Conference: 2007 Dendrites: Molecules, Structure, and Function 3/17/07 to 3/23/07 in Ventura Beach, CA

该奖项将为新的戈登研究会议提供部分支持，该会议的主题是“树突：分子、结构和功能”。树突是几乎所有神经元中负责整合突触输入的结构，因此在神经系统的信息处理中起着至关重要的作用。会议将汇集研究人员从不同的角度研究树突，包括计算，分子和细胞生物学，解剖学和电生理学。特别强调树突在突触可塑性中所起的作用。最近，一系列新技术被应用于研究树突的结构和功能，从而增加了关于神经元这些基本组成部分的结构和功能的信息，本次会议将汇集该领域的许多专家来吸收这些新的信息财富。涵盖的主题包括树突形状的分子决定因素，蛋白质合成和分子运输在树突功能中的作用，树突的结构可塑性，树突的信号整合，树突的计算特性，树突在突触可塑性中的作用，树突作为突触前元件，以及控制树突内在可塑性的机制。会议旨在促进研究生，博士后研究员和更资深的研究人员之间的互动。所要求的资金将用于为学生和博士后参加会议提供支持，并通过支持他们的旅费来鼓励来自代表性不足群体的教师参加会议。与会议相关的研究生讨论会也将举行。这次研讨会将为这些年轻科学家提供一个展示他们的数据和讨论科学发展的环境，这种环境比主要会议本身压力更小，更有教养。它还将为参与者提供一种途径，使他们获得有关主要会议上演讲中提出的技术和概念的宝贵背景知识，这些知识预计将既广泛又相对较高，因此对研究生的要求相当高。

This award will provide partial support for a new Gordon Research conference on the topic of Dendrites: Molecules, Structure and Function. Dendrites are the structures responsible for integrating synaptic inputs in almost all neurons and thus serve a critical role in information processing in the nervous system. The meeting will bring together researchers studying dendrites from different perspectives, including computational, molecular and cell biological, anatomical, and elctrophysiological. There is a specific emphasis on the role that dendrites play in synaptic plasticity. A range of new techniques has recently been applied to the study of the structure and function of dendrites, with a consequent increase in information about the structure and function of these essential components of neurons, and this conference will bring together many of the experts in the field to assimilate this new wealth of information. Topics to be covered include the molecular determinants of dendritic shape, the role that protein synthesis and molecular trafficking play in dendritic function, structural plasticity of dendrites, signal integration in dendrites, computational characteristics of dendrites, the role of dendrites in synaptic plasticity, dendrites as presynaptic elements, and the mechanisms governing intrinsic plasticity of dendrites. The conference is designed to facilitate interaction among graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and more senior investigators. The funds requested are to be used to provide support for students and post-docs to attend the conference, and to encourage faculty from underrepresented groups to participate in the meeting by supporting their travel costs. A graduate symposium will also be held that is associated with the meeting. This symposium will provide a setting for these young scientists to present their data and discuss scientific developments in an environment that is less stressful and more nurturing than the main meeting itself. It will also provide a way for the participants to gain valuable background knowledge about the techniques and concepts presented in talks at the main meeting, which are expected to be both wide-ranging and at a relatively high level and thus quite demanding for graduate students.