Molecular & Cellular Neurobiology 2008 Gordon Research Conference

描述(由申请人提供)：本建议请求部分支持将于2008年6月8日至12日在香港科技大学举行的分子和细胞神经生物学国际会议，这是戈登研究会议系列的一部分。这次会议的总体目标是增加我们对控制神经系统在健康和疾病中的发育和功能的基本机制的理解。我们尤其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位发言者，其中包括两位诺贝尔奖获得者，他们将向约160名与会者介绍其实验室的最新发展。我们还预留了几个时段，供不太知名的科学家发表演讲，发言者的选择将基于提交的摘要。海报会议将为每一位与会者提供展示他/她的作品的机会。该会议于1998年首次举办，为美国和亚洲的神经学家之间架起了一座独特的桥梁。虽然最初的大部分信息传输是单向的，但现在的交换更加平衡了。特别是，中国在一些不太可能在美国复制的领域发起了科学努力，例如在小鼠身上进行大规模的正向基因转座子突变项目。这次会议将为美国和亚洲的顶尖科学家提供一个机会，让他们见面并交流想法和假设，并建立合作关系。如果我们的社会要战胜困扰我们大部分公民的神经疾病，包括儿童的自闭症和智力低下，儿童和成人的成瘾和精神疾病，以及在我们的老年人中最常见的神经退行性疾病，对大脑功能机制的研究是至关重要的。这次会议涵盖了广泛的神经科学，从分子和细胞到电路、行为、精神疾病和神经退行性变。这次会议旨在交流这些领域令人兴奋的新发展，并鼓励来自不同学科和民族的与会者之间的讨论，这将加快我们理解控制人脑发育和功能的机制的努力。这次会议将确定基础大脑研究中的问题，这些问题限制了我们有效解决影响大脑功能的疾病和障碍的能力。会议上的演讲者将描述最近研究的进展，这些研究对于理解包括自闭症、智力低下、成瘾、精神疾病和神经退行性疾病在内的苦恼具有重要意义。会议场地将为许多国籍的科学家之间的互动提供机会，否则他们几乎没有机会交流思想和建立合作关系。

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.