Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
2001 S. Lincoln Ave.
URBANA,IL 61801
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This project partially supportsthe Swine in Biomedical Research Conference 2024, to be held at the University of Wisconsin (UW) Memorial Union, Madison, Wisconsin, June 14-18. This is the 8th in the conference series that was begun in 1995. The overarching mission of this conference series is to engage animal scientists, human medical scientists/clinicians, and veterinarians to better understand pig biology (immunology, growth, metabolism, nutrition, reproduction and behavior), develop and refine research tools, and foster interdisciplinary collaborations.The conference will emphasize the "genome to phenome" vision of the USDA Animal Genome Blueprint, specifically goal 3--increasing swine fitness and improving swine welfare. The use of swine to advance the One Health vision will also be emphasized.This conference will not only bring together and foster collaborations among researchers of diverse backgrounds, but will also provide a publishedwhite paper summarizing the state of the field. The conference co-chairs (PDs on this project) will provide a report summarizing the success of the meeting and outliningareas for future growth in the swine research community. This report will also outlineopportunities for improving the conference series as time goes on.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
This application is for partial support of the Swine in Biomedical Research Conference 2024, to be held at the University of Wisconsin (UW) Memorial Union, Madison, Wisconsin, June 14-18. This is the 8th in the conference series that was begun in 1995. The specific aims of the Swine in Biomedical Research (SBR) Conference 2024 are:To engage animal scientists, clinician researchers (veterinary and human medicine), and biomedical researchers. The previous SBR 2022 conferenceengaged a significantly larger number of such researchers to guide discussions of clinical relevance and foster multidisciplinary collaborations. In SBR 2024, we will continue this momentum while focusing our efforts on increasing attendance and participation by veterinarians.To identify unmet needs or existing gaps in research that require innovative swine modeling or techniques. In SBR 2022, each invited speaker with a clinical background was asked to discuss the state of their field and assess what is needed to advance research in the field and tackle clinical problems. In SBR 2024, we will add new sessions and talks to focus on fields in which porcine models are traditionally underutilized, e.g., aging research and eye research. Co-chairs of all sessions will be asked to work with interested speakers in their sessions to draft a summary of the state of the specific biomedical fields and the advances made or to be made by porcine models. These summaries will be incorporated into a white paper to be published in a peer-reviewed journal.To increase diversity and ensure the continued growth of the swine research community. In 2022, the conference program and environment dramatically increased the inclusion of nationally underrepresented groups, encouraged the participation of trainees (graduate students and postdocs) and early-stage researchers, and fostered interaction between established and early-stage researchers. In SBR 2024, we will continue this momentum while focusing on adding sessions and networking events that further increase the participation of these groups and provide the opportunity to build a biomedical swine research community that supports professional growth and research success. We have formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to focus on this objective.
Project Methods
The Swine in Biomedical Research Conference 2024 (SBR 2024) will be held June 14-18 at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union.It is one of our central aimsto increase inclusion of nationally underrepresented groups (esp. women and minorities) in the planning of the conference (Organizing, Program, and DEI committees) and participation in the scientific sessions (session chairs and speakers). We have asked these members to recommend speakers and invite participants, in hopes that this approach will allow us to engage new students, swine researchers, and veterinarians from underrepresented groups and welcome them into the Swine in Biomedical Research community, ensuring continued growth, collaboration, and innovation within the community and the biomedical fields that it embodies. We will providethe option for more economical lodging in University Dormitories and the proposed Travel Awards to encourage the participation of trainees (graduate students, technicians, postdocs, residents) and early-stage researchers. The poster sessions are logistically planned to foster interaction between established and early-stage researchers.To improve participation of underrepresented groups and early-stage researchers, we have formed a DEI Committee made up of members who have demonstrated experience in championing DEI initiatives. This DEI Committee is tasked with broadening pre-conference outreach, selecting diverse individuals for travel awards, organizing the new "Building Community" and "ESI/DEI Research" sessions, and working with the Organizing and Program committees to ensure a diverse representation of speakers, chairs, and panelists. The goals of the "Building Community" Networking Event are to: (1) recruit, retain, and welcome new scientists of varying backgrounds and (2) foster inclusivity and belonging by promoting mentorship and collaboration. This laid-back reception will include a Speed Mentoring activity where independent investigators of all career stages will act as mentors, and trainees will network one-on-one with 8-to-10 mentors. The "ESI/DEI Research" session aims to increase the representation of early-stage investigators (ESIs) and those of diverse backgrounds. All speakers and chairs (10-to-12 in total) will be ESI and/or from underrepresented backgrounds. The Early-Stage Researchers and Trainees Mixer will directly follow this session to promote in-depth discussion and networking among ESI and diverse attendees in a relaxed setting. We will also implement a Mentorship database to encourage the mentorship of trainees and those new to the field. Mentors will be able to identify themselves voluntarily during the registration process. Mentors' names and contact information will be added to our database, and their conference nametags will include a Mentor ribbon. During the conference, trainees can approach anyone with a Mentor ribbon. The goals of the mentorship program (to foster inclusion, belonging, and research collaboration) will be described in the conference program.Measures such as the option for more economical lodging in University Dormitories and the proposed Travel Awards are also being taken to encourage the participation of trainees (veterinary students, graduate students, residents, and postdocs) and early-stage researchers. The poster sessions are logistically planned to foster interaction between established and early-stage researchers.Breakfast Sessions (Practical Workshops): The four two-hour-long interactive breakfast sessions will be hosted to provide practical discussions on techniques and methodologies and topics related to working with porcine models (e.g., regulatory considerations) involved in swine research. The training sessions will include both (1) basic aspects, such as swine handling, blood collection, sedation/anesthesia, and general surgical techniques, and (2) more advanced aspects, such as phenotyping of disease models (e.g., necropsy, pathology, and histology best practices). The fundamental goals of these workshop sessions are to: (1) lower the barriers of entry for the use of swine models in research, (2) directly engage with attendees via live Q&A with experts, and (3) identify specific areas of high interest for future training workshops.The sessions will be led by an expert or two in the field and will allowattendees to discuss challenges (e.g., anesthesia approaches) they have encountered and seek practical solutions from experts. We will bolster these sessions further by stimulating discussions that incorporate topics requested by past attendees. We plan to advertise these sessions more prominently via our veterinary medicine networks to attract and increase participation from veterinarians.Scientific Sessions: Morning and afternoon sessions will occur in concurrent tracks and will be primarily disease- or biomedical field- specific. The Session Co-Chairs will invite speakers and identify them for proffered paper presentations of cutting-edge research from submitted abstracts. Abstracts will be first reviewed and scored by the Program Committee and DEI Committees; the committees will select presenters (and Travel Awardees) based on top-rated abstracts and suggest them to sessions based on cohesive themes. Afternoon Plenary Sessions (e.g., "Genetic Engineering and Embryology") will address topics that are not disease-specific and are of interest to a broader number of attendees. The ESI/DEI Session will highlight the work of early career scientists and scientists from diverse backgrounds. Talks will be brief and high-energy (i.e., TED talk style) to provide a broad overview of each speaker's expertise, promote rigorous science communication practices, and maximize the number of presenters in a single session. We will take additional measures to ensure synchronicity and timing of talks between sessions. Additionally, all sessions will be recorded, with release permission proactively secured from speakers (and other participants). We plan to make these recordings accessible to registered attendees via a secure portion of the conference website once the conference has concluded.Poster Sessions: Abstracts of high quality that cannot be accommodated for oral presentations will be accepted for poster presentations on Sunday evening. Posters will be available for viewing all day, including the poster receptions where all meeting registrants can network informally. The final poster session will conclude with the announcement of awards for the top 15 posters or oral presentations from pre-doctoral/post-doctoral fellows. Each award will cover up to $1,000 of the attendees' travel and lodging expenses.Panel Session - White Paper on the State of the Field and Future Directions: A panel session involving attending researchers, clinicians, industry representatives, and NIH Program Officers is planned to conduct an interactive information and consensus gathering to assess the current state of the biomedical swine research field and identify needs or demands for biomedical swine research facilities, resources, and expertise in the United States. The information gathered will be organized into a white paper to be published that aims to:Present a summary of the current state of the biomedical swine research field.Identify unmet needs and gaps in research in need of swine models, supporting infrastructure and resources, and expertise.