FASEB SRC on Liver Biology: Fundamental Mechanisms and Translational Applications



 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The current application seeks partial support for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Science Research Conference on "Liver Biology: Fundamental Mechanisms and Translational Applications". For the past 20 years, this meeting has been held biennially and is now recognized as the world's premier conference covering all aspects of basic science research involving the liver. The conference will be held from June 26-July 1, 2016, in West Palm Beach, Florida. The main goals of the conference are to i) integrate the research advances offered by disparate areas of liver biology in order to foster new collaborative projects on both national and international scale, ii) encourage junior and early stage investigators, women and minority scientists to pursue liver research to ensure that the study of hepatic disease and biology remains vigorous and iii) accelerate translation of fundamental advances in liver biology into novel clinical treatments through the interactions of basic and clinical researchers. These goals will be achieved through specific programmatic strategies. The program is divided into nine major sessions and includes presentations from forty-five invited speakers. In addition, these sessions will accommodate multiple short 'late-breaking' talks that will be chosen to represent the most significant and timely research advances in liver research. Preference will be given to junior, minority and women investigators. The program also provides poster and "meet-the-expert" sessions for one-on- one dialogue and several additional opportunities for informal, yet intimate scientific exchange among speakers and attendees throughout the stay. While the conference will keep the tradition of covering a wide range of basic science and translational topics - including liver organogenesis, regulation of hepatobiliary gene expression in health and disease, liver regeneration, liver injury and fibrosis, liver stem cells and regenerative medicine - there will be particular focus on hepatic metabolisms and fatty liver as well as liver cancer due to their growing relevance. For all topics, emphasis is given to translational application of recent and current discoveries. In summary, the program integrates the most relevant and timely topics in basic and applied aspects of liver health and disease to promote scientific exchange, dissemination, education and collaboration and translation to patient care.