This application focuses on organizing the next national Wnt meeting in 2011. Wnt proteins are secreted growth factors that activate diverse responses in target cells and result in both transcriptional and non- transcriptional responses. Activated Wnt signaling has been shown to play critical roles in both development and adult homeostasis. In addition, a growing number of important health problems have been linked to abnormalities in Wnt signaling. Diseases linked to altered Wnt signaling include, but are not limited to: cancer, musculoskeletal pathologies, skin diseases, liver function, neurological and psychiatric illnesses, and the biology of both adult and embryonic progenitor and stem cells. Wnt meetings bring together students, scientists and clinicians working in these fields and has been an ongoing highlight of the Wnt community since the 1990s with consistently providing an outstanding scientific atmosphere for the active exchange of ideas and the sharing of new and cutting edge unpublished results. For the past two meetings, there has been a dramatic increase in participation of scientists from the pharmaceutical industry, with contributions to both speaker and poster presentations. Participation from these scientists has been well received as their perspective on translational applications significantly improves scientific knowledge and dialogue in the field, including improved understanding of the challenges to the application of basic science to clinical practice. The Wnt meeting is also a very special venue for students, its historic lack of a registration fee has consistently encouraged participation of students and postdocs. We will follow the tradition of previous Wnt meetings by dispensing with the registration fee and selecting all speakers, except the keynote speaker, from submitted abstracts based on scientific merit. This innovative approach provides increased opportunities for young scientists to present their data and interact with colleagues and potential mentors. Three established investigators working in this field will organize the meeting. Dr. Timothy F. Lane is Associate Professor at UCLA, Dr. Marian Waterman is Professor at UC Irvine, and Dr Marianne Bronner-Fraser is Professor at Caltech. The interests of these investigator's bridge different scientific disciplines involving Wnt signaling. The meeting will be held at the Covel Commons Conference Center on the campus of UCLA. This modern venue provides an outstanding environment for hosting a scientific meeting. Furthermore, the geographical location of the meeting also appeals to both US and Asian scientists. A number of low cost accommodations are available on Campus and nearby, and the lack of a registration fee will allow many young scientists and investigators with limited budgets to attend. Furthermore, the application contains clear plans to ensure active participation and inclusion of women and minorities. This meeting will enhance careers of young investigators, as well as women and minority investigators. We believe that this very important meeting will be exceptionally productive in advancing our understanding of basic biology and disease processes related to Wnt signaling.
This application seeks partial support for the 2011 Wnt meeting. This is the ninth in a series of highly successful conferences, with the goal of advancing research and fostering interactions among scientists, students, clinicians and industry to understand basic biological processes that require Wnt signaling, and to improve diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of various conditions that are regulated by Wnt signaling.
