Partial support is requested for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, and junior and midcareer faculty to participate in the Gordon Research Seminar and Conference (GRS/GRC) entitled ?Plasminogen Activation and Extracellular proteolysis?, which will be held in Ventura, CA on February 8-9 and 9-14, 2020. This will be the 16th GRC, as the conference has been held continuously every two years since 1990. The focus of the 2020 GRC will be on mechanisms and functions of extracellular proteolytic enzymes, such as fibrin(ogen), thrombin, plasmin(ogen), plasminogen activators, their precursors and effectors. Recent data suggest that the expression of these blood proteases may be related to diseases associated with normal and pathological processes. Our invited speakers and discussion leaders will present their recent and emerging work, and emphasis will be placed on the roles of these proteins in pathophysiological events including deteriorating cerebrovascular function with aging, coagulopathies and cerebral ischemia, musculoskeletal and neurodegenerative diseases associated with depositions of fibrin, development of cancer, inflammatory diseases, and the technological advances in targeting them for the generation of new treatments. One of the major goals for the 2020 GRC meeting is translating basic research into the clinic. Attendees will be selected by invitation and from applications submitted online. They will be chosen to represent a diverse spectrum of research, and a strong emphasis will be made on the inclusion of women and scientists from underrepresented groups. An intended strength of this meeting will be the interaction and networking of the young scientists in the field, with the discussion leaders and the speakers. The associated GRS, which is a much younger feature of the conference, will provide a unique opportunity for trainees and scientists to share in the GRC experience. This two-day seminar will be organized by Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows with the support of leading researchers and the GRC Chairs, and will allow junior researchers within the field of plasminogen activation and extracellular proteolysis to come together to discuss their current research, while building informal networks with their peers that may lead to a lifetime of collaboration and scientific achievement.
Plasminogen activation and extracellular proteolysis are rapidly advancing research areas as they intersect with basic science and clinical research. Critical roles for these proteins are identified in many disorders related to the circulatory system, including heart attack, deep vein thrombosis, hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke as well as cancer, neurological disorders, musculoskeletal and infectious diseases. It is increasingly evident that research in this area is critical for the development of new ways to treat these disorders.
