? This proposal seeks funds to provide 30 travel awards of $750 each to trainee investigators (graduate ? students, residents, clinical and postdoctoral fellows and faculty below the rank of Assistant Professor) to participate in the Fall 2006 meeting of the Society for Basic Urologic Research (SBUR) which will be held in Phoenix, AZ on November 16-19th. The SBUR is a society of scientists specializing in research on benign and malignant urologic diseases as the basic biology of prostate, kidney and bladder. The membership also has broader interests in other areas including autoimmune urologic diseases, infectious diseases, neuro-urologic diseases, male reproductive biology, infertility and erectile dysfunction. This 2006 meeting turns to the idea of stromal-epithelial interactions in urology. Microenvironmental influences are accepted as key players in carcinogenesis in addition to their more traditionally defined roles in development. We will explore the role of stromal-epithelial interactions in developmental, benign and malignant diseases of the urogenital tract. The trainee attendees will be provided with opportunities to network among their peers and with more senior and established members of the Society and to present their data at poster sessions and in selected cases as ? podium presentations. The invited speakers are, without exception, the leaders in their respective field with extensive knowledge and experience to offer. The SBUR annual meetings have always been representative of the highest level of research accomplishments in the topic areas and themes chosen for each meeting. The atmosphere of the Society and its meetings are personable and informal, providing encouragement and unique opportunities for students and post-doctoral fellows to participate and establish collaborations. In order for such interactions to occur, these trainee investigators need support for their travel expenses and hotel costs. If funded this proposal will contribute significantly to the support available and will thus contribute significantly to the success of the educational objectives of this meeting. ? ? ?
