2017 Glial Biology Gordon Research Conference & Gordon Research Seminar

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ABSTRACT The GRC on glial biology will host its 8th meeting in 2017. Drawing together investigators from Europe, Asia and the Americas, it is considered one of the foremost international meetings on glia and is credited with the emergence of glial biology as a burgeoning subfield of Neuroscience. The overarching aim of the GRC on glial biology is to share and discuss cutting edge research focused on glial cell development, heterogeneity and functional interactions between glia and other cell types in the nervous system. The 2017 meeting will place emphasis on the role of glia in brain development, including glial roles in neural circuit formation and plasticity, and also the contribution of glial cell dysfunction to neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders including autism, Rhett syndrome, and Huntington’s disease. This meeting will also highlight state-of-the-art technologies that will facilitate a better understanding of glial cell development and function in vivo. 42 speakers and 9 discussion leaders representing both established and young investigators have committed to participate. The support of this grant is critical to maximize trainee participation, as it in part funds the Gordon Research Seminar on Glial Biology, which will host its 2nd meeting just prior to the GRC. The GRS will provide an opportunity for young scientists (graduate students and postdocs) in the field to meet, share ideas, receive mentorship from select established investigators, and present their works in progress either via platform or poster presentations. Importantly, inclusion of investigators from all people groups, including underrepresented minorities and those with disabilities, will be a top priority. In both the GRC and GRS, designated sessions will focus on the development and function of glia in neural circuitry and metabolic support in both the healthy and diseased brain and the broader nervous system. The dissemination of cutting edge research findings and extensive training opportunities for junior scientists enabled by this meeting are highly pertinent to the overall mission of the NIH.