The 2007 Mammary Gland Biology Gordon Conference is the twenty-third time this conference has occurred. Since the year 2000 that meeting has alternated between sites in the United States and the Il Ciocco Conference Center in Barga, Italy. The goal of this conference is to present state-of-the-art reports on all aspects of mammary gland biology including: stem cell biology, development, lactation, involution, and breast cancer. Because of recent advances in metabolomics, genomics, and proteomics, the meeting will focus on integrating development of the mammary gland with molecular physiology so functional outcomes can be appreciated in a larger context. An integrated approach is critical to developing new models of mammary gland biology which expand upon our growing knowledge base.

The goal of this meeting is to stimulate discussion that leads to new insights into mammary gland development, function, and tumorigenesis. Past meetings have been noted for lively discussions and interactions during both formal sessions and informal workshops. Participation from senior investigators, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows is encouraged through the selection of short talks from submitted abstracts. There will be ample time for poster sessions in the afternoon and evenings. Because attendance for this meeting has increased dramatically in recent years, early application is encouraged. The submission of abstracts at the time of application is highly encouraged in order to aid in selection of conference participants and short platform talks.