GASTROINTESTINAL RESPONSE TO INJURY: CANADA 2001

University Of Virginia Charlottesville, Charlottesville VA

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): "Gastrointestinal Response to Injury: Canada 2001" will be the fourth meeting in a series of meetings originally entitled "The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Gastroduodenal Mucosal Defense" that have taken place every three years since the first meeting was held at Copper Mountain, Colorado in 1992. The second meeting was held at Saxton's River, Vermont in 1995 with the third meeting held in Wilsonville, Oregon in 1998. This year's meeting is being held at Chateau Montebello, Quebec, Canada, October 10-14, 2001. During the business meeting of the last FASEB Summer Research Conference, Drs. Sheila Crowe and Jonathan Kaunitz were elected as co-chairpersons for the 2001 meeting. Since that time, they have worked with the Organizing Committee (Drs. Kim Barrett, Helen Raybould, and John Wallace) to develop a diverse and cutting-edge meeting in the field of gastrointestinal mucosal defense. The inclusion of presentations on injury and repair in the intestine will provide important interdisciplinary discussions that will be applicable to investigation of upper gastrointestinal disease. The title of the planned meeting, "Gastrointestinal Response to Injury: Canada 2001", reflects the broader scope of the program which, along with the inclusion of productive and innovative investigators in the field, will contribute to a stimulating and successful meeting. The topic sessions include 1) Pre-epithelial-defense mechanisms, 2) Neurobiology, 3) Inflammatory cells/mediators, 4) Signal transduction, 5) Vascular factors, 6) Growth and repair, and 7) NSAIDs, apoptosis and other gut responses to injury. A major goal of this meeting is to provide young scientists with a unique exposure to current research in the field of gastrointestinal responses to injury in an open environment in which they can interact formally and informally with established investigators from around the world. The meeting will also foster interactions among scientists working in different aspects of gastroenteric biology as well as those between basic and clinical investigators. The meeting is supported by an educational grant from industry, which will support the costs of the meeting including travel, meals and accommodation for 41 invited speakers and/or session chairs comprised of 10 women, 10 racial/ethnic minorities (including 3 traditionally underrepresented minorities), and 7 junior investigators. Additional funds are needed to support the costs of attendance for young investigators who otherwise might not have the opportunity to attend such a meeting. The aim of this application is to obtain the funds for travel awards to facilitate the participation of young scientists in "Gastrointestinal Response to Injury: Canada 2001".