Funds are sought to cover partial support of the Gordon Research Conference on Calcium Signaling to be held at Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, July 6-11. The meeting provides a unique multidisciplinary forum for exchange of ideas and information in the field of Ca>signaling, a fundamental form of cellular control common to all eukaryotic organisms, from yeast to mammals. A particular strength of the meeting is its ability to stimulate international interactions between workers using a variety of organisms and cellular systems and with interests that range from fundamental mechanisms to disease states. The primary objective is to facilitate successful interactions between new and established investigators. Highest priority will be given to the selection of, and provision of funds for, junior scientists (student and postdoctoral trainees), women scientists, under-represented minority scientists and international participants. The conference will include 8 discussion sessions, each lead by a prominent member of the field (established and young) with experience in maximizing interactive exchange. There will also be two poster sessions. The main sessions will emphasize the role of Ca 2+ in controlling fundamental cell functions. These include the regulation of Ca 2+ fluxes at the plasma membrane, the spatial and temporal control of Ca 2+ signaling events, and the roles of Ca 2+ signaling in sensory systems (olfaction, taste, smell, temperature), exocytosis, cellular energetics, cell death and cardiac and neuronal diseases. Chairs and speakers include female scientists (3/8 chairs and 6/24 speakers) and a combination of established and successful younger investigators. They represent an array of cellular systems and different techniques ranging from structural and molecular biological analyses and manipulation of the Ca2+ signaling machinery in model systems and in vivo, to pioneering micro-imaging technology in subcellular compartments to observe the generation and propagation of Ca2+ signals. Participants are drawn from backgrounds that include biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, molecular biology, biophysics and pharmacology; all share a primary interest in understanding the mechanisms and significance of Ca 2+ signaling in cells. The topics included at this meeting are both fundamentally important and directly relevant to an understanding of significant diseases, including cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and sensory diseases, ageing, diabetes, cancer, and the effects of environmental toxins on human health.
