Intellectual Merit. The main objective of this Gordon Research Conference (GRC) is to serve as a vehicle for scientific dialogue between and among experts and trainees interested in the fundamental mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias, which are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the industrialized world. The conference has taken place every two years since 2003. Thanks in part to support from the NSF, this conference has become the premier forum for free and informal exchange of novel, unpublished and high impact information in this field. This GRC is a unique stage for interdisciplinary discourse, networking, and creative design of new research. Great strides in the understanding of cardiac arrhythmias have resulted from the marriage of cardiac electrophysiology with biomedical engineering. Novel approaches to study cell/tissue/organ electrical behavior will be discussed in the conference, including new imaging modalities, tissue engineering, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, scanning ion conductance microscopy, optogenetics, intracardiac and epicardial electrode mapping, MRI and computer modeling, among others. Other presentations will discuss novel experimental biological models (zebrafish, stem cells, and novel transgenic animals) that provide exciting platforms for implementation of advances in engineering. Additional talks will focus on the mechanisms of arrhythmias at the systems level, an area where MRI and computer modeling have merged with clinical cardiology to gain insight into the origin of arrhythmias in humans. The meeting brings together outstanding senior investigators and promising young scientists at the forefront of research, with expertise in cell/molecular biology, electrophysiology, biophysics, biomedical engineering, instrument design, mathematical biology, systems biology and clinical cardiology. No other existing conference provides a comparable forum where experts and trainees in biomedical engineering share the floor with those interested in the biology of the cardiac rhythm for informal and in-depth discussion. The educational value of this framework is extremely high, well recognized and as such, well sought-after by trainees and mentors alike.
Broader Impacts. This conference has broad and substantial impact. Cardiac arrhythmias are a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the developed world. Yet, the mechanisms of deadly arrhythmias remain to be elucidated. Basic research is desperately needed, so that new avenues of understanding can be opened, for future benefit of the population at risk. One of the keys to success for this GRC is the fostering of an informal, friendly environment that facilitates open discussion. The conference is, from beginning to end, an exercise in dissemination of high impact science, and in training of new investigators. Trainees find this an ideal environment to network with peers and faculty. Seniority barriers are easier to tear down, providing the perfect environment for bi-directional teaching and learning. The interdisciplinary nature of the conference allows a student of one discipline to interact closely with an expert in a parallel field, facilitating discovery of common interests and hopefully, the joining of ventures. The organizers have consistently placed great effort to increase the participation of minorities (in fact, the present Chair is Mexican-American). Participation of women has increased progressively as well. In case the meeting becomes oversubscribed, the priority is given to women and minorities. Several approaches have been implemented to foster scientific exchange between trainees and faculty. The requested financial assistance will help increase the number of women and minority participants, particularly at the junior level.
In summary, this Gordon Research Conference is the only one of its kind that brings together experts and trainees in engineering and biomedicine for a dynamic educational experience based on the free exchange of novel data, and the development of new ideas, with one common goal: to increase our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the heart beat.
The Gordon Research Conference on CARDIAC ARRHYTHMIA MECHANISMS Four Points by Sheraton/Holiday Inn Express, Ventura, California, February 17 – 23, 2013. The Conference was well-attended with 199 participants (attendees list attached). The attendees represented the spectrum of endeavor in this field coming from academia, industry, and government laboratories, both U.S. and foreign scientists, senior researchers, young investigators, and students. Of the 199 attendees, 106 voluntarily responded to a general inquiry regarding ethnicity which appears on our registration forms. Of the 106 respondents, 32% were Minorities –7% Hispanic, 23% Asian and 2% African American. Approximately 34% of the participants at the 2013 meeting were women. Thank you for your support of this Conference. As you know, in the interest of promoting the presentation of unpublished and frontier-breaking research, Gordon Research Conferences does not permit publication of meeting proceedings. In designing the formal speakers program, emphasis was placed on current unpublished research and discussion of the future target areas in this field. There was a conscious effort to stimulate lively discussion about the key issues in the field today. Time for formal presentations was limited in the interest of group discussions. In order that more scientists could communicate their most recent results, poster presentation time was scheduled. Attached is a copy of the formal schedule and speaker program and the poster program. In addition to these formal interactions, "free time" was scheduled to allow informal discussions. Such discussions are fostering new collaborations and joint efforts in the field.
