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 15-18, 2006. Support is requested for meetings in 2006 and 2007. Registration and participation in the meeting is open. The meeting site, however, limits participants to a maximum of 100 scientists. In 2006, 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 given in 2-4 oral presentations by recognized experts followed by open discussion. We request support for 1 established scientist, 3 Young Investigators and 5 Trainee Fellows to participate. Several sessions will be organized by or in collaboration with program personnel from the NIH. For 2006, as in 2005, we will again encourage participation by staff 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 participation by 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 expand on the successful interactions in 2005. We will continue and deepen this unique effort over the next 2 years of the grant. We are in a position to build unique relationships with under-represented Native Americans. A goal is to attract new talent from this group to the exciting field of neuroscience, biology and medicine. In 2005 the increase in the number of women scientists participating in the SBC was sustained. Further increasing participation of women scientists in all aspects of this conference remains a major goal for coming years. A report of the 2005 conference highlights will be in press soon and will be posted on the web site. A preliminary announcement for the 2006 meeting is in press. Once the program is set, advertisements (and materials) will be purchased for which funding is requested. 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 |
