2009 Neurotrophic Factors Gordon Research Conference

描述（由申请人提供）：我们要求为2009神经营养因子戈登研究会议提供部分支持。会议将于2009年6月，从6月21日到26日，在罗德岛州新港的萨尔维里贾纳大学举行。该会议每隔一年举行一次，被视为传达神经营养因子领域最重要发现的最重要会议。它吸引了几乎所有研究神经生长因子、其作用机制及其在神经系统发育、可塑性和疾病中的作用的顶尖科学家。此外，近年来，许多发育神经科学、神经和精神健康障碍等相关领域的临床医生和科学家以及其公司从事神经和精神健康障碍研究的行业代表参加了会议。多年来，该领域的许多重大突破都在这次会议上得到了展示。会议通过将年轻和成熟的研究人员聚集在一起，在建立神经科学社区方面发挥了催化作用，他们对神经营养因子有不同的兴趣，并在分子生物学、细胞生物学、信号转导、突触传递、发育、行为和疾病方面具有专业知识。2009年会议的目标是：1。交流和传播关于神经营养因子已知和新功能的新发现，包括这些因子在各种不同类型干细胞的生物学中的影响及其潜在的治疗用途。2. 探讨神经营养因子的合成、分泌、信号传导机制及其在青年、老年和病变神经系统中神经元回路的发育、可塑性和维持中的作用的最新进展。3. 传播有关新兴方法的知识，这些方法首次使“实时”审查神经营养因子的贩运、信号传导和作用成为可能。4. 增加对现有新工具的认识，使科学家能够更有效地追求精神和神经疾病中神经营养因子的作用。5. 加强研究小组之间的合作，利用分子、遗传和细胞生物学方法，与神经学家以及对神经营养因子用于治疗目的感兴趣的工业科学家进行合作。6. 提供一个讨论新想法的场所，促进试剂和未发表信息的交换。7. 为学生、博士后和新教师提供一个与研究生长因子生物学的资深科学家见面和互动的环境。8. 为了突出代表性不足的个人，特别是妇女和少数民族对我们领域的贡献。会议将加强在不同学科工作的科学家之间的交流，以提高他们理解神经营养因子的能力，并推断如何利用它们的作用使我们能够改善神经系统疾病患者的生活。公共卫生相关性：会议的公共卫生相关性在于它能够加速基础神经科学知识的传播，使患有各种疾病的患者受益，这些疾病包括阿尔茨海默病、唐氏综合征、帕金森病、亨廷顿病、抑郁症、肥胖症、癫痫、中风和周围神经病变，包括那些使糖尿病和其他慢性医学疾病复杂化的疾病。因此，它填补了在创造和维持研究方面的重要空白，这些研究对美国和世界其他地区的健康和福祉有巨大的潜在好处。事实上，我们期待这次会议促进许多新的合作，解决对理解和治疗神经和精神疾病重要的问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We ask for partial support for the 2009 Neurotrophic Factors Gordon Research Conference. The conference will be held in June of 2009, from June 21st through 26th, at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. This conference, held every other year, is viewed as the most important meeting for conveying the most significant discoveries in the neurotrophic factor field. It attracts virtually all of the leading scientists studying neuronal growth factors, their mechanisms of action and their roles in development, plasticity and diseases of the nervous system. Moreover, in recent years it has been attended by a significant number of clinicians and scientists in the related fields of developmental neuroscience, and neurological and mental health disorders and by industry representatives whose companies engage in research in neurological and mental health disorders. Over the years, many of the major breakthroughs in the field have been showcased at this meeting. The Conference has played a catalytic role in building the neuroscience community by bringing together both young and established investigators with diverse interests in neurotrophic factors and with expertise in molecular biology, cell biology, signal transduction, synaptic transmission, development, behavior and disease. The goals of the 2009 Conference are: 1. To communicate and disseminate new findings about known and novel functions of neurotrophic factors, including the impact of such factors in the biology of a variety of different types of stem cells and their potential therapeutic uses. 2. To explore recent advances regarding the synthesis, secretion, signaling mechanisms of neurotrophic factors and their actions in development, plasticity, and the maintenance of neuronal circuits in the young, aged, and diseased nervous system. 3. To disseminate knowledge about the emerging methodologies that are for the first time making it possible to examine in "real-time" the trafficking, signaling and actions of neurotrophic factors. 4. To increase knowledge within the community of the new tools now available that allow scientists to more effectively pursue neurotrophic factor actions in mental and neurological disorders. 5. To increase collaboration between research groups using molecular, genetic, and cell biological approaches with neurologists as well as industry scientists interested in the use of neurotrophic factors for therapeutic purposes. 6. To provide a venue for discussion of new ideas and to facilitate the exchange of reagents and unpublished information. 7. To provide an atmosphere for students, postdoctoral fellows and new faculty to meet and interact with senior scientists studying growth factor biology. 8. To highlight the contributions to our field being made by underrepresented individuals, especially women and minorities. The Conference will enhance communication between scientists working in diverse disciplines to increase their ability to understand neurotrophic factors and to deduce how exploiting their actions may allow us to enhance the lives of individuals with disorders of the nervous system. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The public health relevance of the Conference is its ability to accelerate the transmission of knowledge from fundamental neuroscience to the benefit of patients that suffer with a variety of disorders - Alzheimer's disease, Down syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, depression, obesity, epilepsy, stroke, and peripheral neuropathies, including those that complicate diabetes and other chronic medical disorders. As such, it fills an important gap in creating and sustaining research with enormous potential benefit to the health and well being of America and the rest of the world. Indeed, we expect this conference to catalyze many new collaborations that address questions important to understanding and treating neurological and mental disorders.