2014 Alcohol & the Nervous System Gordon Research Conference

本次会议的目标是促进对研究进展的公开讨论，建立新的科学合作，并推动酒精神经科学研究的下一代科学进展。为实现这一目标，我们计划在这次会议上实现以下四个具体目标：1）。提供一个国际论坛，促进对酒精对神经系统和相关神经科学领域影响的前沿研究的公开讨论。2)介绍突破性的神经科学技术，促进对大脑机制的理解，推动饮酒和滥用。3)促进年轻和高级研究人员之间的互动，并交流思想，塑造酒精神经科学界的未来方向。4)通过鼓励学生和博士后研究员参与酒精和相关研究领域，促进下一代酒精研究人员的发展。 “酒精与神经系统”研讨会将重点介绍和讨论酒精研究的前沿领域，包括急性、慢性和发育期酒精暴露对神经功能的影响以及这些行为的行为后果。研究的范围将限于涉及酒精和神经系统的基础和临床研究，并将重点关注对解决导致过度饮酒和酒精成瘾的酒精行为至关重要的问题。会议还将通过联合研究人员在从酒精的分子作用，神经回路到转化研究等领域的协同和互补专业知识来打破进展的障碍。 会议将提供一个论坛，以开放和高度互动的GRC格式讨论酒精神经科学研究的最新发展，其中包括正式会谈，穿插充足的讨论时间，海报会议和非正式讨论期，以促进沟通，规划和合作。这种独特的会议设置不同于该领域的其他会议，并将提供一个独特的机会，加强研究人员之间的沟通，在他们的职业生涯的各个阶段，以及酒精研究人员和邀请来自酒精研究领域以外的杰出研究人员之间。为了培养下一代酒精研究人员的成长，我们将共同努力，支持和鼓励学生，博士后研究员和年轻研究人员的参与。因此，目前的R13将促进前沿酒精研究的交流，尖端科学合作的机会，以及新的和年轻的研究人员进入酒精研究领域。我们设想关于“酒精和神经系统”的GRC将大大推进目前对酒精成瘾神经生物学的理解，并刺激开发治疗酒精使用障碍的有效治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this conference is to foster open discussion of research developments, build new scientific collaborations, and propel the next generation of scientific advances in alcohol neuroscience research. To reach this goal, we plan to accomplish the following four specific aims at the meeting: 1). To provide an international forum that promotes open discussion of cutting edge research at the forefront of alcohol effects on the nervous system and related neuroscience areas. 2) To introduce breakthrough neuroscientific techniques that facilitate the understanding of brain mechanisms driving alcohol drinking and abuse. 3) To promote interaction between young and senior investigators and exchange of ideas that shape the future directions of the alcohol neuroscience community. 4) To foster development of the next generation of alcohol researchers by encouraging the participation of students and postdoctoral fellows both in alcohol and in related research fields. The "Alcohol and the Nervous System" GRC will focus on presentation and discussion at the frontiers of alcohol research, including studies of acute, chronic and developmental alcohol exposure on neural function and the behavioral consequences of these actions. The scope of the research presented will be restricted to basic and clinical studies involving alcohol and the nervous system and will focus on questions that are important for addressing alcohol actions that contribute to excessive drinking and alcohol addiction. The meeting will also break down barriers to progress by uniting investigators with synergistic and complementary expertise in areas ranging from molecular actions of alcohol, neurocircuits, to translational research. The conference will provide a forum to discuss the latest developments in neuroscientific research on alcohol in an open and highly interactive GRC format, which includes formal talks interspersed with ample discussion time, poster sessions, and informal discussion periods that foster communication, planning and collaboration. This unique conference setup differs from that of other meetings in the field, and will provide a unique opportunity for enhanced communication between investigators at all stages of their careers, as well as between alcohol researchers and invited prominent investigators from outside the alcohol research field. To foster the growth of the next generation of alcohol researchers, we will put concerted efforts to support and encourage participation of students, postdoctoral fellows and young investigators. Thus, the present R13 will foster communication of frontier alcohol research, opportunities for cutting edge scientific collaboration, and entry of new and younger investigators into the alcohol research field. We envision the GRC on "Alcohol and the Nervous System" will significantly advance current understanding of neurobiology of alcohol addiction and stimulate development of effective therapeutic approaches for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.