The funds requested herein are for support of 25 pre- and post- doctoral trainees to attend the conference of the Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society, (PNIRS) entitled, """"""""Research Perspectives in Psychoneuroimmunology IX to be held in Galveston, Texas (April 28th to May 1st, 1999). This is the ninth in a series of international conferences in this field. At present, there are over 200 members of the PNIRS from the U.S. and abroad, of whom about 25 percent are trainee members. The officers are: John Sheridan, President; Virginia Sanders, Secretary/Treasurer; Keith Kelley, President-elect; George Solomon, Past-president. A Program Committee chaired by John Sheridan includes Suzanne Stevens-Felten, Cobi Heijnen, Rodney Johnson, Keith Kelley, Donald Lysle, Virginia Sanders, Linda Watkins, and Richard Weber. This committee is charged with organizing the scientific program and selecting the abstracts for presentation. That psychological factors alter the susceptibility to illness and affect disease progression has been suggested by a considerable body of research. To determine the mechanisms by which psychological factors have this effect, it is essential that interactions among immunologists, neuroscientists, and behavioral scientists be promoted and enabled. This conference will provide an outstanding opportunity for trainees to interact with researchers in the field of psychoneuroimmunology (nervous-immune system interactions and their clinical implications). They will learn about available resources for collaborative work, additional training opportunities, and concerns regarding technical aspects of analysis in the areas of immunology, neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, endocrinology, psychology, and health evaluations, among others. As we conceptualize this conference, it will provide exciting directions for future research. The conference program will include the seventh Norman Cousins Lecture, three symposia, plenary presentations, short oral presentations, poster sessions, and informal group discussions. The oral and poster sessions will be selected from abstracts submitted to the Program Committee. Special efforts will be made at this meeting to foster research collaborations and provide opportunities for students to meet with senior investigators. Special venues will enable student-senior scientists and student-student interactions. A further request is made to fund this meeting annually for a total of five years. While the meeting venue will be moved each year, the organizational structure, meeting objectives, and training opportunities for fellows will remain unchanged.
