Conferences
Other Events
Conference attendees become acquainted with one another in a game of science speed dating.
Organizers invite participants based on evaluation of abstract submissions. Interested applicants must register online and submit a research abstract relevant to the meeting topic.
All participants are expected to contribute to the intellectual content of the meeting, including graduate students and postdocs. To achieve these goals, all of the attendees will be active members of the research field and will present their work in a talk or poster format.
Registration is closed for all Fall 2013 conferences.
Recent advances in molecular genetics, optogenetics, and neuroimaging are bringing us closer to revealing the logic and function of neural circuits underlying our sense of touch. This meeting will focus on mammalian low-threshold mechanoreceptors (LTMRs) and their associated neural circuits within the spinal cord, brain stem and cortex that underlie tactile perception, object and form recognition, and the affective component of touch. Topics will include: functions of LTMR subtypes; tools for visualizing and manipulating LTMRs; functional organization of LTMR endings; identification of postsynaptic targets of LTMRs; organization of interneurons and projection neurons of the spinal cord dorsal horn; organization of somatosensory brain stem nuclei; and model systems and behavioral assays for understanding the roles of LTMR afferents in tactile sensation. We will bring together molecular geneticists, physiologists and behavioral scientists using rodent, human, and non-human primates model systems, with the goal of revealing the principles and core logic of mammalian tactile circuitry.
Registration for this conference is closed.
Organizers
David Ginty, HHMI/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Steven Hsiao, Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute
Ellen Lumpkin, Columbia University
Karel Svoboda, Janelia Farm Research Campus/HHMI
Invited Participants
Diana Bautista, University of California, Berkeley
Sliman Bensmaia, University of Chicago
Michael Caterina, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Elaine Chapman, University of Montreal
James Craig, Indiana University, Bloomington
Xinzhong Dong, HHMI/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Esther Gardner, NYU School of Medicine
Gregory Gerling, University of Virginia
Daniel Goldreich, McMaster University
Mitra Hartmann, Northwestern University
Shawn Hochman, Emory University
Roland Johansson, Umeå University
Richard Koerber, University of Pittsburgh
Gary Lewin, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine
Wenqin Luo, University of Pennsylvania
Qiufu Ma, Harvard Medical School
Francis McGlone, Liverpool John Moores University
Daniel O'Connor, Johns Hopkins University
Håkan Olausson, University of Gothenburg
Ardem Patapoutian, The Scripps Research Institute
Carl Petersen, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Frank Rice, Albany Medical College
Ranulfo Romo, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Cornelius Schwarz, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research
Rebecca Seal, University of Pittsburgh
Cheryl Stucky, Medical College of Wisconsin
Fan Wang, Duke University
John Wood, University College London
C. Jeffery Woodbury, University of Wyoming
Synaptic vesicles, the secretory organelles that store and secrete non-peptide nuerotransmitters, have been extensively characterized. Yet, how these organelles are generated and regenerated during repeated cycles of exo-endocytosis remains poorly understood. While strong evidence implicates clathrin-mediated budding in their formation after each cycle of exocytosis, the precise steps leading from a newly formed clathrin coated vesicle to a new, neurotransmitter filled, synaptic vesicle and the role of endosomal intermediates remain unclear. Clathrin-independent pathways of endocytosis are thought to operate in parallel with clathrin-mediated endocytosis. Mechanisms underlying the incorporation of key membrane proteins (in a roughly defined stoichiometry relative to each other) in synaptic vesicles and those that determine their very small and highly homogenous shape are largely unknown. It is anticipated that an answer to these questions will not only advance knowledge of mechanisms in synaptic transmission, but also have broad implications in the field of membrane transport. The goal of the workshop is to bring together investigators from different fields to foster discussion, interactions and potential collaborations.
Registration for this conference is closed.
