Positioning Cells in Immunity and Disease

The 2014 Gordon Conference on Chemotactic Cytokines will present cutting-edge research on the basic biology of chemokines and their roles in normal physiology and disease. This Conference is the only major international conference focused solely on chemokines. The last 25 years witnessed the birth and growth of the chemokine field and its involvement in many areas of biology and medicine. While much has been learned about this fascinating family of proteins, many important questions remain, and a deeper understanding of the complexity of the chemokine system will allow translation of this knowledge into new therapies for disease. The 2014 GRC titled "Positioning Cells in Immunity and Disease" will feature a wide range of topics, such as how chemokine gradients are established and maintained in vivo, how chemokines regulate innate and adaptive immune responses, how chemokine function is regulated in vivo, how chemokines participate in the host response to infectious, inflammatory and malignant diseases, how chemokines regulate tumor cell growth and metastasis and how chemokines regulate central nervous system function and disease. Invited speakers represent a variety of scientific disciplines, including immunology, cell biology, imaging, tumor biology, neurobiology and structural biology. The Conference will bring together investigators at the forefront of their field, and will provide many opportunities for junior scientists and students to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with scientific leaders. Short talks and flash talks will be selected from poster abstracts so participants are encouraged to submit their most exciting work. The GRC will be preceded by a 1.5 day Gordon Research Seminar, a satellite meeting for post-docs and students, titled "Frontiers in Chemokine Research". This meeting will allow young chemokine researchers to interact, exchange ideas, gain confidence as speakers and achieve higher personal visibility in an informal setting and with concerted mentoring by outstanding senior scientists.

For the first time in 10 years, our GRC will be returning to the United Sates. The Conference will be held at the Mount Snow Resort in scenic West Dover, Vermont from July 27 - August 1, 2014. Scientific sessions and accommodations will be at the Grand Summit Resort Hotel, a modern, air-conditioned hotel with access to hiking trails, golfing, mountain biking and kayaking. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented. The Chemotactic Cytokines GRCs have traditionally been oversubscribed, so, to ensure your participation, register early! We look forward to seeing you in the pristine Green Mountains of Vermont July 2014.

Andrew Luster and Tracy Handel