Neuroimmunophysiology in the Gastrointestinal Tract

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application requests funding in partial support of a conference entitled Neuroimmunophysiology in the Gastrointestinal Tract to be held September 18- 21, 2008 in Banff, Alberta, Canada. The overarching goal of the conference is to emphasize the complex interrelationships that exist among and between the regulatory systems that contribute to normal intestinal homeostasis, and the ways in which deviations from the norm can lead to a variety of gastrointestinal disease states. A previous conference on this topic was held in 1992 when investigations into the integrated regulation of gastrointestinal biology were in their infancy, and has been credited with establishing this field of GI research. The planned meeting will focus on the myriad advances since that time and wholly new areas of investigation that were spurred, in part, by the previous meeting. Four half day scientific sessions will be held on the following topics: (1) GI epithelium: interface with the outside world; (2) The enteric nervous system; (3) Mucosal regulatory mechanisms; and (4) Models of disease and translational research. There will also be a poster session aimed particularly at promoting the involvement of trainees. The invited speakers and session chairs are an international group, with 23 from all areas of North America and seven from Europe. The organizers have also made a special effort to invite women, minorities and young investigators as speakers. The PI of the application is a woman as are eight additional speakers; there is one racial minority speaker and eight who qualify as young investigators. Funds are sought to partially defray expenses of invited speakers and young investigators who will present posters. Other funding will be sought from industry, Canadian organizations, and private foundations. We anticipate that the conference will play a unique role in furthering research in this area, will enable meaningful interchanges between basic and clinical investigators, and will inspire the careers of junior investigators. Our focus on the integrated regulation of gastrointestinal function should enable the development of new strategies to understand, treat and ultimately cure a variety of digestive disease states.