2024 Synaptic Transmission Gordon Research Conference and Seminar - Abstract The 2024 Synaptic Transmission Gordon Conference will bring together international leaders and rising stars, creating a diverse, inclusive, dynamic forum to communicate, contemplate and advance our understanding of the most pressing and fascinating current topics in synapse biology. Synapses are the fundamental site of communication between neurons. Synapses form, break, grow and shrink during development and throughout life in response to changes in the external environment and changes to internal states. Diseases and disorders ranging from Alzheimer’s and ALS to schizophrenia and intellectual disability are associated (primary cause or secondary effects) with synaptic dysfunction and/or degeneration. Yet, the means by which disease directly intersects with synaptic biology remains largely unknown. The long-term goals of the Synaptic Transmission Gordon Research Conference (GRC) reflect these challenges. We aim to (1) to define the fundamental molecular and cellular mechanisms that achieve synapse specification, connectivity and diversity, (2) to define mechanisms responsible for synaptic plasticity on scales that range from milliseconds to hours and years, and understand how these modalities are integrated during the complex neural computations underlying behavior (3) to explore the interface of synapses and disease, with the goal of discovering novel therapeutic avenues to treat a broad spectrum of neurological disease and psychiatric disorders.
