Annals Meeting Reports

This volume presents reports from three recent scientific meetings on topics in emerging fields. The first report comes from the New York Stem Cell Foundation s Fifth Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference convened in October 2010 at the Rockefeller University in New York City. The conference attracted over 400 scientists, patient advocates, and stem cell research supporters from 16 countries. Compiled by young stem cell scientists, this report summarizes the excellent, groundbreaking progress in stem cell research. The next report covers a conference on behavioral epigenetics sponsored by the New York Academy of Sciences and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University in October 2010 at the University of Massachusetts Boston Campus Center. This meeting featured speakers and panel discussions exploring the emerging field of behavioral epigenetics, from basic biochemical and cellular mechanisms to the epigenetic modulation of normative development, developmental disorders, and psychopathology. This report provides an overview of the research presented by leading scientists and lively discussion about the future of investigation at the behavioral epigenetic level. The final report discusses the work presented at at the 2nd Pepducin Science Symposium held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in November 2010. This meeting report summarizes the symposium proceedings that focused on increasing knowledge of the structure and function of this ubiquitous superfamily of membrane receptors and their potential modulation for disease treatment, and how GPCR mechanisms might be exploited to treat diseases with pepducins, novel synthetic lipopeptide pharmacophores that modulate heptahelical GPCR activity from inside the cell membrane. NOTE: Annals volumes are available for sale as individual books or as a journal. For information on institutional journal subscriptions, please visit http://ordering.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/subs.asp?ref=1749-6632&doi=10.1111/(ISSN)1749-6632. ACADEMY MEMBERS: Please contact the New York Academy of Sciences directly to place your order (www.nyas.org). Members of the New York Academy of Science receive full-text access to the Annals online and discounts on print volumes. Please visit http://www.nyas.org/MemberCenter/Join.aspx for more information about becoming a member.