On May 3 and 4, 2002, the Lymphatic Research Foundation (LRF) will sponsor an important conference at the Natcher Center of the National Institutes of Health, entitled The Lymphatic Continuum. The meeting will address the interface between lymphatic research and multiple expressions of human disease, including cancer, infection, metabolism, wound healing and fibrosis, immune disorders, and vascular and developmental biology, among others. The participating scientists and investigators will share their perspectives on the current research efforts in various disciplines that represent the potential research methodologies and approaches to be applied to future investigative efforts in lymphatic biology, pathophysiology, and therapeutics. The conference will serve as a forum for active and interested investigators to share state-of-the-art research perspectives and will elucidate the potential for dynamic cross-fertilization of seemingly disparate research techniques and questions to foster advances in lymphatic biology. In addition, a key goal of the conference will be to introduce young scientists and trainees, drawn from potentially interrelated investigative disciplines, to the exciting research opportunities in the field of lymphatic biology and disease. These opportunities have recently been enhanced through the publication of a Program Announcement (PA-01-035) soliciting research into the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Lymphedema. It is, therefore, a specific goal of this conference to foster awareness of this program announcement, through the direct stimulation of interest in research topics in lymphatic biology. CME credits for attendance at the plenary session will be offered through the Stanford University School of Medicine. The first day's lectures will address various topics that are germane to the lymphatic continuum, including vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, the genetics of lymphatic disorders, muscle cell biology, interstitial signaling mechanisms, and others. The first day of the conference will be open to all interested scientists and clinicians. On the second day of the symposium, attendance will be limited to a working nucleus of 50-60 invited participants in order to encourage open discussion and formulation of theoretical research agendas.
