2015 Neurotrophic Factors Gordon Research Conference

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 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is to provide support for junior investigators, post-doctoral fellows and students to attend the 12th Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Neurotrophic Factors at Salve Regina University, Newport RI from May 31 - June 5, 2015. The meeting will be attended by approximately 150 participants and will feature work on diverse neurotrophic factors, their functions and mechanisms of action, and their potential therapeutic capacity. Neurotrophic factors are extracellular proteins that act on developing or mature neural cells to promote cell survival, neural differentiation, and circuit connectivity and function. Defects in neurotrophic factor activities are linked to a broad variety f neurological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, neural injury, neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism and cognitive dysfunction, and even addictive behaviors. The objectives of this grant are to provide support for a meeting that will: 1. Foster interactions amongst diverse basic and clinical researchers who study neurotrophic factors in health and disease. Neurotrophic factors is a highly multidisciplinary field with researchers ranging from molecular/cell biologists to systems biologists, electrophysiologists, and human biologists interested in brain disorders. The philosophy of this conference is that the very best science will result from collaborations and interactions amongst these diverse researchers. Thus, a primary objective of the upcoming GRC is to foster and strengthen those interactions, leading to scientific excellence and providing a chance for young investigators to learn about the important questions and challenges. 2. Achieve a sense of community amongst researchers studying neurotrophic factors. Science is an international endeavor, and the field of neurotrophic factors is no exception. This meeting will feature international scientists in the field, and will highligh many of the accomplished scientists in the field who are women or members of under-represented minorities. In so doing, this meeting will achieve its second objective, to enhance the sense of a global community, and to break down barriers to the interactions that allow research to move from the bench to the clinic. 3. Provide opportunities for young researchers to present their work and interact with the broad neurotrophic factors community. This meeting will encourage communication of ideas at the frontiers of the area, including a session of "hot topics", short talks presented predominantly by students and postdoctoral fellows. Funds from NIH will be used to enable these young investigators to attend the meeting and present their novel findings in an exciting and collaborative setting.