2018 Biomineralization Gordon Research Conference & Gordon Research Seminar

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

Summary Proper development and function of biomineralized tissues such as bones, teeth, and otoconia are of great importance to human health and well-being. However, there is a great number of developmental disorders (e.g., osteogenesis imperfecta, amelogenesis imperfecta, or molar incisor hypomineralization) and other pathophysiological conditions (such as caries, osteonecrosis of the jaw, osteoporosis, urolithiasis, aortic stenosis, and benign paroxysmal positional vertigo) that greatly affect quality of life. For several of these there are significant health disparities, and quite a few of them are expected to become more important as the population ages. However, many of the basic mechanisms of the development and properties of mineralized tissues, and of the pathophysiological processes that attack them remain poorly understood. Similarly, our ability to design and synthesize materials that interface with mineralized tissues, restore them, or replace them, are rather limited. The Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) and Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Biomineralization is a cross-cutting, highly interdisciplinary international meeting that covers all aspects of biomineralization research in health, life, physical, earth, and engineering sciences. By focusing on fundamental biotic and abiotic structures and mechanisms, i.e. the underlying concepts that are relevant to all organismal and mineral systems, this meeting creates a platform for researchers that would not necessarily interact otherwise. Thus, the organizers hope foster cross-disciplinary synergy and closer interaction between fundamental and translational, basic and engineering research. The organizing team is committed to encourage participation of young investigators, foster interactions with senior researchers, and provide mentoring. Following the trend of previous meetings, we expect that ~30-35% of the GRC participants will be graduate students, 10-15% postdocs, and 5-10% pre-tenure faculty, with >60% of all participants in their 20s and 30s. The GRS is a small, informal meeting attracting 50-75 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and early-career faculty. It is structured to help early-career researchers overcome the sometimes-daunting prospect of interacting so closely with leaders in their field. The intention is not only to assemble a program of diverse, top-caliber research in the field, but also to provide a unique opportunity for attendees to participate in in-depth, but comparatively ?low pressure? scientific discussions, to provide mentorship to young researchers beginning their careers, and to extend their contacts and confidence. The team is further committed to highlight the best science while ensuring that women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are appropriately represented and has assembled a program that is almost perfectly balanced in terms of gender representation 50% female invited speakers, and 44% female discussion leaders. Furthermore 21% of the provisional US speakers belong to underrepresented minorities.