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Prions and prion diseases now constitute major threats to the medical, economic and political well-being of populations around the world. Human prion diseases are uniformly fatal and may be transmitted through a variety of methods such as contaminated blood and blood products, cadaveric pituitary hormones, dura matter implants, corneal transplantation, contaminated neurosurgical instruments and contaminated food sources such as beef. Some prion diseases, such as a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) are predicted to have potential epidemic impacts on public health.
On behalf of the Conference Organizing Committee, we are pleased to announce this two-day event which will feature presentations and discussions by Canadian and international authorities on various aspects of prions and prion diseases. The conference will provide an expert up-to-the-minute summary of relevant research issues, with a special emphasis on current public health concerns of novel epidemic prion strains. Conference proceedings including feedback from participants will be synthesized into a report. The report will be used to inform a working group that will meet to discuss Canadian research opportunities in prions and prion diseases.
This conference is jointly sponsored by the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity, the Population and Public Health Branch of Health Canada and the Office of the Chief Scientist, Health Canada.
Participants
Conference participants will include 130 clinicians, researchers and decision makers who are interested in a comprehensive and current source of information on prions and prion diseases.
This conference is an Accredited Group Learning Activity as defined by the Maintenance of Certification program of The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Agenda
The conference will be held at The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald in Edmonton on September 25-26, 2003. Click here for the agenda.
Registration
If you are interested in attending this conference, please complete the registration form [ RTF (26 KB) | PDF (114 KB) | Help ] on this site and return to the address indicated on the form. Venue capacity is limited to 130 participants: please register early to avoid disappointment.
Young Investigator Conference Awards
Ten Young Investigator Conference Awards are available for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and investigators within five years of their first appointment, who are interested in working in the prions research field. The award will include a place at the conference, a travel bursary where necessary, and a dinner on Friday September 26 at which award recipients can discuss opportunities and challenges in prions research with senior investigators. Click here to link to the registration form [ HTML | RTF (33 KB) | PDF (114 KB) | Help ].
Background Information
A background information package will be provided closer to the conference. This package will include an updated conference agenda, fact sheets, biographies of conference speakers, and a glossary.
We are anticipating that this conference will provide insightful learning opportunities and dynamic discussions related to the future of prion diseases and prion related research in Canada. We hope you can join us.
Dr. Neil Cashman,
Professor, Department of Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto
On behalf of the Conference Organizing Committee:
| Dr. Arumuga Balachandran | Veterinary Pathologist, Canadian Food Inspection Agency |
| Dr. Michael Coulthart | Chief, National Laboratory for Host Genetics and Prion Diseases, Health Canada |
| Dr. Antonio Giulivi | Director, Population and Public Health Branch, Health Canada |
| Dr. Ron W. Rogers | Senior Scientific Advisor, Bureau of Microbial Hazards, Health Canada |
| Dr. Bhagirath Singh | Scientific Director, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Infection and Immunity |
| Ms Francine Villeneuve | Senior Program Officer, Office of the Chief Scientist, Health Canada |
Note: Venue capacity is limited. Please send in your registration form as soon as possible.
