ABSTRACT
Support is requested for a Keystone Symposia conference entitled Neurodegenerative Diseases, organized by
Drs. Leonard Petrucelli, Stacie Weninger and Soyon Hong. The conference will be held Santa Fe, New Mexico
from June 3–6, 2024.
As the population ages, the incidence of neurodegenerative diseases is increasing, thus creating a major public
health problem given the virtual lack of effective treatments for these complex diseases. Fortunately, new
technological advances impacting basic science, genetics and translational research are enabling the discovery
of novel risk genes and disease pathways, and the development and testing of potential therapeutics. Indeed,
modern genomic, epigenomic and biological tools including gene editing, spatial transcriptomics, single-molecule
fluorescence, viral vector engineering, and organoid development have greatly contributed to discoveries
revealing the importance of immune mechanisms, RNA metabolism, and lysosomal biology in neurodegenerative
disease pathogenesis. This conference will bring together leaders in basic, translational and clinical research to
discuss their latest findings and to chart new directions in the field. In addition, emerging models, tools and
technologies that support a more comprehensive understanding of neurodegenerative diseases will be
highlighted. Finally, this conference is being paired with the Keystone Symposia conference on Neuroimmune
Interactions: Nervous System and Immune Cell Heterogeneity in Health and Disease. This pairing is ideal due
to the strong involvement of immune pathways in multiple neurodegenerative disorders and will also enable
attendees to learn about the latest research in these increasingly overlapping fields.