9731686 Trussell An understanding of junctional mechanisms at synapses is a central issue in basic neuroscience. It is also central to understanding many pathological conditions of the nervous system, since pharmacological treatments of nervous illnesses usually target some aspect of synaptic transmission. The current intense interest in long-term modification to synaptic strength as a model for memory also depends on a thorough understanding of synaptic transmission. The award will support U.S. participation in an intensive workshop on current progress and new directions in synaptic transmission. The principal organizers are Professors Laurence Trussell of the Department of Physiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Stephan Redman of the Department of Neuroscience, Australian National University. The workshop will be held Jan 2427th, 1998, in Thredbo, Australia and supported, in part, by the Australian Department of Industry, Science, and Technology (DIST). It will involve eight senior researchers from Germany, Israel, England, and the United States in addition to seventeen senior researchers from Australia. The U.S. team will consist of four senior researchers and eight promising young U.S. graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who will interact with Australian students postdocs, and faculty. Bringing these senior and junior researchers to this workshop will help foster new opportunities for U.S./Australian scientific cooperation. Moreover, it will provide a means for the relatively isolated Australian students and younger faculty to interact with scientists in their field from around the world.