The goal of this application is to seek funding for travel awards for students/fellows, attendees from underrepresented groups, women, and young independent investigators (Rising Stars) for the 2015 Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES)-Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) Conference. The specific theme of the 2015 conference will be From Womb to Tomb: Mechanobiology of Generation, Regeneration, and Degeneration. Our expanding understanding of the role that mechanical perturbations play in every aspect of life, from birth through development, aging, and progression of disease, motivated the mission of this conference. Moreover, cell and molecular bioengineering technologies that allow us to probe and even control cell activity and the microenvironment at the molecular level enable new fundamental studies in cell biology, drug discovery, tissue regeneration, and pathology. We have planned a conference integrating both engineers and biologists to encourage sharing of ideas toward these common goals. Our choice of theme is intended to address the key problem of understanding how unique and shared biophysical cues govern cell behavior affecting: tissue formation; regeneration and remodeling; and degeneration. This problem cannot be solved by traditional strategies alone, and these new directions will shape the future of CMBE. The specific objectives of this R13 application are two-fold. The first is to provide support to junior investigators, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students whose submitted papers have been selected for podium presentation on the basis of scientific merit, and to promote underrepresented groups and women in the field. The meeting will provide a platform for the development of long-term interdisciplinary interactions, and expose researchers in bioengineering, biology, and medicine to the latest ideas and opportunities at the confluence of CMBE. The second objective of this R13 application is to foster the emergence and growth of the burgeoning sub-field of CMBE.
The specific aims of this BMES-CMBE Conference are:
Aim #1 : Establish the current status of mechanobiology across developmental biology, tissue engineering/regenerative medicine, and disease processes. Invited speakers will address this overarching theme in the context of cellular and molecular bioengineering approaches via an overview of their work, with a special emphasis on attempting to understand and elucidate biophysical cues that are unique, or shared, in the processes of tissue formation, regeneration, and degeneration.
Aim #2 : Brainstorm gaps in knowledge and problem areas in CMBE research with a focus on biophysical cues occurring throughout development, aging, and/or disease progression that should be further investigated in our mechanobiology community to better affect translation, clinical practice, and patient care. This will provide clarity on important future directions in th CMBE field and guidelines and blueprints for the CMBE field to our organizations, and in general, to the broader CMBE community.
The emerging Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (CMBE) subfield represents an exciting area of research vital for the formulation of new strategies for both tissue regeneration and combating disease in the new millennium. The goal of this application is to seek funding for travel awards for students, fellows, and young independent investigators (Rising Stars) for the 2015 BMES-CMBE conference and to promote greater attendance by women and members of under-represented groups. The theme of this conference and the invited speakers have been assembled to bring engineers, clinicians, and biologists together to foster sharing of knowledge and the development of new approaches to understand how cells interpret biophysical stimuli.
