Gastrointestinal Response to Injury at the 2010 Freston Conference

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This year's James W. Freston Single Topic Conference funded by the Takeda Endowment will be Gastrointestinal Response to Injury: 2010 and will be held from September 28 to October 2, 2010, at the Intercontinental Montelucia Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.

The Freston Single Topic Conference is an annual conference established by an endowment gift from Takeda Pharmaceuticals for the expressed purpose of providing a forum for scientific dialogue, presentation of new opportunities for scientific collaboration, and exploration and expansion of ideas that may lead to enhanced patient therapies and potential cures of digestive diseases. The first Freston Conference, Celiac Disease: Broadening Horizons, was held in Chicago, Illinois, in September 2009.

Dr Freston, for whom the endowment is named, is a former president of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA); his vision, leadership, and efforts have focused on teaching, research, education, and developing collaborative relationships with US and international societies. Throughout his academic career, Dr Freston has served as a role model and mentor for innumerable gastroenterologists and as an ambassador for patient care, clinical research, and education throughout the world.

In May 2008, Takeda Pharmaceuticals made a $3 million contribution to the AGA Foundation to establish The Takeda Endowment Fund and interest from this fund provides the operating budget for the Freston Single Topic Conference. This endowment ensures that opportunities to develop scientific programs such as Gastrointestinal Response to Injury: 2010 are not limited by a lack of funding.

“Founded in 1999, the triennial conference Gastrointestinal Response to Injury arose out of the need for a single meeting to comprehensively address gut mucosal pathobiology across a variety of disciplines” says Jonathan Kaunitz, MD, Co-Organizer of the 2010 Freston Conference and Professor of Medicine at the University of California at Los Angeles.

“With Sheila Crowe as co-organizer of the initial meeting, we sought the opinion of leading scientists regarding topic areas of current interest, devising a format organized around 6 sessions, each addressing the central theme in a complementary fashion. Speakers were chosen not only for their world renown, but also for their communication skills, teaching effectiveness, and accessibility. An important feature of the meeting is the encouragement of attendance for trainees and postdoctoral fellows and scholars, who are given the opportunity to present their data in a well-attended, interactive, and lively poster session.

“For 2010, we promise to further develop this theme, inviting several new speakers and including new topics, with deeper integration of basic research with clinical disease pathogenesis. The venue has been changed to Scottsdale, Arizona, which with its beautiful desert setting and access to ample outdoor activities combined with its excellent accessibility should increase attendance and improve the opportunities for interaction.”

Gastrointestinal Response to Injury: 2010 is enhanced by 2 trainee and young investigator-oriented pre meetings: Microbes and Mucosal Immunity (MMI) organized by Peter Ernst, Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia, and the Japanese-American Association of Gastrointestinal and Ulcer-Acid Researchers (JAAGUAR), providing opportunities to obtain in-depth information about a focused topic in a convivial, informal setting.

Gastrointestinal Response to Injury: 2010 is being co-organized by Richard Peek at Vanderbilt University. The organizing committee consists of Maria Abreu from the University of Miami, Ken Croitoru from Mount Sinai, Toronto, California, Gail Hecht from the University of Illinois—Chicago, and Marshall Montrose from the University of Cincinnati.

More information regarding meeting details and registration can be found at: www.gastro.org.