This Gordon Research Conference focuses on mammary developmental biology in relation to the etiology of breast cancer and therapeutic intervention. The meeting has a reputation as the premier event in this field and is characterized by enthusiastic and open discussion of yet-to-be published work. This meeting in Italy is limited to 200 people drawn from students, post docs, lab heads and clinicians. Oral presentations from field leaders will be augmented by presentations from participants selected from the poster abstracts, to capture the major recent advances in mammary biology and cancer. All prospective conferees are encouraged to submit a poster abstract with their application. An exceptional series of poster sessions provides all participants with an unmatched opportunity to present and discuss their work, to explore collaborative projects, and to pursue training and employment prospects. These opportunities are enhanced by the live-in environment at the beautiful Il-Ciocco hotel, providing shared meals, social gatherings and free afternoons, all designed to encourage the development of new ideas by the meeting’s participants.

The themes for the oral presentations at this meeting can be found in the accompanying program, which will be developed as the meeting draws nearer. Major themes include the definition of mammary stem and progenitor cells and their role in breast cancer, the epigenetic and genetic control of gene expression in the mammary gland and the perturbation of these networks in breast cancer, the role of cell-cell interactions in development and metastasis, and the developmental basis and clinical importance of breast mammographic density. The poster sessions have no themes and participants working in all aspects of mammary biology and cancer are encouraged to present their work in this forum. These sessions are a highlight of the meeting and are key to its success.

The conference site is close to Pisa Lucca and Florence, and is situated high above the Serchio valley near Barga, with spectacular views dominated by the Apennines and Apuan Alps.