Organizers
Pietro De Camilli, HHMI/Yale University
Volker Haucke, Leibniz Institute for Molecular Pharmacology, Berlin
Timothy Ryan, Weill Cornell Medical College
Invited Participants
Bruno Antonny, Institut de pharmacologie, Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Valbonne, France
Juan Bonifacino, National Institutes of Health
Edwin Chapman, HHMI/University of Wisconsin
Oliver Daumke, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine
Robert Edwards, University of California, San Francisco
Barth Grant, Rutgers University
John Heuser, Washington University School of Medicine
Reinhard Jahn, Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
Yishi Jin, HHMI/University of California, San Diego
Erik Jorgensen, HHMI/University of Utah
Jürgen Klingauf, University of Muenster
Michael Kozlov, Tel Aviv University
Peter McPherson, McGill University
Silvio Rizzoli, European Neuroscience Institute (ENI) Göttingen
Margaret Robinson, University of Cambridge
Aurelien Roux, University of Geneva
Kang Shen, HHMI/Stanford School of Medicine
Oleg Shupliakov, Karolinska Institutet
Shigeo Takamori, Doshisha University, Japan
Patrik Verstreken, VIB Center for the Biology of Disease
Mark von Zastrow, University of California, San Francisco
Beverly Wendland, John Hopkins University
Ling-Gang Wu, National Institutes of Health
Xiaowei Zhuang, HHMI/Harvard University
Joshua Zimmerberg, National Institutes of Health
Hormones and neuromodulators play an important role in adjusting behavior to match the physiological and developmental needs of an organism, but the underlying neural circuits are not well understood. This conference will draw on both vertebrate and invertebrate systems to examine the mechanisms by which circulating molecules influence the neural circuits that control complex behavior. We will combine speakers at various levels of analysis from behavior to circuits to molecules and utilizing different physiological and developmental systems. The aim will be to assess the state of the field and, through a comparative approach, establish common themes and novel approaches.
Registration for this conference is closed.
Organizers
Lynn Riddiford, Janelia Farm Research Campus/HHMI
Scott Sternson, Janelia Farm Research Campus/HHMI
James Truman, Janelia Farm Research Campus/HHMI
Invited Participants
David Crews, University of Texas at Austin
Mario de Bono, Medical Research Council (MRC)
Barry Dickson, Research Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna
Catherine Dulac, HHMI/Harvard University
Ki Ann Goosens, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Klaus Hartfelder, University of São Paulo
Darcy Kelley, Columbia University
Joseph LeDoux, New York University
Frederic Libersat, Ben Gurion University of the Negev
Ryszard Maleszka, Australian National University
Michael Nusbaum, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Nirao Shah, University of California, San Francisco
Benjamin White, National Insitute of Mental Health/NIH
John Wingfield, University of California, Davis
Larry Young, Emory University School of Medicine
Dusan Zitnan, Slovak Academy of Sciences
Wavefront engineering has greatly expanded the capability of optical microscopy and measurements in biological systems. Recent breakthroughs in measuring and controlling optical wavefront have led to many important applications, including deep tissue microscopy with improved imaging quality and depth, optical tweezers with sophisticated shape and momentum distribution, and three-dimensionally patterned optogenetic excitation. This conference will bring together leading experts in a variety of research fields that employ innovative wavefront control technologies for biomedical applications.
Registration for this conference is closed.
Organizers
Meng Cui, Janelia Farm Research Campus/HHMI
Na Ji, Janelia Farm Research Campus/HHMI
Invited Participants
Eric Betzig, Janelia Farm Research Campus/HHMI
Claude Boccara, ESPCI ParisTech
Martin Booth, University of Oxford
Stephen Boppart, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Wonshik Choi, Korea University
Kishan Dholakia, University of St. Andrews
Valentina Emiliani, Université Paris Descartes
Mathias Fink, ESPCI ParisTech
Sylvain Gigan, ESPCI ParisTech
Peter Kner, University of Georgia
Joel Kubby, University of California, Santa Cruz
Pablo Loza-Alvarez, Institute of Photonic Sciences
Jerome Mertz, Boston University
Donald Miller, Indiana University Bloomington
Wei Min, Columbia University
Rafael Piestun, University of Colorado at Boulder
Demetri Psaltis, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)
Alexander Rohrbach, University of Freiburg
Austin Roorda, University of California, Berkeley
Yaron Silberberg, Weizmann Institute of Science
Lihong Wang, Washington University in St. Louis
David Williams, University of Rochester
Chris Xu, Cornell University
Rooms in the guest house look out over a small pond toward a hardwood forest.
They typically run for two and a half days, beginning Sunday evening and ending mid day on Wednesday.
Accommodations
All external participants are housed on-site in our guest house. Units are single queen rooms. A fitness center is available for guests' use.
Size
Janelia conferences range from small workshops for more intimate discussions to larger meetings of up to about 60 people.
Structure
Each conference normally has at least one external and one internal organizer (usually a Janelia lab head). Meetings are announced on the Janelia website each March and September and openly advertised so that interested members of the scientific community may apply online. The conference organizers invite participants based on their research abstract and ability to contribute to the scientific discussion. Presentations may include talks and/or posters.
Cost
HHMI funds the local costs of the meeting, including food and accommodation for all participants. Travel costs are discussed below.
Travel
Travel costs are not normally covered, but Janelia has some funds available to provide travel assistance to a fraction of participants. If you need such assistance in order to attend, please apply in the “travel funds request” field during online registration.
