2014 Alcohol & the Nervous System Gordon Research Conference

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this conference is to foster open discussion of research developments, build new scientific collaborations, and propel the next generation of scientific advances in alcohol neuroscience research. To reach this goal, we plan to accomplish the following four specific aims at the meeting: 1). To provide an international forum that promotes open discussion of cutting edge research at the forefront of alcohol effects on the nervous system and related neuroscience areas. 2) To introduce breakthrough neuroscientific techniques that facilitate the understanding of brain mechanisms driving alcohol drinking and abuse. 3) To promote interaction between young and senior investigators and exchange of ideas that shape the future directions of the alcohol neuroscience community. 4) To foster development of the next generation of alcohol researchers by encouraging the participation of students and postdoctoral fellows both in alcohol and in related research fields. The Alcohol and the Nervous System GRC will focus on presentation and discussion at the frontiers of alcohol research, including studies of acute, chronic and developmental alcohol exposure on neural function and the behavioral consequences of these actions. The scope of the research presented will be restricted to basic and clinical studies involving alcohol and the nervous system and will focus on questions that are important for addressing alcohol actions that contribute to excessive drinking and alcohol addiction. The meeting will also break down barriers to progress by uniting investigators with synergistic and complementary expertise in areas ranging from molecular actions of alcohol, neurocircuits, to translational research. The conference will provide a forum to discuss the latest developments in neuroscientific research on alcohol in an open and highly interactive GRC format, which includes formal talks interspersed with ample discussion time, poster sessions, and informal discussion periods that foster communication, planning and collaboration. This unique conference setup differs from that of other meetings in the field, and will provide a unique opportunity for enhanced communication between investigators at all stages of their careers, as well as between alcohol researchers and invited prominent investigators from outside the alcohol research field. To foster the growth of the next generation of alcohol researchers, we will put concerted efforts to support and encourage participation of students, postdoctoral fellows and young investigators. Thus, the present R13 will foster communication of frontier alcohol research, opportunities for cutting edge scientific collaboration, and entry of new and younger investigators into the alcohol research field. We envision the GRC on Alcohol and the Nervous System will significantly advance current understanding of neurobiology of alcohol addiction and stimulate development of effective therapeutic approaches for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.