Conference on Comparative Approaches to Grand Challenges in Physiology; San Diego, CA - October 5-8, 2014

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This award provides participant support for an American Physiological Society (APS) Intersociety Meeting on Comparative and Evolutionary physiology to be held October 5-8, 2014, in San Diego, CA. This APS Intersociety Meeting will be the sixth in a series of meetings, held every four years, on the topic of comparative and evolutionary physiology. This has been a highly successful series, attracting 400-600 attendees, with a high proportion of international, female, and junior scientists. The APS Intersociety Meeting on Comparative and Evolutionary Physiology is one of only a limited number of international meetings solely dedicated to the dissemination of recent conceptual and technological advances in this diverse and exciting area. The theme of the meeting will be "Comparative Approaches to Grand Challenges in Physiology." This theme emphasizes the application of the Krogh Principle to solve major physiological questions and features the "grand challenges" concept articulated by the National Sciences Foundation. Examples of such challenges include evaluating the mechanistic responses of animals to changing environments, using genomes to inform physiology and vice versa, understanding the benefits (and assumptions) of animal models of human disease, and teaching integrative animal physiology to the next generation of scientists. Support from the award will: 1) fund trainee workshops on "The Challenge of Teaching Physiology in a Changing Environment: Innovations and Resources" and "Non-Traditional Career Paths for Comparative Physiologists;" and 2) promote the participation of young scientists in this Intersociety Meeting through the establishment of NSF-funded travel awards. This meeting is anticipated to have tremendous impact on the field of comparative and evolutionary physiology and considerable influence on the development of young scientists in this area. The trainee workshops will provide valuable insights into career development and teaching methods that will ensure continued progress and vitality of this important area of physiology. Along with travel awards, this proposal will extend the reach of this meeting by (a) attracting a larger number of participants to this meeting and (b) recognizing the most meritorious research contributions by young investigators in this area. The funds will augment the APS contribution to travel and minority access awards, thereby improving support for young and minority investigators and broadening the impact of this APS Intersociety Meetings.