Conference: 2010 Visual System Development Gordon Research Conferences, 2010 at II Ciocco,in Lucca, Italy

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

The challenge to understand the molecular basis of the evolutionary origin and development of the eye and visual system has intrigued scientists for centuries. The eye and visual system has long been recognized as a fascinating and uniquely informative model in which to explore how sensory structures develop. Vision is a highly specialized sensory function that demands an exquisitely organized and highly structured neural system, and it is this precision that creates an ideal experimental system to uncover principles of development and evolution. The community of scientists who study development of the eye and visual system have come to rely on the Visual System Development GRC as a 'must attend' event that provides a high level of information and a valuable forum for exchange. The aim of the Gordon Research Conference on Visual System Development is to bring together investigators studying the development, disease, and the evolution of the visual system. The meeting provides an environment that stimulates discussion and interaction across disciplines and among students, early-career investigators and leaders in the field. The goals of this biennial conference are to generate an understanding of common principles that regulate visual system development in diverse species, to share the latest and most exciting new results, and to stimulate new ideas and collaborations that impact our understanding of eye development. In addition, through this meeting there is an effort to apply our growing knowledge of eye development and maturation to the fields of regeneration and stem cell biology. Support from the NSF will help enable outstanding young scientists to attend this high-profile international meeting, to present their research findings to the international scientific community, and to interact with the leaders in the field. In particular, the funds requested from NSF will be used to facilitate participation by U.S. students and postdocs from a variety of backgrounds.