Oxidative stress is gaining increased attention as an active field of research and it has been implicated in a variety of major disease processes, including neurodegenerative disorders, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and nutritional defects. While there ha been an enormous proliferation of scientific information during the last decade regarding the role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in cell injury and activation, the lack of a common platform for exchange of comprehensive information remains one of the central problems in this growing field. Herein, we request NIH funding and support to organize the first ever scientific meeting specifically devoted to bringing together scientists from several sub-disciplines of oxidative stress. The meeting will be held in one of the world's finest conference centers, in the heart of Vancouver, in August 1999. The goal of the meeting is to stimulate a cross-fertilization of scientific ideas among leading world experts in oxidative stress research. This meeting will feature plenary lectures, symposia, workshops, roundtable discussions and poster presentations. The program is designed to comprehensively cover recent advances in our understanding of the role of oxidative stress in the cause and pathogenesis of disease processes, and the means by which we can intervene in such perturbations. The NIH support will foster the participation of international authorities of oxidative stress research, senior and junior investigators, and will assist in encouraging women and minority researchers to participate in this unique opportunity.