In accordance with our conference travel policy, participants who have applied and been approved for support in advance of the meeting will be reimbursed up to a fixed amount based on the average cost of advanced-purchase, coach class air travel from the participant's geographical region to Janelia. If approved, participants must attend the entire conference to qualify for reimbursement. Download our detailed travel policy for more information.
Abstract Book
To facilitate interactions, all conference participants are asked to provide a short abstract on their research interests, which will be included in an abstract book.
Publication
Presentations at Janelia conferences do not constitute scientific publications, and their scientific content may not be shared outside of the conference without the express permission of the presenter. Permission is required for sharing through tweets, websites, or blogs as well as more traditional means of communication. This has been the standard ethic for dissemination of unpublished results presented in closed scientific meetings, and we feel that this ethic is important to promote the free exchange of unpublished material, which is in the interests of all participants. The advent of new Internet technology does not change the standards for ethical conduct of science.
For these reasons, participants are not permitted to record presentations or posters by electronic or photographic means without the express permission of the presenter. Given these assurances, presenters should speak openly and not allude to any data or experiments that they are not prepared to discuss in full.
The application to participate in a Janelia conference contains the following statement, and each participant must agree to these provisions: "Presentations and posters are not to be recorded by electronic or photographic means, and the scientific content of Janelia conference presentations, posters, and discussions is not to be shared outside of the conference, without the express permission of the presenter. Permission is required for sharing through tweets, websites, or blogs as well as more traditional means of communication. Authors are requested to omit references to the scientific content of Janelia conferences from any publication."
Internal Web-Casting
We record platform talks and broadcast them within Janelia’s laboratory building via the intranet ONLY for the convenience of our resident and visiting scientists. We hold these recordings for seven days after the talk and then delete them from our systems. All participants must agree to this recording.
Child Care
We have child care available for children between the ages of six weeks and five years (space permitting, see http://centers.brighthorizons.com/learninglab/). The hours are 7:30 am to 6:30 pm. Participants must pay for child care and the cost varies depending on the child's age. Some paperwork is required in advance (vaccination certificates, etc.). Please contact the child care director at (571) 209-4025 for more information.
Janelia Conference Scholarships for Students from Disadvantaged Backgrounds
Conference scholarships that cover the cost of travel and specified associated out-of-pocket expenses (for example, poster printing) are offered by Janelia Farm to graduate students who would otherwise be unable to participate in our meetings. These scholarships will allow graduate students who are members of a group underrepresented in the sciences, who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, or who are actively involved in promoting diversity in the sciences to attend conferences at Janelia. They will function to increase access of these students to leading scientists and to enrich the possible recruiting pool for Janelia Farm. One scholarship will be awarded per conference.
Eligibility
Any matriculated graduate student may apply. To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must self-identify as a member of a group underrepresented in the sciences, as having come from a disadvantaged background, or as being interested in promoting diversity in the sciences.
A student is considered to come from a disadvantaged background if he or she comes from an environment that may have hindered him or her from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and ability required to enroll in an undergraduate institution. For example, students from very-low-income families (such as those eligible for food stamps or public housing) or whose parents did not go to college are considered to come from a disadvantaged background.
Application
The scholarship application deadline for spring 2013 conferences is November 14, 2012. Applicants are asked to:
- Specify which conference they wish to attend
- Explain why they will both benefit and contribute scientifically in attending
- Explain how they believe they meet the eligibility requirements
- Provide a CV
- Provide a reference from their academic advisor
- Register online for the conference of choice
Applications will be assessed by the Janelia Farm Conference Program administrator in conjunction with the conference organizers.
Logistics
Scholarship applicants must also formally register for their conference of choice at http://conference.janelia.org/cms. Scholarship applications cannot be considered if the conference registration process is not completed.
Apply for a Janelia Conference Scholarship
Why do I have to submit an abstract and what should I write?
Abstracts for JFRC conferences serve several purposes: they help the organizers plan the meeting agenda, act as a scientific introduction for the attending participants who may not know your research well, and allow you to state your future research goals, which may elicit useful assistance or suggestions. We ask that all participants submit an abstract, even if it is short.
How can I confirm that my abstract submission is complete?
Upon completion of the required items, which are the presentation title, author(s), abstract, and key words, you will receive an e-mail confirmation with a summary of all of the information entered in our online registration. Because this notification will be sent to your e-mail address, please avoid entering confidential information during registration.
Make sure you have saved all abstract information before the submission deadline for the conference. Once the submission deadline has passed, you will be able to view your abstract information.
