Integrating Drug Metabolism Sciences: From Enzymology to Systems Biology

The Drug Metabolism Gordon Research Conference (GRC) provides an intimate forum for the discussion of the diverse topics of this field. This year’s meeting is focused on integrating diverse scientific principles to predict human drug disposition. Essentially all of what we do in Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) is geared towards predicting what will happen to a drug after it is given to a human. Although much has been gained from studying the intricate details of an enzyme, transporter, or pathway, it seems there are fewer incremental gains when studying single systems. It appears to be increasingly important to consider the interactions between these enzymes, transporters, and pathways in order to accurately predict drug disposition in humans. Further, an integrated approach can provide additional insights into the cellular and whole-body organization of the drug metabolism and transporter systems. For the 2014 Drug Metabolism GRC, each session is designed to broadly cover a topic and focus on the integration of the scientific principles to predict human drug disposition. The topics in the program include: transporters, oxidative drug metabolism, liver cell biology and microphysiology, new technologies, systems biology, and biologics.

The meeting provides an ideal opportunity for young researchers to expand their scientific horizons, and graduate students and postdocs are encouraged to apply. Prior to the meeting, six of the posters submitted by graduate students and postdocs are selected for platform presentations during Wednesday evening session. In addition to the Wednesday evening session, there is also a formal discussion on career development for these scientists.