29th Annual Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC)

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The recent COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence and resurgence of infectious diseases have highlighted the importance of microbial science in tackling global public health challenges. The Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC) is a high-impact annual scientific meeting dedicated to showcasing research excellence in microbial pathogenesis, fostering professional development for junior faculty and students and postdoctoral scholars, and cultivating a diverse and inclusive environment for scientific exchange and collaborations. Since its inception in 1994 at the University of Iowa, MMPC meetings have been held annually at alternating academic institutions across the Midwest region of the United States. The meeting regularly attracts 250−400 registrants that include undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research staff and faculty, who interact extensively during the 3-day event. The 29th annual MMPC will be hosted by Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois, from October 20th−22nd, 2023. This is the third time (1995, 2007, 2023) this well-attended conference has been hosted at Northwestern University. MMPC is committed to support the development and networking of junior scientists, with particular attention to groups that are historically underrepresented in Biological Sciences. Through the structured career development forum and “Meet the Speakers” series, and the informal interactions at posters, reception and meals with colleagues across career stages, MMPC 2023 aims to maximize networking between scientists and institutions across the Midwest and beyond. Regional accessibility, low cost, and strong financial support for travel and registration allows MMPC to recruit a diverse group of participants. In keeping with MMPC’s rich tradition, 91% of speakers (excluding the keynote and opening session speakers) invited to give oral presentations will be graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, or Assistant Professors. Sixty-one percent (61%) of the invited faculty speakers are women, and the group includes speakers representing personal, geographic, and topic diversity across the field of microbial pathogenesis. The remaining five oral presentations for the meeting will be selected from abstracts submitted by students and postdoctoral fellows. We propose to waive registration fee for additional 13 trainees based on merit and diversity. We also plan to provide registration fee and lodging waivers to 20 scholars who are women and/or from underrepresented groups. Finally, MMPC 2023 will feature a keynote address by Dr. Eric Skaar (Vanderbilt University), a Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigator in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease and a Searle Scholar, who will present his seminal work on the mechanisms by which nutrient metals shape the interactions between bacterial pathogens and vertebrate hosts. This support from NIAID will thus bring together diverse and underrepresented scientists from different microbiology subdisciplines to build collaborative networks while enhancing the careers of the next generations of scientists.