Dissecting Roles for the Neurotrophic Factors from Development and Plasticity to Pathophysiology

The 2019 Gordon Conference on Neurotrophic Mechanisms in Health and Disease will cover the latest developments in neurotrophic factor biology, from fundamental insights into signaling and cell biology to breakthroughs in translational applications. Neurotrophic factors (including neurotrophins, neuregulins, FGFs, IGFs, GDNF, PDGF, cytokines, Hedgehogs, and Wnts) play critically important roles in neurogenesis, neuronal survival and death, axon and dendrite stabilization and pruning, synaptic plasticity, myelination, circuit development and behavior. Over the last several years, it has become increasingly recognized that neurotrophin signaling mechanisms play critical roles in a range of human developmental disorders, adult psychiatric disorders, and in neurodegenerative diseases. Treatments that exploit knowledge of neurotrophin biology are now in human clinical trials for conditions ranging from chronic pain, to Alzheimer’s disease, and to cancer.

The program of this meeting will highlight unpublished findings and new perspectives, bringing top researchers spanning fundamental problems in neurotrophin biology to those translating neurotrophin biology into therapeutic approaches. This will be a critical venue for bringing together a multidisciplinary group of scientists working at the intersection of neurotrophin biology with circuit formation, learning and memory, depression, chronic pain, cancer, neurodegenerative disease and chronic inflammation. A major goal of this international conference will be to foster interactions between scientists at all levels and disciplines to encourage interdisciplinary neuroscientific research. The beautiful intimate setting of the Salve Regina campus and the Newport region provides a unique opportunity for junior investigators and trainees to interact with leading experts and foster interactions between basic and translational researchers.

The organizers are committed to lowering barriers for participation – breastfeeding and infant areas will be available on-site, and babysitting services can be arranged. A limited number of subsidies will be available to offset costs of family care (child accommodation, babysitting) for those attending with accompanying children. All conference facilities are fully wheelchair accessible.