Aquatic animal models have played important roles in advancing our understanding of the origins of human disease and contributed to the study of drug targets and tests associated with the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease. The most-widely known aquatic model is the zebrafish, but the community of investigators exploiting the unique and varied attributes of aquatic animals to address heretofore unapproachable questions related to human disease is growing. These unique aquatic models represent a wide-range of innovative studies, methods and technologies that improve the conceptual understanding of the complexity of human disease. The Aquatic Animal Models for Human Disease Conference is the primary conference that focuses broadly on multiple aquatic models used to investigate the full range of human disease. The University of Alabama at Birmingham will host the 8th conference in this series in December 2016, bringing together researchers from the U.S. and around the world to engage in a program designed by recognized leaders in the field to provide state-of-the-art information on advances in the use of aquatic animals in biomedical research. The dissemination of information, formal and informal engagement in discussion, and collaborative exchange of ideas will be achieved through a series of platform and poster sessions and workshops. New investigators, women, investigators with disabilities and under-represented minorities will be actively recruited to participate in this meeting through mechanisms such as travel awards. Representatives from funding institutes will be invited and encouraged to participate in all aspects of the meeting, especially the final session on priorities of human disease research and strategies for guiding extramural support. Proceedings from past meetings have been published in special issues of a scientific journal and we will continue that mechanism for dissemination as well as attempt to publish a book providing a comprehensive review of the state of aquatic animal models and their use in human disease research. One outcome of these gatherings and this meeting in particular, is to provide new investigators with ideas, background, and mentoring required to improve the quality of grant applications submitted to multiple NIH institutes. Relevance to Public Health: The focus of this conference is on the development and application of animal models to study human disease. Aquatic animals have many advantages and attributes that make them superior choices compared to mammalian models to investigate complex scientific questions. The main outcome of this meeting will be dissemination of this knowledge, training and mentoring of new investigators in this field and will result in the pursuit of novel and innovative approaches designed to provide results, information and knowledge for improving human health across a broad collection of diseases.
Aquatic animals have demonstrated tremendous value to biomedical research as models of human disease. This conference will bring together senior scientists, new investigators, and graduate students form the US and around the world to explore the recent developments in technology, study design and data analysis and the latest applications of aquatic animals in the study of human diseases.
