We are requesting funds in partial support of the 1st Fusion Conference on Epithelial-mesenchymal
interactions in lung development and fibrosis, to be held February 17-20th 2019 at Melia Nassau Beach,
Nassau, Bahamas. There is growing appreciation that processes and pathways critical for normal lung
development are important for postnatal tissue homeostasis and are dysregulated in lung disease. Principal
objectives of this Fusion Conference are 1. Provide an international forum to promote interaction between
established and young scientists working in the broad fields of lung development, injury and repair, but with a
focus on epithelial mesenchymal interactions that direct lung development, postnatal tissue homeostasis and
disease, 2. To provide a forum for networking and career advancement for students, postdoctoral trainees, and
faculty at all levels from early stage to established senior investigators, and 3. To encourage creative and
multidisciplinary research aimed at understanding mechanisms of normal tissue development and postnatal
homeostasis, providing new insights into disease mechanisms and the development of novel interventions that
target lung disease. To achieve these objectives, we have organized a program with six scientific sessions
including (1) Keynote and emerging topics, (2) Fgf signaling in lung development and fibrosis, (3) Aging and lung
fibrosis, (4) Lung stem/progenitor cells and their regulation in health and disease, (5) Organoid cultures to model
lung development and disease, and (6) Epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in lung development and fibrosis.
Each of these sessions will be chaired by an expert in the field in addition to the inclusion of three panelists to
promote vibrant discussion of critical issues in the field and opportunities for further investigation. Besides
presentations by invited speakers, shorter presentations will be given by junior, new investigators based on
submitted abstracts. The meeting will also include two poster viewing sessions; all posters will be displayed
continuously throughout the meeting but attended viewing will be divided into two approximately equal groups to
further enhance informal interactions and sharing of ideas among participants.