Intercellular Interactions and Pathologic Outcomes

The Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) on Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity is a unique and premier forum for intellectual exchange between graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and other trainees in the microbial pathogenesis field. Microbiologists with comparable levels of experience and education will present new and unpublished research at the forefront of the discipline. By promoting these discussions in a small and casual group setting, the GRS creates a sense of community amongst the trainees that promotes a higher level of engagement and interaction during the subsequent Microbial Toxins and Pathogenicity Gordon Research Conference.

This meeting will highlight cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research on molecular interactions between pathogens and the human host, as well as interactions between pathogens and other microorganisms in the context of disease. A keynote presentation will be given by Dr. Drusilla Burns of the Food and Drug Administration, highlighting her group's many contributions to bacterial pathogenesis research and insights on the varied career paths in the field. Four plenary sessions and two poster sessions will feature presenters from diverse career stages, backgrounds, and subdisciplines in microbial pathogenesis, with the goal of fostering holistic discourse and furthering our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying infectious disease.

Application Instructions

The seminar will feature approximately 10 talks and 2 poster sessions. All attendees are expected to actively participate in the GRS, either by giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Therefore, all applications must include an abstract.

The seminar chair will select speakers from abstracts submitted by April 10, 2022. Those applicants who are not chosen for talks and those who apply after the deadline to be considered for an oral presentation will be expected to present a poster. In order to participate, you must submit an application by the date indicated in the Application Information section above.

Program Format

Gordon Research Seminars are 2-day meetings which take place on the Saturday and Sunday just prior to the start of the associated GRC. The GRS opens with a 1-hour introductory session on Saturday afternoon, followed by a poster session, dinner and a 2-hour session in the evening. Sunday morning begins with breakfast and is followed by another 2-hour session, a second poster session, and lunch. A final 1-hour session takes place just after lunch, and the associated GRC begins later that evening.