This R13 application requests partial funding for a scientific conference entitled: ?Advances in Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Research.? The proposed meeting reprises a highly successful conference series devoted to mycobacteria, hosted by Natio National Jewish Medical and Research Center during the 1990?s. Meeting faculty will nal include faculty from the Division of Mycobacterial and Respiratory Infections along with invited co co-chairs and planning committee members from across the discipline. The inclu inclusion of clinical and basic sciences topics and expertise will further translational sion research both underway and under consideration. Meeting design will allow for heightened attention to topics such as predisposing risk factors, immunologic aspects of nont nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) disease, current therapeutic modalities and new uberculous directions for drug development. Importantly, public health issues, such as the link between human and environmental epidemiology and the apparently disproportionate risk to agi aging, otherwise healthy females will receive specific and focused attention in this ng, setting. Emergence of these opportunistic infections in unlikely hosts is of concern to health providers, the government and insurers, and efforts to determine epidemiology, specific immunologic problems and the role of genetics and the environment have lagged behind an increase in incidence and severity of infections in this group. The meeting is designed to foster coordinated research in this area. Funds requested will co cover a percentage of the conference, travel for speakers and stipends for selected ver junior investigators to attend the conference and present data to a body of recognized experts. The relatively intimate size of the conference, with attendance anticipated a at 100 100-150, will not only provide an opportunity for in in-depth discussion of presentations, but will also facilitate significant and organized agendas for future collaborative endeavors. The conference will initiate measurable outcomes in increased grant ap applications as well as collaborative relationships heretofore undefined in the plications community. We hope the conference will galvanize interest in clinical trials development and help establish a consortium for research in NTM. The meetings will follow an academ academic model with specific syllabi with goals and objectives followed by structured ic evaluations. If the inaugural conference is successful, subsequent meetings will follow a similar format, building on previous meetings and interim research and reports.

R13AI066889

2006-07-01

2008-06-30