2005 Gradient Sensing and Directed Cell Migration GRC

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The first Gordon Conference on Gradient Sensing and Directed Cell Migration will be held February 20-25, 2005 at the Four Point Sheraton, Harbortown,California. This meeting will focus directly on mechanisms of eukaryotic chemotaxis. Because chemotaxis is critical for allergies and infectious disease, neurological diseases, development, immunology, wound healing, and tumor cell metastasis, the meeting is designed to bring together the leading chemotaxis researchers in these fields for cross-fertilization of concepts and approaches. This strategy is manifested by organizing each topic according to stage in the process; for example, researchers in different fields who are focused on chemotaxis signaling networks are grouped together in a single session. The session topics are chosen to focus attention on the critical steps in chemotactic signaling, providing attendees with an integrated overview of the entire chemotaxis process over the course of the entire meeting. The goal of the meeting is to advance our understanding of these mechanisms by bringing together modelers with the leading experts in the study of cell polarization in chemotaxis in systems including leukocytes, neurons, fibroblasts, tumor cells, yeast, Dictyostelium, Drosophila, and C. elegans. We have planned nine sessions with a total of 29 plenary talks, and each session will be chaired by an expert in the topic who will lead the discussion. Considerable time is planned to encourage extensive discussion. The program will provide opportunities for investigators at all levels to participate, including those currently funded through the NIH, including NIAID, NINDS, NCI, NHLBI, and NIGMS. The program will also provide opportunity for 20 "short talk" presentations, which will be selected by the session chairs from submitted abstracts and posters. The final list of conferees (including session chairs, speakers and participants) will be chosen so as to represent researchers from all sectors. We will encourage the participation of junior investigators, post-doctoral trainees and new investigators to the field in all aspects of the meeting. In addition, we will foster the involvement of women, diverse groups of minorities and handicapped individuals who are interested in studying chemotaxis.