Epigenetics: Opportunities for Sleep and Circadian Research

描述（由申请人提供）：表观遗传学正在迅速发展成为一个重要的调查领域。已经有数据表明，表观遗传机制在将新陈代谢与生物钟功能联系起来方面发挥着重要作用。然而，目前关于表观遗传学在睡眠调节和睡眠障碍发病机制中的作用的信息非常有限。本次会议提案旨在填补这一空白。会议名称是“表观遗传学：睡眠和昼夜节律研究的机会”。建议将睡眠和昼夜节律研究以及表观遗传学的研究人员聚集在一起。该会议旨在使睡眠/昼夜节律研究的研究人员了解表观遗传学的概念和技术。此外，它是以这样一种方式构建的，即表观遗传学的研究人员将熟悉睡眠/昼夜节律研究和睡眠障碍研究中的当前概念和问题。该会议旨在促进这两个科学界之间未来的研究合作，并激发新的研究人员参与这一领域。会议有初步的概述会议，以熟悉有关睡眠和睡眠障碍的表观遗传学研究人员，然后在睡眠/昼夜节律研究表观遗传学的研究人员。此后，有多个会议，每个会议都有一个特定的主题，研究人员从睡眠/昼夜节律背景和表观遗传学提出。具体的主题领域如下：a）突触可塑性：睡眠和表观基因组学; B）衰老和神经退行性; c）代谢，睡眠和表观基因组学; d）精神和神经发育障碍;和e）技术。还将为新的研究者提供旅行奖励，并将为新研究者的相关口头报告提供该计划的具体会议。会议的研讨会摘要将发表在领先的睡眠研究杂志《睡眠》上。这将包含 该网站的信息，其中将有幻灯片，从所有的演讲者;因此，会谈将提供给任何人有兴趣在这个网站上。会议的主题是及时的，因为它是最近宣布的NIH睡眠障碍研究战略计划中提出的新的研究领域之一，也是国家老龄化研究所的研究重点。 公共卫生相关性：为期两天半的会议将于2012年10月3日至5日在费城郊区的宾夕法尼亚州拉斐特山举行，以确定进一步阐明睡眠过程中的表观遗传机制和导致睡眠障碍的研究机会。在其他研究所的支持下，向国家老龄问题研究所提出的会议补助金申请要求对会议提供部分支持，主要用于支付受邀演讲者和学生奖励的差旅费和酒店费用。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Epigenetics is rapidly evolving as an important area of inquiry. There are already data that epigenetic mechanisms play an important role in linking metabolism to the functioning of the circadian clock. Currently, however, there is very limited information as to the role of epigenetics in regulation of sleep and in the pathogenesis of sleep disorders. This conference proposal is designed to address this void. The conference title is "Epigenetics: Opportunities for Sleep and Circadian Research". It is proposed to bring together investigators from sleep and circadian research and from epigenetics. The conference is designed to bring investigators in sleep/circadian research up to date with epigenetic concepts and techniques. Further, it is constructed in such a way that investigators in epigenetics will become familiar with current concepts and questions in sleep/circadian research and study of sleep disorders. The conference is designed to stimulate future research collaborations between these two scientific communities and to excite new investigators in getting involved in this area. The conference has initial overview sessions to familiarize epigenetic investigators about sleep and sleep disorders and then investigators in sleep/circadian research about epigenetics. Thereafter there are multiple sessions each on a specific topic with investigators presenting from the sleep/circadian background and from epigenetics. The specific topic areas are as follows: a) Synaptic Plasticity: Sleep & Epigenomics; b) Aging & Neurodegeneration; c) Metabolism, Sleep & Epigenomics; d) Psychiatric & Neurodevelopmental Disorders; and e) Techniques. Travel awards will also be provided to new investigators and a specific session on the program will be for relevant oral presentations from new investigators. A workshop summary of the conference will be published in the leading sleep research journal, Sleep. This will contain information about the website, which will have slides from all presenters; thus, talks will be available to anybody interested on this website. The topic of the conference is timely since it is one of the new areas of inquiry proposed in the recently announced NIH Strategic Plan for Sleep Disorders Research, as well as research priorities within the National Institute on Aging. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: A two and 1/2 day conference to identify research opportunities to further elucidate epigenetic mechanisms in sleep processes and leading to sleep disorders will be held on October 3-5, 2012 in Lafayette Hills, PA, a suburb of Philadelphia. This conference grant application to the National Institute on Aging, with support from other Institutes, requests partial support for the conference that will be used primarily to cover the travel and hotel expenses of the invited speakers and student awards.