This application requests support for the annual meeting of the Sun Valley Workshop on Skeletal Biology held in Sun Valley, Idaho, August 5-8, 2011. The Sun Valley Workshops have a 40 year tradition that 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 been successful in promoting interdisciplinary communication, and are unusual in that discussion time equals or exceeds time allotted for formal presentation. 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 and joint diseases;(2) develop a 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 investigators to talk with more senior scientists i a small group setting. A partnership between the Workshop and the International Bone and Mineral Society (IBMS) has improved marketing, especially internationally, and provides maximum visibility through IBMS BoneKEy broadcast emails and links on the IBMS website. The 42nd Sun Valley Workshop is focused on two themes. Three sessions will explore the mechanobiology of development, tissue regeneration, and the inflammasome (through peri-prosthetic implant remodeling). The Workshop will be anchored by sessions on bone quality that target glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, and osteocyte physiology. Numerous opportunities are provided for junior investigators to interact with more senior investigators. The Sunday evening session is set aside for a Plenary Lecture, followed by a Poster Session highlighting submitted abstracts. Nine ASBMR/Harold M. Frost Young Investigator Awardees will present their work from the podium. There are plans to advertise and distribute a summary of the workshop using Web-based resources and through publication in BoneKEy. Performance Site Sun Valley, Idaho
This Workshop is relevant to public health concerns because it brings a multi-disciplinary group of senior and junior scientists together to discuss new strategies to improve limb regeneration, periprosthetic implant success, and the use of stem cells to treat a variety of musculoskeletal injuries or developmental anomalies. The pathogenesis and treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis will also be discussed. The Workshop provides vertically-oriented information, from the basic science to clinical pathology, to practitioners and scientists who may not be completely familiar with all aspects of these diseases of public health concern.
