XIVth Little Brain Big Brain Meeting - CONFERENCE SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
This application is being submitted to request support for the XIVth Little Brain Big Brain meeting, which
will be held from August 22-25, 2016 at the UC Santa Cruz campus in California. Funds are requested to
support food and housing costs for up-and-coming young investigators in the field of neurogastroenterology
from the United States and abroad selected to attend the meeting. This meeting has a long tradition and
proven track record of supporting open communication; furthering scientific discovery and learning; bridging
the gap between basic and applied science; and encouraging diversity. This conference is typically held
outside the United States and supported by sponsors in industry. Because this Little Brain Big Brain meeting to
be held in the United States and because recent negative developments in the pharmaceutical industry have
reduced their level of support for our field, we are seeking support from the National Institutes of Health.
The scientific content of the meeting will be determined by the participants who are successful in their
applications to attend and will cover the breadth of study in the field of neurogastroenterology and digestive
diseases with special attention on the microbiome, development, the brain-gut axis, translational approaches
and novel targets and tools. Every participant will deliver an oral presentation of their most recent work and be
expected to actively discuss the work of others. The schedule of the meeting is filled with many breaks to
encourage social interaction between participants, and continued discussion of scientific content. This proven
organization fosters the establishment of productive collaborations, important to the early careers of scientists,
which ultimately transforms the field of study. Overall, the XIVth Little Brain Big Brain meeting will continue the
tradition of uniting basic and applied science and encouraging scientific exchange by providing opportunities
for young investigators to meet and share their research goals, with the objective of fostering collaborative
research projects between participants.
