Society for Basic Urologic Research (SBUR) 2013 Fall Symposium

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Project Summary Genitourinary developmental anomalies and diseases afflict aging men, women and the pediatric population costing the US approximately $11 Billion a year in healthcare costs. This R13 proposal seeks to support 25 trainees and junior investigators (Graduate Students, Residents, Clinician-Scientist / Post-Doctoral Trainees and non-tenured faculty) in genitourinary research of the greatest promise with travel awards of $500 each to the Society for Basic Urological Research (SBUR) annual symposium. The SBUR is a society of scientists and physician-scientists specializing in research on the normal and pathological conditions of tissues of the human genitourinary (GU) tract. The goals of the SBUR are to 1) promote exceptional basic and translational urologic research, 2) increase participation by under-represented minorities, and 3) inspire young and established investigators to advance the frontiers of basic and translational urologic research. To address these three priorities, the theme of the Symposium is "Urologic Disease Heterogeneity - Requiring Multidisciplinary Research Approaches." There are multiple tissue type, cell types, and signaling pathways involved in any one urologic disease manifestation requiring a cross-disciplinary approach that involves systems biology and application of emerging technologies. The program is designed with these scientific priorities having the following plenary sessions: I) Host and disease, turning the tables, II) Re-thinking our basic and clinical understanding of urogenital diseases, III) Translating technology, IV) Stem cells are part of the urologic tissue heterogeneity and therapeutic solutions, V) Trying to put it all together, what makes therapeutic intervention elusive? Additionally, the two named lectureships for the symposium will be presented by a preeminent systems biologist and pediatric urologist. To address the recognized underrepresentation of minorities in GU research, we propose to provide at least five travel awards specifically to minorities based on scientific merit. Women and minorities are already greater than 30% of the invited speakers within the current program. There has been a concerted effort to select speakers who have successfully adopted multidisciplinary research approaches as examples for young and established investigators. Highlighting collaborative science will be part of the lectures and multiple formal discussions. Trainees will be featured in each of five plenary sessions as selected oral presentations from meritorious abstracts. Selection of travel awardees to promising and exceptional trainee applicants will be determined by the Abstract Selection committee in consultation with the Executive Council to ensure effective representation of both genders in the awardees and applicants of Underrepresented Minority populations. The Symposium will provide a forum for networking, interaction, and establishing new collaborations between investigators focused in GU development and disease celebrating the diversity of basic urologic research pursued.