Workshop: Stress in the Healthy Organism, December 5-6, 2013, Arlington, Virginia

Tufts University, Medford MA

Investigators

Abstract

The vertebrate stress response (the physiological mechanisms involved in protecting an organism from a stressor) is a major mechanism of resilience and an important transducer of biotic interactions (between organisms), and between organisms and their non-living environment (abiotic interactions). It is astonishing, however, that even after nearly 100 years of studying stress, the overall field of stress biology lacks an integrated theory and associated models to enable quantitative and predictive research connecting the multiple mechanisms and outcomes of the stress response. This workshop will include equal numbers of researchers interested in the basic biology of stress in animals (typically funded by NSF) and researchers interested in the role of stress in healthy humans specifically (represented by researchers from NASA). NSF-funded and NASA researchers have substantial common ground. Both communities are interested in how stress biology is manifested in healthy individuals, rather than a cause of disease. However, these two communities do not typically interact owing to the conceptual and methodological constraints on the scope of their research. Both communities see an opportunity to make substantial progress in understanding this complex area of biology by sharing their perspectives and developing multidisciplinary collaborations. The cross-fertilization created by the workshop should yield novel insights about conceptual and technical challenges and opportunities, which will help guide future research in both communities. The overarching aims of the workshop will be to: 1. Identify and surmount bottlenecks that are preventing progress, and 2. Begin to develop specific research approaches to implement integrated studies. This workshop could have profound impacts on the field by facilitating the development of a new conceptual model of stress. Such a model could result in more quantitative, predictive research linking cellular and physiological stress responses with individual-, population- and species-level outcomes. The Principal Investigator anticipates publishing a peer reviewed workshop report. New avenues of research identified by the workshop participants and disseminated by the report will provide a blueprint for further study that should have a broad impact on many scientific fields.