Basic Science as a Foundation for the Development of Countermeasures

The theme of the 2011 Gordon Research Conference on Chemical and Biological Terrorism Defense is “Basic Research as the Foundation for Future Countermeasure Development”. This Conference will reflect the highly multi-disciplinary nature of the field and will focus on an array of topics in which cutting edge research will be presented on chemical agents and bioterrorism-related pathogens that impact humans, plants, and/or animals.

Major topic areas will include: chemical defense research with an emphasis on early host response to chemical agents and the use of cutting edge biological approaches to develop preventative countermeasures; host-pathogen interactions and basic virulence mechanisms; immune suppression and evasion strategies of pathogens; toxins and basic mechanisms of action; synthetic biology and its prospects and implications in the biodefense field; agents of agricultural bioterrorism with an emphasis on basic mechanisms of virulence and parallels to the mammalian host-pathogen interactions; screening strategies and translational research for development of novel therapeutics such as immunomodulators and siRNA.

The 2011 Conference will be preceded by the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Chemical and Biological Terrorism. The GRS is planned by and for post-doctoral and pre-doctoral trainees in the field of chemical and biological defense on topics related to those listed above. This unique forum provides an opportunity for our future leaders in the field to present their research as seminars and posters in a collegial and interactive environment.

Goals for the 2011 Conference are to focus on cutting edge basic research, encourage participation of junior scientists and graduate students, and integrate common approaches to problems relevant to both chemical and biological threats. The Conference will provide a forum for interaction between scientists from a variety of disciplines and afford an opportunity for a robust interdisciplinary discussion of the topics and challenges presented.

Organizing Committee

• Michael Ascher, M.D. (California Emergency Management Agency)
• Steven Blanke Ph.D. (University of Illinois)
• Drusilla Burns, Ph.D. (Center for Biologics Evaluation Research; Food & Drug Administration)
• Arturo Casadevall, M.D. Ph.D. (Albert Einstein College of Medicine)
• Jacqueline Fletcher, Ph.D. (Oklahoma State University)
• Darrell Galloway, Ph.D. (Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), Department of Defense)
• Molly Hughes, M.D. Ph.D. (University of Virginia; GRC Chair)
• Peter Jahrling, Ph.D. (National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
• Rudolph Johnson, Ph.D. (National Center for Environmental Sciences, Centers for Disease Control)
• Randall Kincaid, Ph.D. (DTRA, Department of Defense)
• Jeff Miller, Ph.D. (University of California, Los Angeles)
• Stephen A. Morse, Ph.D. (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases; GRC Vice Chair)
• David Relman, M.D. (Stanford University)
• Richard Rest, Ph.D. (Drexel University)