This application seeks funding for travel costs to allow the attendance of 12 trainees or new investigators from the USA at the Aspen Perinatal Biology Symposium 2007 together with funding to support the travel and per diem costs of two senior US-based investigators to this meeting where they each will present an invited plenary lecture and take part in workshop sessions. The longstanding tradition of perinatal research in the US underpins our knowledge of the physiologic basis of fetal development. Cellular and molecular techniques incorporated into investigation in the last 10 years has allowed in depth understanding of the developmental basis of fetal physiology and the pathophysiology of preeclampsia, IUGR, diabetes and premature delivery, situations associated with perinatal morbidity and mortality. There has been a burgeoning recognition that life in utero is associated with the development of disease in adult life i.e. the developmental origins of health and adult disease or fetal programming. This has brought renewed interest in perinatal physiology. The perinatal research community is multidisciplinary; bringing together clinicians and basic scientists interested in maternal, fetal, and placental physiology and a substantial cadre of agricultural animal physiologists who perform comparative studies of great relevance to human physiology and development. It also has a strong tradition of training young basic and clinician scientists; a vital part of their training experience is the opportunity to present work in venues where they can interact with senior scientists, and receive the benefit of mentorship from role models. The North American perinatal research community specifically has been served by a series of meetings sponsored by FASEB. A condition of FASEB sponsorship is a strict requirement for inclusion of only senior investigators as invited speakers and a schedule including young investigators and trainees in poster sessions but not allowing them oral presentations or maximal opportunities to interact with senior investigators. At the last perinatal biology meeting it was decided to organize a stand alone meeting with a format allowing oral presentations by young investigators and opportunities for more interaction with senior investigators. This meeting will feature presentations from maternal, fetal, placental and agricultural animal research communities together around an integrated theme of """"""""The development of healthy offspring and the long term consequences of abnormal development."""""""" The meeting will be 2 1/2 days with eight oral plenary sessions each including new investigators, two for each system related to healthy offspring and development. Plenary sessions are accompanied by an interactive workshop session addressing controversial questions. Two 3-hour poster discussion sessions are scheduled and posters will be displayed for the entire meeting to allow time for in-depth discussion of work. Prizes will be awarded for the best poster presentations by trainees or new investigators. Trainees and new investigators will be selected based on review of submitted first author abstracts by the scientific committee for award of travel funds. The US-based senior investigators will be selected by the meeting organizers and PI of this proposal. There always is a high proportion (up to 40%) of women attendees, speakers and session chairs at perinatal research meetings ensuring adequate representation. Purpose The purpose of this conference grant application is to provide travel funds for 12 trainee/young investigators to help support their attendance at the 2007 Aspen Perinatal Biology Symposium. It will also provide support for two senior US- Based scientists to attend the meeting give a plenary presentation and participate in workshop sessions. The theme of the conference is """"""""The development of healthy offspring and the long term consequences of abnormal development."""""""" This has major public health consequences with the growing recognition that life in utero is a major determinant of disease in adult life. The conference will bring together in an integrated manner maternal, fetal and placental physiologists together with agricultural scientists using animal models of relevance to perinatal biology. ? ? ? ?
