7th Pathways, networks and Systems Medicine Conference

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Support is requested for the 7th Pathways, Networks and Systems Medicine Conference. The importance of understanding health and disease from a systems perspective is increasingly recognized as a high priority complement to the traditional reductionist paradigm. In particular, a deep understanding of the functions of every component in complex biological systems must be fully integrated with multilevel systems analysis. The functions of these components make sense only in the context of systems properties, and similarly systems are meaningful only with a firm molecular foundation. In each case, the consequences of genetic variation (mutations and polymorphisms) as well as environmental factors (e.g. diet, drugs and microbes), which act as systems perturbations, must be included in order to reflect the natural circumstances of the human condition. This complementary integration of components and systems is one of the primary challenges in biomedical research, and it is the focus of these Conferences. The Pathways, Networks and Systems Medicine Conferences uniquely blend experimental studies of complex multilevel biological systems with rigorous computational, bioinformatics, statistical and analytical approaches. Emphasis is on mammalian systems in order to maximize the relevance to human disease. However, breakthrough discoveries in other species are included where they lead to important systems principles, research strategies, analytical paradigms, and phenotyping methods. Session topics focus on (1) cancer, (2) metabolism and cardiovascular systems, (3) stem cells, development and regeneration, and (4) immunity and inflammation. Attendance is limited to less than 100 to promote interactions. The conference is a balanced mix of formal, platform presentations with ample time for informal discussions. Women, students, fellows, individuals from groups who are traditionally under-represented in science, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to attend, and receive preferential financial support and placement in the presentation program. Greece provides a central location for an international conference and Corfu an isolated location that encourages individuals to remain for the entire conference. Feedback from previous conferences has been exceptional, - 'best conference ever in every way', 'I don't want the conference to end, the science is so good', and 'the most important conference I've attended in 30 thirty years' for example. Although other conferences focus on related genomics, computational and systems issues, none focus explicitly on systems medicine in humans and mammalian models, and none integrate computational and experimental studies as seamlessly and effectively. (End of Abstract)