This application proposes funding for the 10th meeting of the International Myotonic Dystrophy Consortium (IDMC-10). IDMC-10 is scheduled to convene in Paris, France from June 8th to June 12th, 2015. The conference will bring together top scientists from around the world to discuss high-impact, interdisciplinary research on myotonic dystrophy (DM). The objective of the conference is to promote scientific discussion and facilitate interdisciplinary exchange. This meeting brings together leading basic researchers in the field with clinicians and clinical investigators representing a broad range of specialties including: neurology, cardiology, anesthesiology, clinical trials, neurobiology, pathology, genetics and molecular biology. Their interactions and discussions stimulate new approaches to research and clinical care and provide opportunities to develop and strengthen collaborative studies. New focus at IDMC-10 will be the participation of young investigators during poster and oral presentation and by fostering opportunities for collaboration and mentorships with senior faculty. Funding from the NIH will be instrumental in allowing several graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and other young investigators to attend this meeting. Discussions on therapeutic development will be expanded upon at IDMC-10. There will be more time allocated for discussions on the development of new therapeutic strategies in model systems and the development of endpoint measures and biomarkers for use in current and future treatment trials. The first day of IDMC-10 will include: registration; a satellite symposium on outcome measures to assess disease progression in myotonic dystrophy; keynote lectures; and a welcoming reception. The subsequent three days of the meeting will be devoted to scientific sessions in which researchers and clinicians present peer-reviewed, selected abstracts on basic, clinical and translational research topics. The scientific sessions begin at 8:00 AM and conclude between 5:30 to 7:30 PM each day. There will be two formal poster sessions. Posters will be displayed during the entire meeting. All the sessions at IDMC-10 will focus on cutting edge topics and research, such as, disease mechanisms of DM, animal and cell models, clinical aspects and management of disease symptoms, and therapeutic development. On the final day, there will be patient-oriented sessions to promote discussion among patients, care-givers, representatives of patient advocacy groups, clinicians, and investigators. These sessions will be in lay terms to encourage interaction and exchanges of ideas among patients and investigators. The final afternoon will begin with highlights from the previous sessions, followed by advocacy group presentations, and a session for questions from patients and family members.
This application proposes funding for the 10th meeting of the International Myotonic Dystrophy Consortium (IDMC-10), which facilitates clinical and scientific discussions amongst experts in myotonic dystrophy, colleagues in pharmaceutical and regulatory agencies, members of patient advocacy groups, and patients with myotonic dystrophies and their caregivers. Young investigators are encouraged to participate at IDMC to foster their careers and to develop collaborative and translational studies with more senior colleagues. The IDMC meeting is the only conference in the world that brings together such a diverse group of attendees, including the leading experts in the field dedicated to the study, treatment, and cure of myotonic dystrophy.
