This application is to request support for a Keystone Symposia meeting entitled Developmental Origins and Epigenesis in Human Health and Disease, organized by Drs. Judith Swain, Peter Gluckman, Michael Meaney and Anne Ferguson-Smith, which will be held in Singapore from April 26 - 30, 2010. This meeting program is designed to cover the newest concepts in processes regulating developmental plasticity. The emphasis is on human development and on the role that early development plays in the susceptibility to chronic diseases, such as diabetes and obesity, and in shaping such functions as cognitive development. A major focus of the meeting is the role of epigenetic regulation in modulating developmental pathways. This symposium extends from basic biology (e.g., the study of model organisms and of basic epigenetic processes) to the role of epigenetics in human metabolic and neurological diseases, as well as in aging. The invited speakers are drawn from experts throughout the world, with a significant number from North America. The speakers represent a wide range of disciplines including basic epigenetics, developmental biology, evolutional biology, disease-oriented research, and clinical research. The expected attendees will be drawn from faculty and trainees from universities, research institutes, and industry with an interest in developmental pathways influencing human health and disease. This conference is unique in that it encompasses basic epigenetic mechanisms in developmental biology and evolution, and ties these concepts to human developmental processes and human diseases. The conference venue in Singapore, an English-speaking country with advanced infrastructure and a gateway from the West to Asia, is an ideal setting to draw participants from the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. PROJECT NARRATIVE: It has become clear that the environment of the fetus and neonate plays an important role in the health and development of individuals. The Keystone Symposia on Developmental Origins and Epigenesis in Human Health and Disease will assemble investigators from many fields, namely developmental biology, evolutionary biology, epigenetics, neuroscience, and disease-oriented clinical research. This meeting will foster development of new ideas about the role that development plays in normal growth and in chronic disease susceptibility. The science discussed here has the potential to lead to the development of diagnostics and new treatments to identify and treat at-risk infants and children.
It has become clear that the environment of the fetus and neonate plays an important role in the health and development of individuals. The Keystone Symposia meeting on Developmental Origins and Epigenesis in Human Health and Disease will assemble investigators from many fields, namely developmental biology, evolutionary biology, epigenetics, neuroscience, and disease-oriented clinical research. This meeting will foster development of new ideas about the role that development plays in normal growth and in chronic disease susceptibility. The science discussed here has the potential to lead to the development of diagnostics and new treatments to identify and treat at-risk infants and children.
