This application requests support for the Eighth to Tenth Annual Meetings of the Organization April 24-26, 2014 on the Twin Cities Campus of the University of Minnesota, with the 2015 for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD). The Eighth Annual Meeting of the OSSD will be held meeting sponsored by Stanford University (and held in San Francisco, CA) and the 2016 meeting sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania. The mission of the OSSD is to enhance knowledge of the biological basis of sex/gender differences in health and disease by facilitating interdisciplinary communication and collaboration among scientists and clinicians from diverse scientific and professional backgrounds. The primary goal of the OSSD annual meeting is to provide a forum for scientists to explore aspects of sex differences research at the genetic, molecular, cellular, organ, and systems levels in humans and model systems. The annual meeting consists of three independent symposia (one focused on New Investigators), ten parallel session symposia, and two poster sessions (highlighting the work of new investigators and trainees). Preliminary symposium topics for the 2014 meeting include: treatment of disorders of sexual development and gender dysphoria; sex differences in epigenetic mechanisms; sex differences in addiction; sex differences in response to neonatal hypoxic insult; report from the NIH SCOR programs; sex differences in drug and device development; sex, hypertension and the immune system; sex differences in the research pipeline; sex specific risk for cardiovascular disease; sex and gender differences in eating disorders. The OSSD Program Committee selects symposia topics from among proposals submitted by the membership. Proposals were selected on the basis of scientific merit, relevance to the goals of the OSSD, a balance of basic and clinical speakers, and rotation of topics of interest across annual meetings. The size and format of this meeting (150-200 participants) provides an excellent opportunity for networking opportunities and interactive discussions. Funds are requested to support registration fees for invited speakers (established, junior and trainee), travel expenses for junior investigators and trainees, and expenses related to the OSSD Annual Meeting Program Book and necessary audio-visual equipment rentals and associated technical support. The annual meeting program, including speaker and poster abstracts will be freely available on the OSSD website. We will partner with the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN to organize this event and will request support from the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, local businesses, and private donors and foundations to help cover non-NIH costs.
This proposal requests partial support for the eighth through tenth Annual Meetings of the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) to be held in 2014 in Minneapolis, 2015 in San Francisco, and 2016 in Philadelphia. The OSSD is a scientific membership society with the mission to enhance the knowledge of sex/gender differences in human health and disease by facilitating interdisciplinary communication and collaboration among scientists and clinicians from diverse backgrounds.
