2015 Tissue Repair and Regeneration Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary goal in regenerative medicine is to facilitate the replacement of injured, diseased or aged tissues with fully functional counterparts, thus extending the healthy life expectancy of our aging population. As such the field of regenerative medicine has great potential in tackling many of the greatest critical health concerns of the 21st century. Indeed regenerative biology has become a priority area of several of the institutes within the NIH, as well as amongst many funding agencies abroad, such as the Wellcome Trust and Medical Research Council in the UK. The overarching aim of this proposal is to seek funds in order to help bring together many of the greatest minds in regenerative medicine under one roof at the 2015 Gordon Research Conference on Tissue Repair and Regeneration (GRC-TRR), June 6-11, at Colby Sawyer College, NH. For the next GRC-TRR, we have planned nine scientific sessions addressing several emerging topics in regenerative medicine. The titles for sessions are 1. The effects of aging on tissue repair and regeneration 2. Organ regeneration 3. Nuclear reprogramming and dedifferentiation 4. Model organisms of regeneration; 5. The role of ROS during tissue repair/regeneration 6. Stem cell therapies for tissue repair/regeneration 7. The stem cell niche 8. Skin repair and 9. Long coding RNAs and epigenetics in stem/progenitor cells. Our diverse speakers will emphasize unpublished results and will make their presentations accessible to attendees outside their immediate disciplines. We also have requested that our speakers stay for the entire meeting, in order to encourage lively discussion throughout the conference. We aim to foster dialogue that might lead to fruitful collaborations in the future. In addition, for the third time, we will be running a two day Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) immediately prior to the main meeting, designed specifically for graduate student and postdocs working in the field of regenerative medicine. The aim of the GRS is to bring together early career scientists in a setting that is not intimidating. The GRS has been highly successful in previous years in facilitating the integration and participation of early career scientists in the TRR-GRC that follows, but also as a way for young scientists, who are likely to become the leaders in the field long in the future, to meet and interact with each at thi early stage in their careers. As such, we expect relationships to be forged at this meeting that will last for decades to come. We will also aim to encourage participation by underrepresented minorities at both the GRC and GRS, through scholarships offered by existing GRC programs. Generous NIH support from will greatly enhance the quality of the program and the ultimate success of the TRR-GRC.