We seek financial support for a Keystone Symposium on Stroke that is focused exclusively on fundamental basic science research in acute ischemic brain injury and molecular and genetic mechanisms of recovery after stroke. The prestigious Keystone Symposia has never before devoted one of its conferences to stoke or acute ischemic brain injury. Rapid advances in basic research in stroke coupled with recurrent failures in applying the neuroprotective strategies in clinical trials have made it timely for Keystone Symposia to host such a conference. The proposed conference will be the beginning of a biennial Keystone Symposium on Stoke focusing on cutting edge basic science. This conference will invite leading basic researchers working on the fundamental mechanisms of acute ischemic brain and its recovery, a small number of clinician scientists who work on both the basic and clinical research in stroke, and experts in selected areas outside the field. The conference will be open to junior investigators including graduate students and postdoctors. A limited number of student and postdoctor applicants will be supported by travel fellowship proposed in this conference application. This conference will provide a unique forum for introducing innovative concepts and state-of-the-art research tools to stroke researchers. It will provide a much needed forum for interaction among the leading basic scientists and clinician scientists with the junior investigators to advance stroke research. The conference will be held at the Sagebrush Inn, in Taos, New Mexico from Saturday, March 9 to Thursday, March 14. Special efforts will be made to invite graduate students and postdoctors through the well established Keystone Symposia vehicles publicizing its conferences through printed meeting programs as well as the web site (www.keystonesymposia.org). The meeting proceedings will be posted in the well visited Internet Stroke Center website (www.strokecenter.org) and a meeting summary will be submitted to a leading stroke journal to disseminate the key views and findings presented in this conference. NIH funding is sought to support travel fellowship and cover travel expenses for a small number of invited speakers. Funds will also be raised from the pharmaceutical industry and private funding agencies to defray the meeting expenses. This conference, focusing on fundamental basic science on stroke, will be a much needed vehicle to advance stroke research.
