The 2010 Gordon Conference on Cell Death will present cutting-edge research on programmed cell death spanning from molecular mechanisms to disease treatment. The Conference will feature a wide range of topics, such as caspase activation, Bcl-2 family protein mechanisms, alternate cell death pathways including necrosis and autophagy, mitochondrial dynamics, cancer treatment and apoptosis in the immune system. Invited speakers represent a variety of scientific disciplines, including biochemistry, structural biology, cell biology, imaging, developmental biology, immunology and disease mechanism and treatment. The Conference will bring together a collection of investigators who are at the forefront of their field, and will provide opportunities for junior scientists and graduate students to present their work in poster format and exchange ideas with leaders in the field. Some poster presenters will be selected for short talks. The collegial atmosphere of this Conference, with programmed discussion sessions as well as opportunities for informal gatherings in the afternoons and evenings at the beautiful campus of Salve Regina University on the Atlantic ocean in Newport, RI, provides an avenue for scientists from different disciplines to brainstorm and promotes cross-disciplinary collaborations in the various research areas represented.