2013 Cardiac Arrhythmia Mechanisms GRC, February 17-22, 2013, Ventura, CA

1260205 delmarintellectual优点。戈登研究会议（GRC）的主要目的是为对心律失常的基本机制感兴趣的专家和学员之间的科学对话提供媒介，心律失常是工业化世界发病率和死亡率的主要原因。该会议自2003年以来每两年举行一次。部分得益于美国国家科学基金会的支持，本次会议已成为免费和非正式交流该领域新颖、未发表和高影响力信息的主要论坛。这个GRC是跨学科话语、网络和新研究创意设计的独特舞台。心脏电生理学与生物医学工程的结合使对心律失常的认识取得了长足的进步。会议将讨论研究细胞/组织/器官电行为的新方法，包括新的成像模式，组织工程，单分子荧光显微镜，扫描离子电导显微镜，光遗传学，心内和心外膜电极测绘，MRI和计算机建模等。其他报告将讨论新的实验生物模型（斑马鱼、干细胞和新型转基因动物），这些模型为工程进展的实施提供了令人兴奋的平台。另外的演讲将集中在系统层面的心律失常机制，这是一个MRI和计算机建模与临床心脏病学相结合的领域，以深入了解人类心律失常的起源。会议汇集了在细胞/分子生物学、电生理学、生物物理学、生物医学工程、仪器设计、数学生物学、系统生物学和临床心脏病学方面具有专业知识的杰出高级研究人员和有前途的年轻科学家。没有其他现有的会议提供类似的论坛，让生物医学工程方面的专家和培训生与对心律生物学感兴趣的人分享一个非正式和深入的讨论。这一框架的教育价值非常高，受到学员和导师的广泛认可和追捧。更广泛的影响。这次会议具有广泛和实质性的影响。心律失常是发达国家死亡率和发病率的主要原因。然而，致死性心律失常的机制仍有待阐明。基础研究是迫切需要的，这样才能开辟新的理解途径，为处于危险中的人群带来未来的利益。此次GRC成功的关键之一是营造一个非正式、友好的环境，促进公开讨论。这次会议从头到尾都是一次传播高影响力科学和培训新研究人员的活动。学员们发现这是一个与同学和老师交流的理想环境。资历障碍更容易消除，为双向教学提供了完美的环境。会议的跨学科性质允许一个学科的学生与平行领域的专家密切互动，促进发现共同兴趣，并希望加入企业。组织者一直在努力增加少数民族的参与（事实上，现任主席是墨西哥裔美国人）。妇女的参与也逐步增加。如果会议超额认购，将优先考虑妇女和少数民族。已经实施了几种方法来促进学员和教员之间的科学交流。所要求的财政援助将有助于增加妇女和少数民族参与者的人数，特别是在初级一级。总之，这次戈登研究会议是同类会议中唯一一次将工程和生物医学领域的专家和学员聚集在一起，在自由交换新数据和发展新思想的基础上，提供动态的教育体验，共同的目标是：增加我们对调节心脏跳动机制的理解。

1260205DelmarIntellectual Merit. The main objective of this Gordon Research Conference (GRC) is to serve as a vehicle for scientific dialogue between and among experts and trainees interested in the fundamental mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias, which are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world. The conference has taken place every two years since 2003. Thanks in part to support from the NSF, this conference has become the premier forum for free and informal exchange of novel, unpublished and high impact information in this field. This GRC is a unique stage for interdisciplinary discourse, networking, and creative design of new research. Great strides in the understanding of cardiac arrhythmias have resulted from the marriage of cardiac electrophysiology with biomedical engineering. Novel approaches to study cell/tissue/organ electrical behavior will be discussed in the conference, including new imaging modalities, tissue engineering, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, scanning ion conductance microscopy, optogenetics, intracardiac and epicardial electrode mapping, MRI and computer modeling, among others. Other presentations will discuss novel experimental biological models (zebrafish, stem cells, and novel transgenic animals) that provide exciting platforms for implementation of advances in engineering. Additional talks will focus on the mechanisms of arrhythmias at the systems level, an area where MRI and computer modeling have merged with clinical cardiology to gain insight into the origin of arrhythmias in humans. The meeting brings together outstanding senior investigators and promising young scientists at the forefront of research, with expertise in cell/molecular biology, electrophysiology, biophysics, biomedical engineering, instrument design, mathematical biology, systems biology and clinical cardiology. No other existing conference provides a comparable forum where experts and trainees in biomedical engineering share the floor with those interested in the biology of the cardiac rhythm for informal and in-depth discussion. The educational value of this framework is extremely high, well recognized and as such, well sought-after by trainees and mentors alike.Broader Impacts. This conference has broad and substantial impact. Cardiac arrhythmias are a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the developed world. Yet, the mechanisms of deadly arrhythmias remain to be elucidated. Basic research is desperately needed, so that new avenues of understanding can be opened, for future benefit of the population at risk. One of the keys to success for this GRC is the fostering of an informal, friendly environment that facilitates open discussion. The conference is, from beginning to end, an exercise in dissemination of high impact science, and in training of new investigators. Trainees find this an ideal environment to network with peers and faculty. Seniority barriers are easier to tear down, providing the perfect environment for bi-directional teaching and learning. The interdisciplinary nature of the conference allows a student of one discipline to interact closely with an expert in a parallel field, facilitating discovery of common interests and hopefully, the joining of ventures. The organizers have consistently placed great effort to increase the participation of minorities (in fact, the present Chair is Mexican-American). Participation of women has increased progressively as well. In case the meeting becomes oversubscribed, the priority is given to women and minorities. Several approaches have been implemented to foster scientific exchange between trainees and faculty. The requested financial assistance will help increase the number of women and minority participants, particularly at the junior level.In summary, this Gordon Research Conference is the only one of its kind that brings together experts and trainees in engineering and biomedicine for a dynamic educational experience based on the free exchange of novel data, and the development of new ideas, with one common goal: to increase our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the heart beat.