2025 Myogenesis Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar - Abstract This proposal requests partial support for an international meeting on Myogenesis as part of the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) and Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) series to be held at the Renaissance Tuscany Il Ciocco Resort Lucca (Barga), Italy June 7-13 2025. The international meeting on Myogenesis has historically been viewed as one of the preeminent skeletal muscle meetings, attracting speakers and attendees from around the world. A major goal of the 2025 Conference is to identify mechanisms that contribute to both healthy physiological function and, when dysregulated, muscle pathology during aging or disease. Leaders in the field will present recent unpublished data to educate conference attendees while stimulating interactive discussion amongst the group. Additional program events including poster sessions, scheduled social events, local outings, organized mentoring and networking tables at mealtimes, and informal gatherings in the afternoons will ensure maximal levels of interaction between established scientists and junior scientists/trainees: this meeting has historically been rated by attendees as extremely informal and collegial with excellent interactions between trainees and more senior researchers. Thus, we expect the 2025 Myogenesis GRC will provide an ideal scenario to stimulate new breakthroughs in muscle biology and to benefit attendees at every professional level. In addition, four afternoon and evening poster sessions will stimulate interactions between all attendees. We will also provide education, networking opportunities, and career path mentoring to junior scientists through the GRS, a two-day conference program targeting graduate students and postdocs that takes place immediately preceding the GRC. The GRS will conduct four sessions of talks and two poster sessions by graduate students and postdocs. Moreover, during the GRC, 4 sessions of poster previews will provide a forum for junior scientists to highlight their work and receive feedback from other participants (approximately 50% of trainees attending will present in this forum). These activities represent a unique opportunity for the next generation of scientists to present their research on myogenesis, interact with their peers, and form new collaborations. Achieving these aims will place the field in a better position to accelerate the advancement of muscle biology and thus the development of new avenues to promote muscle health. The venue of the conference at Il Ciocco Italy offers a relaxing atmosphere conducive to creative thinking and the exchange of ideas that will benefit attendees at every professional level. Thus, we expect the 2025 Myogenesis Gordon Research Conference will provide both a stimulating program and an ideal setting for attendees to advance their understanding of skeletal muscle biology.
