Conference Description
The Fertilization and Activation of Development GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.
The 24th Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Fertilization and Activation of Development will focus on the interactions of the male and female gametes and the events of early embryonic development. Some of the specific areas to be addressed include: the molecular mechanisms that underlie the competence of gametes to achieve fertilization; environmental and epigenetic influences on male and female gamete function; fertilization and evolution of gametes in different organisms; and molecules and mechanisms of sperm-egg fusion. Attendees will also discuss how knowledge of the basic molecular cell biology and physiology underlying these processes will help address two important clinical needs: human fertility and contraception. This conference will bring together a diverse group of junior and senior investigators from all over the world to share their expertise and latest research achievements in these and other areas. Approximately half of the oral presentations will be from invited speakers, and the others will be selected from submitted abstracts and poster presentations, with a spotlight on junior researchers and trainees. All attendees are encouraged to participate in the "Power Hour", an informal gathering that addresses the challenges that all scientists, and especially women and those from groups underrepresented in science, face at various stages of their careers. Attendees will have abundant opportunities to network with other scientists and engage in informal scientific discussions with researchers of diverse and multi-disciplinary backgrounds who are at all stages of their careers. This GRC takes place immediately after the Gordon Research Seminar, which provides a forum for graduate students, post-docs, and young investigators to discuss their work in the fields of gamete biology, fertilization, and early development. This GRC will be held at Holderness School, New Hampshire, where free afternoons can be spent enjoying outdoor activities in a beautiful and relaxing setting.
The topics, speakers, and discussion leaders for the conference sessions are displayed below. The conference chair is currently developing their detailed program, which will include the complete meeting schedule, as well as the talk titles for all speakers. The detailed program will be available by March 25, 2023. Please check back for updates.
Embryo Development
Discussion Leaders
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Anna-Katerina Hadjantonakis (Sloan Kettering Institute)
Speakers
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Kikue Tachibana (Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry)
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Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz (University of Cambridge, United Kingdom)
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Eszter Posfai (Princeton University, United States)
Oocyte Maturation and Preparation for Fertilization
Discussion Leaders
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Karen Schindler (Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, United States)
Speakers
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Suzanne Madgwick (Biosciences Institute Newcastle University)
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Swathi Arur (University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, United States)
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Ahmed Balboula (University of Missouri, United States)
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Binyam Mogessie (Yale University, United States)
Reproductive Environment and Gamete Maturation
Discussion Leaders
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Sylvie Breton (Université Laval, Canada)
Speakers
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Irina Larina (Baylor College of Medicine, United States)
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steve dorus (Syracuse University)
Molecular Mechanisms Involved in Acquisition of Sperm Fertilization Competence
Discussion Leaders
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Mariano Buffone (Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental)
Speakers
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Tzviya Zeev-Ben-Mordehai (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)
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Rossana Sapiro (Departamento de Histología y Embriología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la Republica, Uruguay)
Identification of Novel Contraceptive Targets and New Platforms for Contraceptive Screening
Discussion Leaders
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Gregory Kopf (FHI 360, United States)
Speakers
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David Pepin (MGH)
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Lonny Levin (Weill Cornell Medicine, United States)
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Jianjun Sun (University of Connecticut, United States)
The Molecular Basis of Sperm-Egg Recognition
Discussion Leaders
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Luca Jovine (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)
Speakers
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Naokazu Inoue (Fukushima Medical University, Japan)
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Jennifer Pinello (University of Maryland, United States)
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Li-Jia Qu (Peking University, China, China)
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Katerina Komrskova (Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic)
The Genetics and Epigenetics of Fertilization and Embryo Development
Discussion Leaders
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Steven L'Hernault (Emory University, United States)
Speakers
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Rafael Oliva (University of Barcelona, Hospital Clínic from Barcelona, and IDIBAPS Institue, Spain)
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Julie Brind'Amour (Université de Montréal)
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Bradley Cairns (University of Utah, United States)
Short Talks Selected From Poster Abstracts
Discussion Leaders
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Rafael Fissore (University of Massachusetts, United States)
Speakers
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Ruth Lehmann (Whitehead Institute and MIT, United States)
Evolution of Reproductive Mechanisms and Behaviors
Discussion Leaders
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Mariana Wolfner (Cornell University, United States)
Speakers
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Katie Barott (University of Pennsylvania, United States)
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Irem Sepil (University of Oxford)
The GRC Power Hourâ„¢
Organizers
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Farners Amargant i Riera (Northwestern University, United States)