International Conference on Lymphopoiesis, T-cell Differentiation and Immune Reco

描述（由申请人提供）：ThymUS是一个研究会议，主要集中在胸腺的功能，每四年举行一次。会议的主要目标是以受训者可获得的方式交流与胸腺在健康和疾病中的作用有关的尖端新研究信息，并最大限度地扩大受训者与该学科高级研究人员的互动。会议的记录是非常强大的招募顶级高级和最有前途的初级科学家在培训。会议的第三次演出定于2008年11月举行。本次会议的特点如下：（一）ThymUS是北美唯一一个主要关注胸腺在免疫、体内平衡和免疫重建中的作用的会议;（二）会议不补偿或报销发言者的任何费用，因此所有与会者自费;（iii）所筹得的款项大部分用于资助学员的开支（学生和博士后），从而使会议负担得起，并吸引这些与会者;（iv）直至目前为止，我们都能为所有与会者提供演讲机会，让学员和年青科学家在业界最知名人士面前展示他们的研究成果。总的来说，上述组织尽量减少受邀演讲者出席会议的时间只够演讲的倾向，尽量减少其他与会者（特别是受训人员）的费用，并尽量增加受训人员口头介绍的机会。虽然会议的确切计划仅在收到所有摘要后确定，并将取决于它们的组成，但今年会议的两个主题演讲将主要涉及胸腺T细胞耐受性的转录调节（B. Kyewski）和胸腺及其产物在免疫和自身免疫中的调节作用（H. von Boehmer）。到目前为止，很难从往年使用的来源（工业界）获得支助。因此，考虑到强有力的教育成分和对受训者的好处，向国家卫生研究院寻求15 300美元的支持，其中83%用于资助受训者的注册，其余用于视听支持和出版费用。这次会议将促进受训人员和资深调查人员之间的互动，并将使新知识独特地传播给受训人员。具体而言，这些知识对于基本理解和最终治疗涉及胸腺的疾病至关重要，这些疾病包括但不限于免疫缺陷和感染性、自身免疫性和肿瘤性疾病。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): ThymUS is a research conference dominantly focused on the function of the thymus, held every fourth year. The key goal of the conference is to exchange cutting-edge new research information related to the role of the thymus in health and disease in the manner accessible to trainees and to maximize interactions of trainees with senior investigators in the discipline. Records of the conference are exceptionally strong in recruiting top senior and most promising junior scientists in training. The third rendition of the conference is slated for November 2008. The distinguishing features of this conference are as follows: (i) ThymUS is the only North American meeting dominantly focused on the role of thymus in immunity, homeostasis and immune reconstitution; (ii) the conference does not compensate nor reimburse speakers for any expenses, therefore all participants pay their own expenses; (iii) instead, the majority of the funds raised are used to subsidize costs for trainees (students and postdoctorals) and thus make the conference affordable and attractive for these attendees; (iv) up until now, we were able to provide all conferees with speaking opportunities, meaning that trainees and junior scientists were able to showcase their research in front of the most established figures in the field. Overall, the above organization minimizes the propensity of invited speakers to attend only long enough to give their talks, minimizes costs to the other attendees (particularly trainees) and maximizes the opportunities for oral presentation for trainees. While the precise program of the meeting is only determined upon receipt of all abstracts and will depend upon their make-up, the two keynote lectures that will dominantly flavor this year's conference will cover transcriptional regulation of thymic T-cell tolerance (B. Kyewski) and regulatory role of thymus and its products in immunity and autoimmunity (H. von Boehmer). Support from sources used in prior years (Industry) has been very difficult to obtain so far. Therefore, in light of the strong educational component and the benefits to trainees, support is sought from the NIH in the amount of $15,300, with 83% of that going to subsidize registration for trainees, and the rest divided among audiovisual support and publication costs. This conference will foster interactions among trainees and established investigators and will enable unique dissemination of new knowledge to trainees. Specifically, that knowledge will be critical to basic understanding and eventual treatment of diseases that involve thymus, including, but not limited to, immunodeficiencies and infectious, autoimmune and neoplastic diseases.