11th Molecular and Cellular Biology of Helminth Parasites Meeting

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Project Summary This application seeks funding support for the 2017 Molecular and Cellular Biology of Helminth Parasites Meeting that brings together principal investigators, students and postdoctoral fellows from around the world to present important new findings, interact, develop new collaborations, and promote the importance of research on parasitic helminths. The 2017 (11th) meeting will be held during the first week of September, 2017. This meeting was established in 1997 with the intent to provide a collegial meeting for scientists to exchange ideas, develop new strategies for basic and applied research on these neglected diseases of poverty, and to bring to the field new concepts and technologies emerging from studies on C. elegans and other free-living helminths. The meeting consists of 100 participants and due to increased demand is now held every year. The conference represents the key and currently the only venue that unites researchers in the field, provides an important mechanism for dissemination of new and key studies, and provides a critical opportunity for recruiting new researchers and retaining existing researchers in the field. While helminth parasites are a major health problem, enticing and keeping scientist working on these often difficult to work with pathogens is an ongoing and critical battle. The meeting has played a significant role in fostering this community, playing an important and integral part in the development, growth, and continued advancements of the field. Because of the way it is structured, the meeting provides a unique opportunity to highlight student, postdoctoral and new junior faculty in the field. The meeting provides a valuable opportunity for participation of scientists from countries endemic for helminthic diseases and for the participation of under-represented minority trainees and scientists from the USA. The conference covers all major areas of helminth research in 12 thematic sessions with almost all participants contributing oral or poster presentations. The research areas include genomics, immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, drug development and tropical medicine. The location in Hydra, Greece was chosen for equal travel access for the international community and proximity to endemic countries. The meeting size and the small and quiet, traffic-free town provides ample facilities for interactions between delegates, fosters community development, and a special atmosphere of concentrated science, interactive discussions and generous opportunities for informal follow-ups. Importantly, the conference organizers request feedback following each meeting and continuously implement new formats and approaches to improve the meeting.