FASEB Summer Conference on Retinal Neurobiology and Visual Processing

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is an application for partial funding for the conference on "Retinal Neurobiology and Visual Processing", run by the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), to be held in Snowmass, CO from July 20-25, 2008. This is the ninth in a series of popular biennial conferences that have established a unique forum for researchers with varied backgrounds to discuss vision. The participants are drawn from many areas of neurobiology, computational biology and vision research with the goal of applying state-of-the-art techniques to understanding the neurobiological basis of retinal vision. Another unique goal of this meeting is to provide opportunities for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees to meet and share their ideas with established investigators. The proposed conference program addresses timely questions that are of high interest to the vision community. The major session topics will be: 1) machinery and function of ribbon synapses, 2) gap junctions and retinal function, 3) the development of retinal mosaics, 4) central processing of retinal inputs, 5) functions of retinal amacrine cells, 6) the diversity of retinal signaling pathways, 7) ions, ion channels and retinal function, 8) adaptation and retinal information processing. There will be a ninth talk session featuring exciting and timely work, drawn from the poster submissions. In addition a workshop on "assessing the healthy and diseased retina with behavioral, electrophysiological and optical testing" is planned. Finally, there will an opening night "data blitz" and two poster sessions. Approximately 200 participants will attend, drawn from scientists actively involved in retinal research, with the goal of stimulating a free and lively exchange of ideas. The speakers include a significant number of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and young investigators highlighting exciting new topics and promoting new members of the vision research community. The conference offers opportunities for graduate students to learn about postdoctoral positions and for postdoctoral fellows to explore junior faculty positions. The conference provides a critical review of recent research and a guidepost to future research.