Support is requested for the next annual meeting of the American Society for Neurochemistry, the 2006 meeting to be held in Portland, Oregon from March 11-15, 2006. To accommodate the breadth of neurochemistry as well as cellular and molecular neurobiology, the ASN programs traditionally build its scientific program around four interwoven, but distinct, themes. 1) Building the Nervous System: Sessions in this theme address the neurobiology of stem cells, the generation of cell diversity, elaboration of neuronal cytoarchitecture, specificity of synapse formation and the role of growth factors during development. 2) Metabolism and Cell and Molecular Neuroscience: Sessions under this theme deal with basic mechanisms applicable in a wide range of health issues ranging form metabolism to neurotransmitter function and from cell motility to molecular cell structure. 3) Glial Mechanisms and Injury: The crucial role of non-neuronal cells in neural development and pathogenesis are explored in sessions that address basic glial biology and the role of the glia in diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's Disease, and CNS injury. 4) Neuronal Degeneration and Disease: This theme addresses studies on the molecular mechanisms of neuron development, neurodegeneration, and the contributions of neurotransmitters to disease. These themes have been selected to increase our understanding of the cellular and molecular bases of neural development and disease. They provide a framework for in depth presentation of important new studies in molecular and cellular neurobiology. Additionally, we have a day-long Pre-Meeting Workshop, which this year focuses on """"""""Identifying Glial: Neuronal Interactions: New Approaches and New Insights"""""""". ASN has traditionally focused on involving junior investigators, and NIH support for previous ASN meetings has been invaluable for supporting the high quality ASN scientific programs and for making these programs accessible to graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, junior faculty and minorities. ? ? ?
