Fourteenth Ovarian Workshop

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant):
The Ovarian Workshop provides a forum for interested clinicians, scientists, and students to exchange ideas and current concepts on the development, regulation, and maintenance of the ovary without regard to disciplinary boundaries. The Workshop promotes the presentation and exchange of ideas at the frontiers of research in female reproductive biology. The scientific program has evolved into an internationally respected conference attracting scientists from diverse backgrounds who share a common interest in understanding the function of cells in the ovary. The goal of the proposed meeting is to advance our understanding of ovarian function so that this basic knowledge can be translated to clinical applications to enhance or control fertility and to treat, reduce, and/or eliminate ovarian dysfunctions and cancer. The format of this Workshop expands on the theme of translational research that reaches from bench to bedside by incorporating new basic science together with clinically relevant issues and presentations by clinician scientists. The major topics to be covered are Gonadal Organization, Role of FSH and LH in Follicular Development, Corpus Luteum Formation-Angiogenesis and Cell Signaling, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and Insulin Resistance, External Effectors of Ovarian Function, and Ovarian Cancer and Appropriate Models. The program will be highlighted by two keynote addresses and poster sessions related to the theme of the Workshop. New investigators will be invited to submit expanded abstracts that will be evaluated for scientific merit and competition for travel awards and the Cornelia P. Channing New Investigator Award.