Conference: 2010 Synaptic Transmission GRC, July 25-30, 2010 at University of New England, Biddeford, ME

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

Synaptic transmission underlies every aspect of nervous system function. How organisms act, feel, and learn all rely on information transfer between nerve cells through synapses. Investigators have learned that the communication between neurons is a highly complex process, and that a better understanding of such process requires a multidisciplinary approach and the use of complementary and cutting-edge techniques. This proposal requests partial support for an international meeting on Synaptic Transmission as part of the Gordon Research Conference series to be held at the University of New England Campus on the US Atlantic coast in Biddeford, Maine during the week of July 25-30, 2010. The broad and long term goal of the conference is to increase our understanding of the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms of synaptic transmission. The specific aims of this meeting will be to convene 34 speakers that represent critical areas of synaptic transmission research with a total of 140 participants for a five day conference in a relatively isolated setting. The program includes speakers and discussion leaders at various levels of their academic careers. Remarkably, four of the speakers are members of the National Academy of Sciences, and two of them are Nobel Prize awardees in Physiology or Medicine. The GRC on Synaptic Transmission is an ideal venue for discussing major recent advances in the field, bridging across disciplines by bringing together world-class experts in different areas, and fostering future developments by promoting the interaction between senior and junior investigators. The discussions during this meeting will help to identify broad research questions that will define future work in this area and underly most aspects of basal as well as higher-order brain function in a variety of experimental systems.