2022 Hypothalamus Gordon Research Conference

项目总结

PROJECT SUMMARY We have organized a new Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on the topic of the hypothalamus, a highly complex brain structure found in all vertebrates. The hypothalamus is crucial for vertebrate survival and is composed of numerous small populations of neurons that collectively regulate a variety of important biological functions. Dysregulation of the hypothalamus is linked to a number of disease states including neuropsychiatric disorders, disorders of sleep, eating and metabolism, growth/development dysfunction, infertility, and more. Because of its importance for organismal survival, the hypothalamus is the subject of extensive investigation across multiple disciplines, using diverse techniques and in a variety of model organisms. In recent years, scientists have made surprising advances in understanding the structure and function of the hypothalamus that have generated many new questions and areas of investigation that require cross-disciplinary approaches. The ultimate goal of this conference is to bring scientists together from a variety of disciplines to share and discuss novel insights, experimental approaches, and therapeutic potential of recent findings. Because the complexity of the hypothalamus is enormous, scientists study the hypothalamus at multiple levels of investigation. Our program will have sessions on the role of the hypothalamus in a variety of health-related behaviors including ingestive behaviors, sleep and circadian rhythms, and social interactions. Other sessions will focus on hypothalamic plasticity, dissection of hypothalamic cell types, hypothalamic regulation of the neuroendocrine system, and communication between the hypothalamus and organismal physiology. Taken together, this GRC will allow for extraordinary interaction between scientists who study the hypothalamus across many biological disciplines. As for all GRCs, the guiding principle of this meeting will be the presentation of new, unpublished results with free, unencumbered discussion. We will emphasize participation of scientists at all career levels, especially PhD students, postdocs, and junior faculty, with a particular focus on promoting diversity and inclusion.