Phospholipids in Aging and Disease - PROJECT SUMMARY
This proposal requests partial support for the FASEB Research Conference “Phospholipid Signaling in Aging
and Disease” to be held July 21-25, 2024, at the Intercontinental Hotel Saint Paul Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul,
Minnesota, USA. This conference, which began in 1988 and has been attended biennially by researchers from
across the world, is critical to the missions of the NIA because lipids are critical mediators of signaling, aging,
mitochondrial biology, metabolism, cancer and neurodegeneration. Although there are several conferences that
focus on lipid signaling and metabolism, the proposed 2024 FASEB Conference will have a focus on lipids and
aging, longevity, metabolism, and neurodegeneration. This conference will (1) bring together leading
investigators in lipid metabolism and signaling in aging, health and longevity, (2) help train the next generation
of US investigators to bring new advances to lipid and aging discovery sciences, and (3) promote the
improvement of human health by investigating lipid metabolism and signaling in aging and longevity.
The major goals of the 2024 FASEB Conference on “Phospholipid Signaling in Aging and Disease” are to: (1)
share the most current information on lipid metabolism and signaling in aging, (2) facilitate new interactions
among scientists who do not normally interact in research, (3) promote interdisciplinary interactions that will lead
to new collaborations, and (4) enable understanding and translational research leading to safe human
interventions to improve healthy aging and metabolism. We expect that the new insights that are formed during
the course of this meeting will advance the entire lipid field and especially advance research with a focus on lipids
in aging and neurodegeneration as well as longevity, metabolism, and mitochondrial biology. The objective of
this proposal is to obtain funds to support travel and conference fees for scientists, with a special emphasis on
junior faculty, trainees, and those that are underrepresented in science.
The organizing committee consists of four members (Drs. Burke, Emerling, Hirsch, and Tooze), who were
nominated by the 2022 FASEB Phospholipids: Dynamic Lipid Signaling in Health and Disease conference
organizers. Each organizer is an expert in one or more of the topics that will be covered during the course of the
meeting. Together, the interdisciplinary committee has a broad range of expertise in lipid research related to
lipids in aging and disease. The organizing committee has made calculated efforts to represent major areas of
lipid metabolism and signaling in aging, from metabolic regulation to specific areas of biology and disease.
Further, several workshops on lipids as well as mentoring sessions will be held, which we believe will provide 1)
training on lipids and lipid changes with aging, as well as 2) new opportunities for attendees to think about their
research and how it can crossover into the aging field.