Humans possess limited regenerative capacity in response to traumatic injury or disease; however, many animals can regenerate complex tissues, and in some cases, whole organs. Planarian flatworms are an emerging model with astonishing regenerative abilities derived from an abundant and experimentally accessible population of pluripotent stem cells. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of whole-body regeneration and organogenesis in planarians has important implications for the field of regenerative medicine. To provide a forum for researchers with a shared interest in the cellular and molecular basis of planarian regeneration to discuss new research, knowledge gaps, and future directions of the field, we will be organizing the International Planarian Meeting (IPM) in 2018. The IPM will bring together scientists from around the world with expertise in a wide range of disciplines and approaches, including stem cell and regenerative biology, molecular and cellular biology, developmental biology, parasitology, ?omic? technologies, and biomedical imaging. The meeting will focus on the following areas: (1) in vivo regulation of pluripotent stem cells and cell fate choice; (2) stem cell-driven organogenesis (3) comparing and contrasting embryonic development and regeneration; (4) germ cell specification and development; (5) understanding divergent regenerative abilities amongst flatworms; and (6) using planarians to understand parasitic flatworms. The IPM also aims to support the career development of junior researchers, including women, and scientists from underrepresented backgrounds. The IPM is unique in that all presentations will be selected from abstracts submitted by new investigators and trainees. This will give young scientists the opportunity to present their research and receive constructive feedback from their peers as well as leaders in the field. Additionally, all meeting attendees will have the opportunity to present their work in poster sessions, and the IPM will also host a Career Development Workshop to help junior investigators and trainees build successful scientific careers. Support from the NIH for the IPM would help ensure the success of this inaugural event. Keeping costs low is critical to enabling researchers and trainees from diverse institutions (from large universities to small liberal arts colleges) to attend this meeting. A successful IPM will help drive new advances in our understanding of how stem cells can drive tissue and organ regeneration. !
This proposal seeks funds to support the International Planarian Meeting, to be held in Madison, WI from July 16 through July 20, 2018. This interdisciplinary meeting will enable researchers from around the world to present current work and discuss future challenges in understanding stem cell-driven regeneration in flatworms, research that has important implications for the field of regenerative medicine.
