2010 Hemostasis Gordon Research Conference and/or Gordon Research Seminar

Gordon Research Conferences, East Greenwich RI

Investigators

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This application seeks partial support for the bi-annual Gordon Conference (GRC) on Hemostasis and/or its preceding Gordon Research Seminar (GRS). The broad and long term goal of the conference is to increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that regulate formation of a platelet-fibrin clot. The last two highly successful Hemostasis GRCs were held at Colby College, Maine in 2006 and Waterville Valley, New Hampshire in 2008. The next conference will be held on July 25th - July 30th 2010 at Waterville Valley Conference Center, Waterville Valley, New Hampshire. The 2008 found this venue to be a comfortable and inviting location. Always oversubscribed, well-attended, and highly evaluated by its participants, the GRC on Hemostasis for 2010 will be comprised of nine 3 hour sessions that will be held in the allotted morning and evening time slots. Poster presentations will be held before dinner on four of the five days. These are always very well-attended, and provide a dedicated, informal forum for interaction between junior and more senior scientists in the field. A Hot Topics Session, quickly becoming a tradition at our GRC, is planned for Wednesday night. The specific aims of this meeting will be to convene 39 Speakers and Discussion Leaders that represent critical areas of hemostasis research with a total of approx. 150 participants for a five day conference in a relatively isolated setting. The Speakers and Discussion Leaders have been carefully chosen by the Chair and Vice-Chair after extensive, careful consideration and consultation with former Chairs of the 2004, 2006, and 2008 Hemostasis GRC. Of these, we already have written acceptances from all participants. We have also made a concerted effort to achieve appropriate representation of women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, and other individuals from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in science as Speakers and Discussion Leaders. Our current list of invited speakers and discussion leaders already includes 8 women, and we expect to increase the representation of women among our speakers, as well as including underrepresented minorities, in the Hot Topics session. The program is designed to provide an invigorating meeting covering a range of timely disciplines in the fields of thrombosis and hemostasis. A two day Gordon Research Seminar will precede the meeting and will allow post-docs and graduate students to interact in a more relaxed atmosphere. The significance of this application is that the Hemostasis GRC is widely considered to be the premiere small meeting on the topics of blood coagulation, platelet biology, and anticoagulant pathways, enjoying both national and international reputation. First organized by hemostasis pioneers Earl W. Davie and Oscar Ratnoff in 1973. The healthy relatedness of this application is that thrombosis is the leading cause of death in the US and there is an urgent need for improving diagnosis and treatment of this devastating disease. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Thrombosis is the leading cause of death in the US and there is an urgent need for improving diagnosis and treatment of this devastating disease. The goal of the conference is to increase our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that regulate formation of a blood clot. The Hemostasis GRC is widely considered to be the premiere small meeting, on the topics of blood coagulation, platelet biology, and anticoagulant pathways, enjoying both national and international reputation.