The National Vitiligo Foundation (NVF) was organized to [1] disseminate information and support to patients with vitiligo and [2] to champion the recruitment of funds for research on this disease. In addition to this, the NVF desires to implement annual meetings of scientists and clinicians to coordinate, integrate, and accelerate the basic science and clinical research devoted to [1] understanding the etiology of this disease and [2] the development of treatments/cures for vitiligo. The goal of the 2004 First Annual National Vitiligo Foundation Scientific Conference (NVFSC) is to bring to this meeting scientists interested in the study of the genetic, cellular/molecular, immunological, and therapeutic basis for the etiology and treatment of vitiligo.
The specific aims of this proposal are to obtain partial funding for travel support for Keynote Symposium speakers, to provide travel support for a limited number of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and junior Faculty, and to obtain partial funding to run the conference in the form of rental of the lecture hall and audio/visual facilities. The Conference will be held at the Lister Hill National Center on the campus of the National Institutes of Health on April 27-28, 2004. The Conference will consist of four Symposiums/Discussions entitled [1] Analysis of the genetics of vitiligo, [2] Analysis of the cell biology of vitiligo, [3] Analysis of the immunology of vitiligo, and [4] Analysis of the clinical management of vitiligo. In addition, mini-symposiums will be organized for each of the sessions.
