The Aspen Cholesterol Conference is a symposium that has developed into a formal symposium that now attracts considerable attention. It is intended to be, and is becoming widely known as a prime opportunity for the interaction of those working in the fields of lipid metabolism, gastroenterology, hematology, and atherosclerosis. It is, after all, the action of the gastrointestinal tract and the anabolic and catabolic functions of the liver that determine the level of the lipoproteins that are so important in atherogenesis. A major objective of this symposium is to provide young investigators with the opportunity to participate in a meeting where outstanding scientists present and discuss their work in pleasant surroundings. The Board of Advisors of the Aspen Conference is committed to selecting 40 percent of the participants from among the ranks of young investigators, including advanced postdoctoral fellows and junior assistant professors. These are promising young scientists who have limited opportunity to attend the Gordon Conference on Lipid Metabolism or that on Atherosclerosis (held only every other year). Thus, this meeting serves an important function other than selecting a timely and stimulating topic. In targeting a specific group of young investigators, it provides a chance for promising junior scientists to interact in a congenial, relaxed and informal environment in a fashion that would not otherwise be available to the younger participants. The size of the symposium, limited as it is to just over 100 participants, facilitates this interaction.
