and on Facebook at facebook.com/TEDxAmericanRiviera.

Sanford-Burnham will host a post-event web chat with Dr. Marth on October 19 at 11 a.m. PST. Check back here for details.