This proposal requests partial support for the seventh Gordon Research Conference on Stem Cells and Cancer, which will take place on March 24-29, 2019 in Ventura, California (USA).
The specific aim of this conference is to provide a forum for presentation, discussion and interaction among a diverse, interdisciplinary group of researchers with interests in organogenesis, tumorigenesis, stem cell function and therapy. Speakers and participants will engage in deep discussions of recent advances and new ideas related to the developmental, metabolic and (epi)genomic mechanisms driving organogenesis and tumorigenesis. The meeting is chaired by Dr. Amy J. Wagers (Harvard University), with Dr. Cdric Blanpain (Universit Libre de Bruxelles) serving as vice chair. The planned agenda includes presentations from key leaders in the fields of cancer biology, stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and thus will attract a highly interdisciplinary group of researchers who do not frequently interact (since most regenerative biology meetings lack representation from cancer biologists, and vice versa). The meeting will therefore act as a catalyst for new collaborations and cross-fertilization of ideas (a long-term goal of the Gordon Research Conferences). The exciting scientific program we have planned for the meeting further highlights the diversity of contributors to this research area (53% of invited speakers are female and/or members of under-represented minority groups) and explores cutting-edge topics of particular interest to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including: the role of metabolism in regulating tumor growth and metastasis; developmental signals and mechanisms that modulate stem cell function and are usurped for tumor formation; genetic and epigenetic modifiers of genome stability and cancer emergence; and emerging therapies to promote tumor cell clearance, eradicate tumor- propagating stem cells and enhance organ repair. The 2019 Gordon Research Conference on Stem Cells and Cancer will also include a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), a 2-day ?pre-meeting? of early career scientists in a highly stimulating and inclusive environment that promotes the open exchange of information and establishment and growth of peer networks. The GRS will be held from March 23-24, 2019 at the same venue in Ventura, CA, and is chaired by Dr. Jill Goldstein (Harvard University). The GRS provides additional opportunities for junior trainees to present their work and receive crucial feedback and mentorship both from their peers and from more established investigators, making this meeting a particularly excellent training opportunity for junior investigators. The specific set of integrated and complementary research topics that will be addressed in the 2019 Stem Cells and Cancer GRS/GRC is distinct from other conferences, and the unique structure of the GRS and GRC provide for maximal, productive interactions among scientists in industry and academia with different experimental approaches and at different career stages.
The 2019 Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar on Stem Cells and Cancer seeks to advance understanding of the developmental, metabolic, genomic and epigenomic mechanisms regulating the function of cancer cells and stem cells. The conference will provide a forum for the presentation and discussion of new ideas and discoveries, for collaboration and cross-fertilization of ideas, and for productive interactions among scientists at different career stages, from diverse backgrounds and employing different experimental approaches. Support for this conference will directly contribute to the advancement of new knowledge and the emergence of new therapies to promote tumor cell clearance, eradicate tumor-propagating stem cells and enhance organ repair.
