Molecular & Cellular Neurobiology 2008 Gordon Research Conference

描述（由申请人提供）：本提案要求部分支持将于2008年6月8日至12日在香港科技大学举行的戈登研究会议系列的分子和细胞神经生物学国际会议。本次会议的总体目标是增加我们对控制健康和疾病中神经系统发育和功能的基本机制的理解。特别是，我们希望促进美国和亚洲科学家之间的科学互动，以推进这一目标。为此，我们确定了30位演讲者，包括两位诺贝尔奖获得者，他们将向大约160名与会者介绍他们实验室的最新发展。我们还保留了几个时间段，由不太成熟的科学家进行演讲，演讲者的选择将基于提交的摘要。海报会议将为每位与会者提供展示其作品的机会。该会议于1998年首次举办，为美国和亚洲神经科学家提供了一座独特的桥梁。虽然最初，大部分信息传输是单向的，但现在交换更加平衡。特别是中国，已经在一些不太可能在美国复制的领域开展了科学工作，例如在小鼠中进行的大规模正向遗传转座子诱变项目。这次会议将为美国和亚洲的领先科学家提供一个会面和交流想法和假设并建立合作的机会。如果我们的社会要战胜困扰我们大部分公民的神经系统疾病，包括儿童的自闭症和智力迟钝，儿童和成人的成瘾和精神疾病，以及老年人中最普遍的神经退行性疾病，那么对大脑功能机制的研究至关重要。会议涵盖了从分子和细胞到电路，行为，精神疾病和神经退行性疾病的广泛神经科学。会议旨在交流这些领域令人兴奋的新发展，并激发来自不同学科和国家的参与者之间的讨论，这将加速我们了解控制人类大脑发育和功能的机制的努力。本次会议将确定基础脑研究中的问题，这些问题限制了我们有效解决影响脑功能的疾病和障碍的能力。会议发言人将介绍最近的研究进展，这些研究对理解自闭症、智力迟钝、成瘾、精神疾病和神经退行性疾病等痛苦具有重要意义。会议地点将为许多国家的科学家提供一个互动的机会，否则他们很少有机会交流思想和建立合作。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal requests partial support for an international meeting on Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology as part of a Gordon Research Conference series to be held at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology June 8 to 12, 2008. The overall goal of this conference is to increase our understanding of fundamental mechanisms that control development and function of the nervous system in health and disease. In particular we wish to promote scientific interactions between American and Asian scientists to advance this objective. For this purpose, we have identified 30 speakers, including two Nobel Laureates, who will deliver presentations on recent developments in their laboratories to approximately 160 attendees. We have also reserved several time slots for presentations by less established scientists with speaker choice to be based upon submitted abstracts. Poster sessions will provide an opportunity for every attendee to present his/her work. First organized in 1998, this conference has provided a unique bridge between American and Asian neuroscientists. Although initially, much of the information transfer was unidirectional, the interchange is now much more balanced. China, in particular, has initiated scientific efforts in some areas that are unlikely to be duplicated in the United States, such as a massive forward genetic transposon mutagenesis project in mice. This conference will provide an opportunity for leading American and Asian scientists to meet and exchange ideas and hypotheses and establish collaborations. Research into mechanisms of brain function is essential if our society is to conquer neurological diseases that afflict a large portion of our citizens, including autism and mental retardation in children, addiction and mental illness in children and adults, and neurodegenerative diseases that are most prevalent in our senior citizens. The conference covers a broad range of neuroscience from molecules and cells to circuits, behavior, mental illness and neurodegeneration. The conference is directed at communicating exciting new developments in these areas and stimulating discussion among participants from different disciplines and nationalities that will accelerate our efforts to understand mechanisms that control human brain development and function. This conference will identify issues in basic brain research that are limiting our ability to address effectively diseases and disorders that affect brain function. Speakers at the conference will describe recent progress in studies important for understanding afflictions that include autism, mental retardation, addiction, mental illness, and neurodegenerative diseases. The conference venue will provide an opportunity for interactions between scientists of many nationalities who otherwise have few opportunities for exchange of ideas and establishment of collaborations.