Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle): McDowell, Mary Ann PROJECT SUMMARY This proposal requests funds to support vector biologists to attend the 10th Arthropod Genomics Symposium (AGS) hosted at the University of Notre Dame campus from June 8 -10, 2017. The AGS is the international forum for arthropod genomics research and fosters technology and knowledge exchange between bioinformatics, genomics, and fundamental and applied arthropod research. While the philosophy of the symposium is to cover a broad range of phylogenetic arthropod groups, a substantial focus has been on arthropod vectors of human disease. The 2017 symposium will be an open meeting of approximately 250 participants. The proposed agenda offers a keynote speaker, Dr. George Christophides, Imperial College, London and invited speakers presenting in sessions the areas of i5K/Emerging Genomes, Ecological/Population Genomics, Functional Genomics, Vector genomics, Metagenomics, and Sensory Genomics, highlighting vector biologists in each session. The program will be augmented by shorter talks chosen from submitted poster abstracts, and two poster sessions for which we anticipate 60-70 posters based on past participation. WE will provide a pre-meeting workshop on arthropod informatics, with leading experts in the field to train attendees, particularly young scientists and established investigators moving into the insect genetics and genomics field. Our over-arching goal remains to increase genomics research in the field of vector biology. Progress towards this goal will continued to be made through the following specific aims: (1) supplementing genomics training for early stage vector biologists; (2) Recruiting arthropod genomics researchers to the vector biology field; and (3) exposing nonvector arthropod genomics researchers to the field of vector biology we propose to support the travel of accomplished vector biologists working in the genomics field to present their work. The significance of this application lays in the key function of genomic information to modern vector biology research. Its innovation is the AGS's unique ability to bring together experts in vector biology, genomics, bioinformatics, and genomics technology developers. The meeting is public health relevant as research capacity building in cutting edge genomics research is crucial for the development of novel tools to combat and prevent vector-borne diseases. OMB No. 0925-0001/0002 (Rev. 03/16 Approved Through 10/31/2018) Page Continuation Format Page
McDowell, Mary Ann PROJECT NARRATIVE Vector-borne diseases, especially malaria and Dengue continue to be major public health problems world- wide, with roughly half of the world population at risk. In addition, emerging vector-borne diseases, like Zika, pose new threats in geographic areas currently free from such plight. The proposed meeting support is relevant to public health because building research capacity in cutting edge genomics research is crucial for the development of novel tools to combat and prevent vector-borne diseases. Therefore, the proposed project is relevant to the NIH-NIAID's mission in relation to the understanding and prevention of re-emerging infectious diseases. OMB No. 0925-0001/0002 (Rev. 03/16 Approved Through 10/31/2018) Page Continuation Format Page
