We seek $20,000 in support from NIA to match $37,500 already raised (including $20,000 from Hebrew University) to host a meeting in 2008, in Jerusalem, Israel, on the topic """"""""Early Detection of Alzheimer's Disease: Promoting Interdisciplinary and International Communication and Collaboration (The 2nd Joint US-Israeli- Palestinian Brain Conference)"""""""". This meeting is the second in a series of international neuroscience and neurology meetings organized by Mark Gluck, of Rutgers University, in collaboration with Hebrew University and the Al Quds Palestinian Medical School. For the 2008 conference, we plan a satellite session on """"""""Clinical Perspectives on Alzheimer's Disease in the Middle East"""""""" to be hosted by the Al Quds Palestinian Medical School, at their campus in the West Bank just a few miles east of Jerusalem. This satellite session, organized by Al Quds, will include neurologists from Jordan, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, and the Palestinian territories speaking about regional clinical issues in Alzheimer's diagnosis and treatment, with the goal of promoting further regional clinical and research cooperation and communication (especially between Israel and her Arab neighbors). The main scientific research program for the 2008 meeting will focus on basic research of direct relevance to the NIA: Early detection of Alzheimer's disease. The scientific sessions will take place at Hebrew University and will review new technological advances in understanding the brain mechanisms of memory loss and brain damage in early stages of Alzheimer's disease, and how interdisciplinary and international collaboration can inform future novel diagnostics and therapeutics for early Alzheimer's disease. As described in more detail in the main proposal, each of the six scientific sessions addresses the topic of early detection of Alzheimer's disease from a different interdisciplinary perspective including (1) genetics, (2) neuropsychology, (3) drug development, (4) neuroimaging, (5) computational neuroscience, and (6) Information technology tools. The meeting will leverage the international location and broad interdisciplinary and international participation to explore, highlight, and promote new avenues of communication and understanding among scientists and doctors from several different disciplines who can all contribute to the creation of novel experimental and clinical advances relating to the early detection (and treatment) of AD. The international component of the meeting - especially the broad participation of Israeli doctors, scientists, students and postdoctoral fellows (both as speakers, poster-presenters, and attendees) will expand communication and future US-Israeli collaboration. The meeting will leverage the international location and broad interdisciplinary and international participation to explore, highlight, and promote new avenues of communication and understanding among scientists and doctors from several different disciplines who can all contribute to the creation of novel experimental and clinical advances relating to the early detection (and treatment) of AD; the international component of the meeting - especially the broad participation of Israeli doctors, scientists, students and postdoctoral fellows (both as speakers, poster-presenters, and attendees) will expand communication and promote future US-Israeli collaboration. ? ? ?
