The 2018 GRC on the Biology of Host-Parasite Interactions is focused on new molecular and translational advances in parasitic diseases. The conference will emphasize the fundamental biology of a wide range of human and veterinarian pathogens that cause malaria, toxoplasmosis, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, amoebiasis and worm infections.
The aim of the meeting is to bring together scientists from all over the globe to share and synthesize knowledge to improve the fundamental understanding of these parasites, but also to drive future control and elimination research agendas. A wide range of topics will be covered at the conference, including global impact of parasitic pathogens on human health, genome and gene expression, pathogenesis and host cell remodeling, antigenic variation, metabolic vulnerabilities and parasite-to-parasite communication. Additionally, the program will also include translational areas, such as drug development and challenges to effective treatment, drug resistance, immunity and vaccines. The breadth of this meeting is unique in the field, and it is the only meeting that provides an opportunity for investigators working on both worm and protozoal pathogens, using the full range of scientific approaches to meet and interact. The conference program has been designed to cover this broad range of topics and we already have commitments from top scientists in the field to attend and speak. In addition, we will select short talks from abstracts, and these talks will be added to each session of the conference to broaden diversity. Prior to the GRC conference, there will be a Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), which offers a unique opportunity for postdocs and graduate students to organize and run their own conference, to present their work through talks and posters, and to exchange ideas at the forefront of research in a serene but stimulating atmosphere at the Salve Regina University Campus, Newport. Talks for the GRS will be selected from submitted abstracts reporting latest ground-breaking findings. Students, post-docs and early career scientists are strongly encouraged to apply to both the GRC and GRS. Special efforts are also being made to raise funds to provide individuals from endemic countries with support.
Diseases caused by infection with parasites inflict a tremendous toll on human health both nationally and globally. The Gordon Research Conference on Host-parasite Interactions is the most prominent venue for scientific exchange at the leading edge of modern parasite research. This conference provides scientists with the opportunity to gain an overview of the entire field, to learn about the most recent and most exciting advances, and to discuss and set the national and global research agenda for the future.
