The Serotonin Club is an international organization of about 650 biomedical scientists interested in research on serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine). The Serotonin Club is an authorized affiliate of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacological Societies (IUPHAR) and sponsors satellite meetings to the IUPHAR Congresses every 4 years. The next meeting will be held at Hokkaido University in Sapporo Japan June 27-30, 2006 as an official satellite of the 2006 World Congress of IUPHAR to be held in Beijing China. The overall goal of this program is to conduct an international meeting on serotonin research that will be of the highest possible scientific quality in order to attract and educate both young and senior investigators. The primary specific aim of this application is to provide financial support to young investigators to enable them to attend and participate in the Serotonin Club Meeting and thereby foster their careers in serotonin research. This year, 16 symposia including four speakers each will cover the full range of new findings regarding serotonin. Serotonin research is very relevant to human health, being germane to substance abuse, pain, cardiovascular systems, and digestive processes, and especially mental health. It is striking that serotonergic drugs are central to treatments of depression, schizophrenia, OCD, mania, anxiety, eating disorders, panic, and PTSD. Nevertheless, additional opportunities exist for novel therapeutics based on compounds having selective actions at specific serotonin receptors and that are only now being explored with new pharmacological tools. Serotonin Club meetings are typically the first place that leading scientists present their newest findings relevant to novel drug discovery and target validations involving serotonergic mechanisms. Accordingly, attendance and participation in the IUPHAR Serotonin Satellite meetings are often singular opportunities in the early careers of young investigators working on serotonin-related problems. Hence, support that would enable neuroscientists-in-training to attend the forthcoming Serotonin Meeting in Sapporo will have a positive influence on young investigators and in turn will have a lasting impact on the field. The Serotonin Club, an international organization of biomedical scientists interested in research on the neurotransmitter serotonin, organizes scientific meetings every other year. This application seeks support to enable young investigators to participate in the 2006 Serotonin Club Meeting. Serotonin research is important to substance abuse, pain, cardiovascular systems, digestive processes, and especially mental health. Serotonergic drugs are used to treat depression, schizophrenia, mania, anxiety, eating disorders, panic, and PTSD. Serotonin Club meetings are typically the first place that scientists present their newest discoveries about novel serotonergic drugs. Hence, helping neuroscientists-in-training attend the meeting will have a positive influence on trainees and a lasting impact on the field. ? ? ?
