2025 Cell Contact and Adhesion Gordon Research Conference and Seminar

Project Summary Cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion underlie fundamental biological processes during development and disease. Advancing this field requires collaboration and communication between scientists in diverse fields including cell and developmental biology, biochemistry, biophysics, and engineering. The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Cell Contact and Adhesion is the premier gathering for investigators working on basic biology and therapeutic applications of cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion. This application requests funds primarily to sup- port the registration of graduate students, postdocs, and Early-Stage Investigators at the 2025 meeting and the associated Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) for graduate students and postdocs. The meeting is anchored by an international community of scientists who are leaders in studying cell adhesion and in training/mentoring the next generation of scientists. It brings together an interdisciplinary group including cell and developmental biol- ogists, biochemists, biophysicists, engineers, and scientists working in industry, and provides an exciting forum for exchanging ideas, tools, and techniques. It provides an outstanding opportunity for graduate students, post- docs, and Early-Stage Investigators to present their data, gain visibility, receive constructive feedback from leaders in the field, and engage in impactful community-building. Our aims are: Aim 1: Provide an interdisciplinary forum to discuss new discoveries in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhe- sion and help attendees think broadly about how basic science discoveries inform clinical approaches. Our program will include presentations ranging from those exploring the mechanisms mediating signaling at cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesions, to those defining the roles of adhesive junctions in morphogenesis, homeo- stasis, and disease, to those profiling emerging ideas and techniques that will drive future advances. The com- bination of themes will make this meeting the premier conference in this field next year and will foster genera- tion of new ideas that drive research forward. The program includes 28 invited speakers representing diverse fields and career stages, including speakers who are underrepresented minorities or are from outside the US. 16 talks by graduate students, postdocs, and Early-Stage Investigators will be selected from the abstracts. Aim 2: Build a community among diverse meeting participants from all career stages that exchanges scientific ideas and mentoring advice. The intimate size and informal setting is central to success of the meeting and fosters interactions. Graduate students and postdocs showcase their research through a pre- meeting GRS and in selected talks and posters at the GRC. We encourage an inclusive environment where diversity of ideas and backgrounds is represented and will employ innovative mechanisms to foster community building and mentoring of early career scientists. Our Power Hour is on the theme of ‘Time management in Ac- ademic Research’. Structured and unstructured activities will promote interactions between faculty and train- ees, including afternoon mentoring discussions, shared meals, and poster sessions.