The Pediatric Rheumatology Research Annual Scientific Meeting will be the forum for the pediatric rheumatology community for sharing the scientific state-of-the-art methodologies, scientific opportunities and new technologies. This proposal is a renewal of our previous conference grant which provided support for the 2006 and 2007 meetings. The meeting is co-sponsored by the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), a research network comprising the majority of pediatric rheumatologists in the US and Canada. This meeting is conceived to be 2 1/2 days and all members of CARRA, the pediatric rheumatology community, individuals interested in pediatric rheumatic disease research and invited speakers and experts in related fields (internal medicine rheumatology, immunology, epidemiology, and other pediatric research networks). The format will be didactic presentations on the current scientific advances in each of the pediatric rheumatic disease, gaps in knowledge, scientific opportunities and technologic advances. Specific workshops on experimental design in clinical research and clinical trials, new methodologies for clinical and translational research, grant writing, and other areas of interest will be offered. Facilitated interactive sessions will identify the key research needs and opportunities in each of the major disease areas, and develop scientific priorities for future development into specific research projects. Collaborative opportunities and mentoring relationships will be identified and fostered, and translational research opportunities will be identified in coordination with clinical research questions. The objectives of this meeting are to: 1) Update the progress in understanding the pathogenesis (immune, genetic, and inflammatory), epidemiology, and current and innovative therapeutic approaches in pediatric rheumatic diseases; 2) Provide a forum for development of collaborations and mentoring for the pediatric rheumatology research community; and 3) Provide training and education in major areas relevant to pediatric rheumatology research. This meeting will be one of the major avenues whereby CARRA will achieve its primary mission of facilitating the development of high-quality research studies and ultimately creating a research portfolio that includes relevant research projects in every type of pediatric rheumatic disease. ? ? ? ?
