2017 Mammary Gland Biology Gordon Research Conference & Gordon Research Seminar

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Project Summary/Abstract This application seeks conference funding to provide partial support for registration fee and/or travel support for participants to attend the 2017 meetings of the Mammary Gland Biology Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and the newly established and already highly successful Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). The unique contribution and significance of this long-standing conference is that it will bring together developmental biologists, experts in breast cancer risk and prevention, stem cell biologists, lactation physiologists, breast pathologists, endocrinologists, cancer biologists and oncologists to collectively tackle important issues in mammary biology, breast cancer prevention and treatment. The goals for a successful program are to inspire important insights, energize new scientists and foster creative collaborations that will deepen our understanding of normal breast physiology and accelerate the eradication of breast cancer. The multipronged nature of these meetings guarantees a high degree of scientific cross-fertilization. The specific aims of the meeting will be to 1) provide a program of highly qualified, internationally recognized speakers to address outstanding scientific questions and controversies, 2) foster discussion, unfettered dialog and promote collaborations, and 3) contribute to the training and development of the next generation of scientists. The 2017 conference will focus on outstanding, and understudied, questions and recent discoveries related to breast cancer risk and prevention, the mammary gland genome and epigenome in development and breast cancer, mammary stem cells and development, lactation biology, mouse models of mammary tumorigenesis and their relevance to human cancer, tumor heterogeneity, dormancy and metastasis, the role of the stroma and the immune system. Experts in these fields were invited to share their most recent findings and discuss emerging challenges. These are important issues, and the innovative approach of pairing research into development, prevention and cancer within the same meeting will stimulate new and creative thinking. Short talks highlighting outstanding work by young investigators and trainees will be chosen from the submitted abstracts. Other unique features of this meeting include: (i) a tradition of sharing unpublished data; (ii) a program that includes substantial time for questions and open discussion, (iii) an environment that supports informal discussions outside of formal presentations; (iv) active participation and training environment for students and post-docs through the Gordon Research Seminar and the Gordon Research Conference; and (v) the encouragement of international collaborations and perspectives. In 2017, we will hold a “meet the expert” session at the end of the GRS, in which senior leaders meet with small groups of students and post-doctoral fellows to discuss science and career development. This session will be coordinated by GRC and GRS chairs