The Cell Biology of Eukaryotics Pathogen Symposium

Clemson University, Clemson SC

Investigators

Abstract

? DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): Eukaryotic pathogens are the causative agents of some of the most devastating and intractable diseases of humans, including malaria, amebic dysentery, sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and meningitis. Furthermore, many of these infectious agents are also classified as bioterrorism agents and/or cause neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It is also noteworthy that infections caused by eukaryotic pathogens are increasing in the US due to globalization. Scientific meetings serve the purpose of sharing knowledge, establishing multidisciplinary collaboration, and mentoring of junior researchers (students, post-doc, junior faculty). Thus, the pace of science is accelerated by conferences. We propose to host an NIH-funded conference on eukaryotic pathogens at the Eukaryotic Pathogens Innovation Center (EPIC) at Clemson University (CU). The content of the conference is innovative because parasite and pathogenic fungi will be equally represented in the scientific sessions. The rationale for hosting this conference at CU is three-fold. First, EPIC is a new research center at CU. Second, CU is located in South Carolina, an IDeA-eligible state. Third, CU's central geographical location could make it the southeastern hub for eukaryotic pathogens research. An NIH-funded conference at EPIC would bring recognition to this new center and promote regional collaborations. Both of these serve the goal of the IDeA program to enhance the reputation and competiveness of biomedical research programs in states for which NIH-funding is historically low. In the project, the 3rd conference in this series is proposed (October 2015). Based on the feedback from participants of the first conference, the meeting will be extended from 1 day to 2 days. This will allow for participation from a greater number of regional institutions. Rigorous assessment of the conference will provide insight in to the impact of the meeting. A well-designed end-of-conference questionnaire will be administered. It will include questions to discern the usefulness of the content and to determine if collaborations formed as a result of the meeting. This assessment on impact is another innovative aspect of this project. The results of this project will be used to inform planning of future conferences. Hosting regular conferences at EPIC will sustain the momentum of this research center and contribute significantly to an important area of biomedical research.