Neural Development 2008 Gordon Research Conference

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): There is a tremendous need to continue to understand the basic principles of nervous system development more completely so that novel cellular and molecular targets for treating diseases can be identified in order to fuel the pipeline toward translational medicine. The goal of this meeting is to provide a forum to discuss new research that will strengthen the foundation of our knowledge of the basic mechanisms that underlie the development of the nervous system. We aim to achieve this goal by holding an intimate meeting that is organized around scientific presentations and interactive discussions. The Gordon Conference in Neural Development has become a key meeting in the larger field of neuroscience and has been held biannually for over 25 years. It attracts superb speakers, excellent students and postdoctoral fellows, and a wide range of scientists that span different stages in their careers coming from national and international labs. This popular meeting has a long history of being fully subscribed and is organized to promote maximal interactions among the participants. There will be 7 themes covered in the 2008 meeting: genetic control of circuit formation, gene regulation and CNS development, neural progenitors and glia, neuron morphology and growth, stem cells and cell fate, CNS disorders and development, and cell-cell communication/signaling. The talks in each section will share a focus on using multidisciplinary approaches that frequently incorporates the use of molecular, cellular, electrophysiologial, and behavioral techniques in a variety of model systems. This meeting is organized to provide a cost efficient mechanism for exchanging information and discussion of new strategies for approaching research questions. Well run research meetings are a proven mechanism for enhancing science. Support of the 2008 Gordon Conference in Neural Development is relevant to public health in two major ways: 1. findings from studies of nervous system development are likely to provide novel targets for treating diseases and injuries to the CNS, and 2. many CNS disorders arise from developmental defects and discussions among scientists with different backgrounds in developmental neuroscience are likely to generate novel ideas for studying and treating these disorders.