Bridging the Gap Between Cardiac Pathological Discovery and Clinical Application

The 2014 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Cardiac Regulatory Mechanisms will once again bring together new investigators and established leaders to present their latest, unpublished findings, and engage in meaningful scientific and social interactions. This is a premier meeting of basic and translational cardiovascular scientists interested in molecular mechanisms regulating normal and diseased heart function. The special informal nature of the GRC/GRS is unique in fostering discussions that span disciplines and geography, and enables new personal and scientific connections to develop. There has not been a better time to bring together leading research investigators and clinicians with a comment interest in elucidating regulatory mechanisms in the normal heart and how they become dysfunctional in disease. The GRC setting sets the stage for significant exchange of the latest information and routinely proves to be a source of new collaborative research among basic and clinical scientists that will help promote translation of basic findings to clinical treatment. Importantly, the venue and tradition of this GRC, its emphasis on full participation and discussions, and its inclusion of mature and young investigators also ensures vestment of the next generation in these issues and continuity in the information flow.

For over 25 years this conference has prided itself on bringing together new investigators and established leaders to present their latest unpublished findings and engage in meaningful scientific and social interactions. We have a good mix of fundamental science related to regulation of normal cardiac electrical and mechanical properties, cardiac myocyte cell signaling, and abnormalities in these processes that contribute to cardiac dysfunction. The increased use of genetically modified animals and the development of defined cardiovascular phenotypes has made the cardiovascular system tractable and thus of broad and expanding interest to the cell signaling field. This year’s conference has a particular focus on signaling pathways and includes several new areas of intense research interest including application of iPS cells to model human myocardial disease, mitochondrial Ca²⁺ regulation, redox regulation, subcellular compartments and their real time imaging. Other sessions focus on arrhythmias, Ca²⁺ signaling in myocytes, and emerging techniques to advance our field of study. Discussion leaders promote lively discussions and critical questioning. A key objective of this conference is to foster an inclusive, intensive, lively and interactive atmosphere that highlights controversies and enlightens participants by providing a deeper understanding of resolved issues. We expect that the proposed presentations will be both exciting and timely, and to include late breaking science and young investigators in the oral session by recruiting speakers from poster contributions and recent publications. The inclusiveness of this conference in 2012 was enhanced by the GRS, a mechanism for highlighting work by graduate students and post-doctoral trainees. The GRS was well-received and will be held immediately prior to the GRC at Colby-Sawyer College.