The PanAmerican Society for Pigment Cell Research is preparing to hold its 14th Annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois to bring together researchers and clinicians involved in the field of pigmentation research. Within the vast field of cutaneous biology, pigmentation is a growing area of research and the theme of the meeting, 'pigmentation and diversity' ? touches on unique facets and diverse topics of a public health interest that relate to the biochemistry of pigmentation, melanosomes and immune recognition, stem cells and malignant transformation, gene expression and neural crest development, environmental effects on pigmentation, health disparities and pigmentary disorders, inheritance of skin coloration and sociobiology, and animal models and treatment of pigmentary disorders. These research topics share conjoined areas of interest, and our Annual Meeting allows basic researchers and clinicians with a primary or derivative interest in pigmentation to communicate novel and unpublished research data and treatment outcomes. Such sharing of data in an informal environment inevitably contributes to the development of novel collaborations. At the 14th Annual meeting, we propose to attract both basic scientists and clinicians taking an interest in pigmentary disorders and in applying existing knowledge towards the treatment of underserved patient populations. A Chicago location for the '07 meeting will allow relatively easy and affordable access to the meeting for US based researchers and clinicians. The objectives of the current application for funding of the '07 meeting for the PanAmerican Meeting for Pigment Cell Research are summarized as follows: 1] To support travel, accommodations and registration arrangements for keynote speakers, who will provide novel and broad perspectives on pigmentation research 2] To support young investigators (travel, sustenance) in the field of pigmentation research who are expected to take advantage of the research overviews provided by keynote speakers and share their fresh perspective on current research concepts. 3] To enhance the PASPCR '07 meeting experience by offering CME accreditation, poster presentation opportunities and up-to-date audiovisual support, including teleconferencing and on-site technical aid for individual conference sessions. ? ? ? ?
