Welcome!
The Western Regional IDeA Scientific Conference is the biannual conference for IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) and Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) program participants from Nevada, Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming, Idaho, Alaska and Hawaii.
The National Center for Research Resources (NCRR) within the National Institutes of Health sponsors the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program, which broadens the geographic distribution of NIH funding for biomedical and behavioral research. The program fosters health-related research and enhances the competitiveness of investigators at institutions located in states in which the aggregate success rate for applications to NIH has historically been low. The program also serves unique populations — such as rural and medically underserved communities — in these states. Supported by the NCRR Division of Research Infrastructure, the IDeA program increases the competitiveness of investigators by supporting faculty development and research infrastructure enhancement at institutions in 23 states and Puerto Rico.
For more about the NCRR’s IDeA program, click here.
Tentative Schedule
Sunday, June 5
Evening - Registration and Reception
Monday, June 6
Morning
NCRR update – Dr. Sidney McNairy, Director Division of Research Infrastructure, NCRR.
Dr. Robert Lue, Increasing diversity in biomedical science
Dr. Richard Larson, University of New Mexico, The Mountain West Research Consortium - The mission, the accomplishments, and the future.
Dr. Edward Dratz, (MT) Analysis of Cellular mechanisms and Systems Biology
Dr. Megan Yingmei Zhang, (WY) Autophagy, Obesity, and Heart Disease
Dr. Jason Burkhead, (AK) Mechanistic Insight in copper toxicity: a systems approach in Wilson's Disease Mouse
Steve Krone, (MT) Spatial Structure and Adaptive Evolution of Viruses
Technology I – Imaging with waves of light, sound, and electromagnetics
Platform Sessions – Infectious disease, Neuroscience
Lunch – No host luncheon gatherings of INBRE and COBRE PIs and PCs.
Afternoon
Dr. Marlene von Friedrichs-Fitzwater, University of California, Davis, Cancer Peer Navigation -- Art or Science?
Dr. Bert Boyer, (AK) Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) with Yup'ik Eskimos in SW Alaska
Dr. Martin Schiller, (NV) UNLV grant club fosters community, mentorship, and collaborative research
Dr. Seungil Ro, (NV) The Biggest Little RNAs in the Genome
Dr. Meggin McIntosh, Emphasis on Excellence, Time Management
Mr. Chad Feller, (NV) Bioinformatics in the Cloud
Platform Sessions – Infectious disease, Health Disparities
Posters
Evening - IDeA dinner featuring Keynote Speaker - Robert Lue, Harvard University
Visualization: Building Knowledge of and a Passion for Science
As our knowledge of living systems becomes increasingly complex and multidisciplinary, we need new mechanisms for imparting this knowledge in ways that promote both understanding and enthusiasm. Today we have the tools to visualize our understanding of science in compelling new ways that will accelerate the pace of discovery while recruiting more bright young minds to the sciences.
Tuesday, June 7
Morning
Dr. Deborah Helitzer, University of New Mexico, Program Assessment Workshop (Limited seating. Sign up with shera@unr.edu )
Dr. Martin Schiller, (NV) The bio-toolkit.com suite of bioinformatics tools for predicting new functions in proteins and mechanisms of disease.
Dr. William Shuttleworth (bench) and Dr. Andrew Carlson (bedside), University of New Mexico, Linking the bench to the bedside.
Platform Sessions – Systems physiology
Evening - Optional Reno Aces baseball game and dinner at the ball park
