The Spring Brain Conference (SBC) was first organized in late 1989 to foster interdisciplinary communication among scientists studying different aspects of brain function in a format that stimulates significant interaction and discussion. The objective of the conference is to bring together top neuroscientists with varied backgrounds, interests and approaches expressly to promote the development of new strategies to investigate and stimulate the development of new therapeutic approaches to disorders of the CNS. SBC is held in Sedona, Arizona in mid-March. The dates for the next conference are March 16-19, 2005. Support is requested for meetings in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Registration and participation in the meeting is open. The meeting site, however, limits participants to a maximum of 100 scientists. In 2005, the conference will consist of 10-12 plenary scientific sessions each organized around a theme or topic. Sessions are chosen on a competitive basis and are presented in 2-4 oral presentations by recognized experts followed by open discussion. We request support for 1 established scientist, 3 Young Investigators and 6 Trainee Fellows to participate. Several sessions will be co-organized with program personnel from the NIH. For 2005, as in 2004, we will seek participation from different institutes such as: NINDS, NIA, NICHD, NIDA and NIMH. Two plenary lecturers will be invited to present expert overviews on topics of broad interest. We request support for a Keynote Speaker who gives the opening talk of conference. There will be a poster session, focusing on posters presented by young investigators/trainees/graduate students particularly young scientists from diverse background minority trainees. Over 70% of the budget is to support travel of these participants. The Young Investigators and Trainee Fellows will organize and participate in hands-on presentations to 180 Native American High School Children (grades 9-12) who are residents of the Kinlani Bordertown Dormitory in Flagstaff, AZ. This targeted outreach will be repeated over all 4 years of the grant to build relationships with this underrepresented group, and to attract them as new talent to the exciting field of neuroscience. In 2004, there was a significant increase in the number of women scientists participating in the SBC. Further increases in their participation at all levels are goals for the coming year. A report of the 2004 conference highlights is in press and will be posted on the web site. Such documentation and publication will be a part of all future SBC's. A preliminary announcement for the 2005 meeting is also in press. Broader advertisement will be purchased once the program is set and funding for this is requested also. Finally, funds are requested to partially defray costs of organizing and conducting the conference, collecting follow-up assessments, and supporting the meeting's web site.
| Kudryashova, Elena; Kramerova, Irina; Spencer, Melissa J (2012) Satellite cell senescence underlies myopathy in a mouse model of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy 2H. J Clin Invest 122:1764-76 |
| Anstrom, Kristin; Bergles, Dwight; Bradley, Katherine et al. (2004) 15th Annual Spring Brain Conference, March 10-13, 2004, summary report. Somatosens Mot Res 21:137-43 |
