The Women's Health Center of Excellence at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center began annual Graylyn Conferences on Women's Health for cutting-edge women's health research in 1995. Past conferences have focused on the effects of estrogen on the pathogenesis and prevention of atherosclerosis and cognitive decline, and have successfully disseminated new research on estrogen, heart disease and cognition. This year s conference, Women s Cognitive Health, will incorporate new issues in cognitive health, providing an overview on encoding, storage and retrieval, examining effects of diseases more prevalent in women and their treatments on cognitive functioning, exploring advances in the basic science of cognitive decline through animal models, and investigating advances in diagnostic criteria and new treatments. The conference will bring together leaders in the field to review current knowledge to guide research efforts toward promising avenues of research. Women's Cognitive Health will be held October 8-10, 2001 in Winston- Salem, NC. Meetings will be held in the handicap accessible Graylyn International Conference Center, where thirty-five rooms have been reserved for out of-town guests. Participants can fly into the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, NC. A shuttle service to and from the airport will be provided for speakers and is available to participants for $35, round-trip. The conference is intended to attract researchers who are involved in research on cognition, dementia, and learning. We will limit the audience to 100 attendees to foster discussion and input from participants. Participation by researchers will be encouraged at all academic levels by offering awards for excellent student and junior faculty poster presentations. A special effort will be made to attract women and minority investigators to the conference. Goals and Objectives of the Conference 1. Widen pool of knowledge from which to draw solutions by convening a small group or researchers who has knowledge particular to women's cognitive health. 2. Provide opportunities for researchers to present most recent data without compromising future publications. 3. Foster collaboration. 4. Encourage creativity in developing research strategies. 5. Provide participation opportunities for students and junior faculty. 6. Facilitate development of novel approaches to disease prevention, progression and treatment, which can be tested.
