Conference: Society for Research on Biological Rhythms: From Molecules to Policy

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Nearly all organisms have evolved molecular, cellular, physiological and behavioral adaptations to predict regular oscillations in the environment. As such, biological rhythms are a core component on life on Earth, and run the gamut from oscillations occurring on the scale of seconds, and those on the scale of the seasons. The study of biological rhythms over the past century has led to the discovery of an exquisite cellular and molecular timekeeping system, which impacts everything from physiology to behavior. Indeed, in 2017 a group of pioneers in our field were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their groundbreaking work unravelling this molecular puzzle. While biological clocks are a fundamental aspect of life, their effects on a wide range of biological processes are finally being appreciated. Our growing understanding of how biological rhythms impact many areas of the life sciences is starting to inform how we think about public health, labor and education systems, and the consequences of the built environment. The objective of the Society for Research on Biological Rhythms (SRBR) 2022 meeting is to foster discussion from “molecule to policy”, and highlight the groundbreaking work of both senior and junior scientists. The activity includes expansion of the mentoring and training efforts that SRBR has worked hard to establish. Emphasis is placed on recruitment and retention of members from underrepresented minority populations and increasing the diversity of our community. Collaboration between experts in biological timing and other scientists, engineers, and policy makers is critical to increase awareness of the global impact of biological rhythms. The theme for the 2022 SRBR meeting, “From Molecule to Policy”, will directly embrace this challenge. Comparative approaches are a critical component of this meeting, with inclusion of both model and non-model organisms, as well as both laboratory and field studies, in microbes, plants, humans and in non-human animals. The program includes topics such as the neural networks of timekeeping, rhythms in bacteria and microbes, mathematical models of oscillatory systems, analysis strategies for rhythms in “Big Data”, chronotherapeutics, effects of rhythms on metabolism, and even the intersection of biological rhythms and the COVID-19 pandemic. The scientific program is inclusive, diverse, and timely. SRBR 2022 fosters and strives to maintain a diverse and inclusive scientific community. A key component of this proposal is the support of the day-long Trainee and Professional Development event, which includes dozens of formal workshops and training events targeted at trainees and junior faculty. In addition to formal and informal mentoring and training events during the conference, this day-long event sets the stage for trainees’ active participation in the meeting. SRBR 2022 promotes increased attendance of underrepresented groups and researchers from low-income countries through a variety of awards and fellowships, with the goal of increasing participation as well as improving retention.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.