This application requests support for three years for the annual meeting of the Sun Valley Workshop on Skeletal Biology held in Sun Valley, Idaho 2004-2006. Participation will be limited to 150 attendees to maintain the small group, workshop atmosphere. The Sun Valley Workshops have a 35+ year tradition and originally grew out of an attempt to provide multidisciplinary training to younger scientists. The Workshops continue to emphasize active participation of junior faculty and students. The Workshops have been successful in promoting interdisciplinary communication, and are unusual in that discussion time equals or exceeds time allotted for formal presentation. The goals of this proposal are (1) to provide additional funds to support student and junior investigator attendance and (2) to stimulate junior and senior investigator interactions. The goals of the Workshop are to (1) work toward a multidisciplinary basic and clinical synthesis of molecular, tissue and biomechanical processes related to the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of bone and joint diseases; (2) develop a dialogue between basic and clinical investigators; (3) provide training workshops for junior faculty and students that help bridge the gaps between disciplines; (4) provide a forum for student training and the opportunity for junior faculty and students to talk with more senior scientists in a small group setting. The 34th Sun Valley Workshop will include sessions on Imaging of Bone and Joints; Bone Metastases; Calcium receptors: Potential for Novel Therapeutic Treatments for Osteoporosis; Novel Ways to Optimize Implant Fixation using Molecular Biology of the Implant Interface; and What Constitutes a Cure for Osteoporosis? In addition, one session is set aside for presentations by the six ASBMR/Harold M. Frost Young Investigator Travel Awardees. A Plenary session on the first evening is followed by a poster session and wine and cheese reception. An Advisory Panel is formed of session chairs. There are plans to advertise and distribute a summary of the workshop, partly using Web-based resources.
