This application requests support for three years for the annual meeting of the Sun Valley Workshop on Skeletal Biology held in Sun Valley, Idaho, 2001- 2003. Participation will be limited to 150 attendees to maintain the small group, workshop atmosphere. The Sun Valley Workshops have a 30 year tradition and originally grew out of an attempt to provide multidisciplinary training to younger scientists. The Workshops continue to emphasize active participation of junior faculty and students. The Workshops have promoted interdisciplinary communication and the discussion time equals or exceeds time allotted for formal presentation. The goals of these efforts are (1) to provide additional funds to support student and junior investigator attendance and (2) to stimulate junior and senior investigator interactions. The goals of the Workshop are to (1) work toward a multidisciplinary basic and clinical synthesis of molecular, tissue and biomechanical processes related to the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of bone disease; (2) develop dialogue between basic and clinical investigators; (3) provide training workshops for junior faculty and students that help bridge the gaps between disciplines; (4) provide a forum for student training and the opportunity for junior faculty and students to talk with more senior scientists in a small group setting. The theme of the 31st Sun Valley Workshop is New Directions for In Vivo Research, with five topics covering Osteoporosis in Men and Women, Genetics and Mechanical Loading Sensitivity, Osteocyte Roles in Cell Signaling, Skeletal Development and Tissue Regeneration, and Neurotransmitter Functions and Bone Remodeling, followed by a general discussion in which new directions will be identified and potential collaborations and experiments developed. Session chairs and speakers have been identified. The Advisory Panel is composed of session chairs. A plan is presented for supporting junior scientists and for encouraging interaction with other junior and senior scientists. There are plans to advertise and distribute a summary of the workshop, partly using Web-based, resources.
