17th Conference on Hemoglobin Switching

描述(申请人提供)：两年一度的血红蛋白转换会议始于1978年，最初是在NIDDK和NHLBI的支持下举行的，此后在NIDDK、NHLBI和NIH的其他研究所的支持下连续举办了31年。这些会议取得巨大成功的原因是多方面的。首先，最重要的是，会议组织者(过去是Stamatoyannopoulos和Nihuis；现在是Stamatoyannopoulos、Higgs和Engel)总是通过包括影响珠蛋白基因发育控制和造血发育控制过程的新的研究人员和研究，努力确定并突出新的发现。其次，这是将基础科学家和临床医生聚集在一起讨论血红蛋白疾病的分子和发育起源，以及分子和细胞治疗方法的发展的唯一场所。第三，这些会议开启了该领域所有现任领导人的职业生涯，他们作为博士后研究员和年轻教师首次在会议的全体会议上展示了他们的工作。第四，这是唯一一次有博士后研究员和学生代表超过50%的与会者的会议。第五，会议一贯为妇女和少数群体调查员的全体发言提供了一个论坛。第六，会议是这一领域的主要国际活动，来自美国国内外的调查人员出席会议，其地点在美国和欧洲之间每两年轮换一次，就是例证。2010年，关于血红蛋白转换的会议将在英国牛津的圣约翰学院举行，此前在欧洲举行的会议都是在这里举行的。 公共卫生相关性：项目简介全球最常见的遗传性人类疾病是地中海贫血和镰状细胞疾病，我们了解这些疾病的遗传学和分子生物学，但我们才刚刚开始设计有效的治疗方法。这次国际会议每两年举行一次，是此类会议中唯一的一次，为研究疾病机制的分子和细胞生物学家以及治疗这些疾病的临床同行提供了一个分享信息的论坛。这次会议也自觉地比任何其他大致可比的论坛更包容年轻人、妇女和少数群体。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The biennial Conferences on Hemoglobin Switching were initiated in 1978 initially with support by NIDDK and NHLBI and have been held thereafter with support by NIDDK, NHLBI and other Institutes of NIH without interruption for 31 years. There are multiple reasons for the resounding success of these Conferences. First and foremost, the Conference organizers (in the past Stamatoyannopoulos and Nienhuis; currently Stamatoyannopoulos, Higgs and Engel) strive to identify and then highlight new discoveries by always including new investigators and studies that impinge on the process of the developmental control of globin genes and the developmental control of hematopoiesis. Second, this is the only venue that brings together basic scientists and clinicians to discuss both the molecular and developmental origins of the hemoglobinopathies, and the development of molecular and cellular treatments. Third, these Conferences have launched the careers of all the current leaders in this field who as postdoctoral fellows and young faculty first presented their work in plenary sessions of the Conferences. Fourth, this is the only Conference on this topic with postdoctoral fellows and students representing over 50% of the participants. Fifth the Conference has consistently provided a Forum for plenary presentations by women and minority investigators. Sixth the Conference is the main international event in this field as illustrated by the attendance of investigators from both inside and outside the US, and by the biennial rotation of its site between the USA and Europe. In 2010 the Conference on Hemoglobin Switching will be held at St. John's College, Oxford UK, where the previous Conferences in Europe have been held. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Project Narrative The most common inherited human diseases worldwide are the thalassemias and sickle cell disease, we understand the genetics and molecular biology of these diseases but we are only at the beginning of devising effective therapies to treat them. This International Conference, held every two years, is the only meeting of its kind, and provides a Forum for sharing information between molecular and cell biologists who study disease mechanisms and their clinical counterparts who treat these diseases. This conference is also consciously more inclusive of young people, women and minorities than any other roughly comparable Forum.