This application requests support for the 5th International Conference on Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, to be held September 8-10, 2016 at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT. The 2016 Boston conference will bring together international leaders in laboratory- and patient-based research and clinical care in the rapidly growing and increasingly recognized field of cerebral amyloid angiopathy, one of the two major sporadic small vessel brain diseases. Notable features of the 2016 meeting are: ? Leadership and confirmed speakers representing cutting-edge research across the biology, experimental modeling, neuropathology, genetics, in vivo neuroimaging, diagnosis, clinical course, and treatment of cerebral amyloid angiopathy; ? Explicit focus on bringing together laboratory scientists, patient-based investigators, and clinicians in a highly interactive and collaborative environment; ? Symposia addressing the most active areas in the field, including amyloid clearance via the glymphatic system, immunotherapy as a candidate treatment approach, the pathogenesis of microinfarcts, and implications for clinical care; ? A data-driven collaborative analysis of the diagnosis of cerebral amyloid angiopathy during life, designed to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Boston Criteria and to result in a definitive collaborative publication; ? Specific plans for promoting training of junior participants and achieving appropriate representation of women (already prominently featured among leadership and keynote speakers), racial/ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and other underrepresented groups, including travel awards to junior applicants with strong preference for underrepresented group applicants; ? A robust conference infrastructure based on the International CAA Association and active international and local organizing committees. Prior International Conferences on Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy have consistently yielded high-level discussions, new collaborations, and greater cohesion of the international community. Based on the field's rapid scientific progress, the 2016 Boston conference promises to equal or surpass these past successes.
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is one of the most common age-related diseases of the brain's small blood vessels and a key contributor to bleeding strokes and memory loss. We request support for the 5th International Conference on Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy to be held September 8-10, 2016 in Boston as a great mechanism for building cross-disciplinary collaborations and furthering scientific progress in this exciting and important field.