If you have any questions regarding accommodations, meals, or transportation/parking, please contact the Campus Services department at reservations@janelia.hhmi.org. If you have technical problems or have any other questions about the Janelia conference program, please send an email to Conference Management at conference@janelia.hhmi.org.
How can I ensure that an assistant or alternate contact is included in all conference e-mail correspondence?
You can specify an assistant/alternate e-mail address on the "Contact Info" tab in the registration system. All conference notifications are sent to both the primary e-mail address and the assistant/alternate e-mail address for your account.
When will I find out if I have been accepted to participate in the conference?
Approximately four months before the date your conference begins, you should be notified of your status. However, this may vary. We will inform you as soon as the organizers have made their decisions.
What if I need to make changes to my abstract or personal information after the registration website has closed?
Because the conference organizers require your abstract for creating the final agenda, we ask that you please complete all registration information in advance of the deadline. However, if you do need to make modifications, please send an e-mail to conference@janelia.hhmi.org.
Is there a registration fee to attend Janelia conferences?
There is no registration fee for our conferences, and we cover the cost of food and housing.
How do I get to Janelia Farm Research Campus?
Directions to Janelia can be found at http://www.janelia.org/campus-community/janelia-farm-campus. We recommend you use Washington Dulles International Airport when traveling, as it is a short cab ride from campus. Directions from Dulles Airport will be emailed one to two weeks prior to the start of the meeting. We suggest that you print all directions and have them on hand when using ground transportation to ensure that you do not get lost (printable directions from Dulles to Janelia). If you need additional assistance getting to campus, please call our main line at 571-209-4000 to reach the reception desk.
JFRC does not offer transportation to campus, but does offer a shuttle service to Washington Dulles International at the close of each meeting. You may sign-up to use this service at check-in.
Please note JFRC is a secure campus and you will not be allowed access prior to your scheduled arrival date.
Does Janelia Farm pay for my travel expenses?
Conference organizers are allotted funds to provide travel scholarships to a fraction of participants. In accordance with our travel policy, travel expenses for these participants will be reimbursed up to a fixed amount based on the average cost of advanced-purchase, coach class air travel from the participant’s geographical region to Janelia Farm. Unless otherwise approved, you must attend the entire conference in order to receive your reimbursement. Download our detailed travel policy.
Can I drive to the meeting and park my car on campus?
Yes, but please let us know ahead of time so that we can arrange this with campus security.
How do I reach Janelia Farm from Washington Dulles International Airport?
You will need to take a cab from the airport to Janelia Farm. It is about a 15-minute, $30 ride.
How do I get back to Washington Dulles International Airport after the conference?
We provide free shuttle service from Janelia farm back to Dulles Airport. Three shuttles will leave at staggered times to accommodate all travelers. The trip takes approximately 15 - 20 minutes. You can sign up for a shuttle at the reception desk any time during your conference. If the shuttle times are not amenable to your flight schedule, you can request a cab by filling out the appropriate form at the reception desk. The cab ride to Dulles Airport is about $30.
How far in advance do I need to arrive at the airport for my return flight?
It is recommended that you arrive at the airport three hours in advance for international flights and two hours in advance for domestic flights. However, this time-frame is largely dependent on the day/time of your travel and whether you are checking baggage. We do provide a kiosk for printing your boarding pass before leaving Janelia Farm.
When can I arrive and check-in for my Janelia Conference?
We typically expect check-ins to occur after 3 pm on the first day of the conference, which is normally a Sunday. However, if your travel plans call for you to arrive earlier, we will do what we can to accommodate you. Our reception area is staffed 24 hours a day; however, if you have any questions regarding the conference, you must wait until the designated registration period to speak with a conference coordinator.
If you arrive early and would like to purchase refreshments, you may use the credit allotted on your room key. This credit is available to you throughout your stay and is intended for use in Bob's, our campus Pub.
What happens during check-in?
At check-in you will receive your room key, which also has credit applied to it for your use at Bob’s Pub. You will also receive your conference abstract book and an updated agenda if any changes have been made. At this time, or any time during the conference, you can sign up for a shuttle or cab service back to Dulles Airport.
Where will I stay when I attend a Janelia Conference?
You will receive your room key to the guest house and conference materials at the registration desk upon your arrival. If you live locally and do not need accommodations, please notify conference management on the travel page of the registration process.
What are the rooms like in the Janelia guest house?
Each guest room has a private bath, queen size bed, desk, iron and ironing board, hair dryer, and alarm clock. Upon request we can provide bedrails, a portable crib, or a mini refrigerator for medications or dietary needs. The guest house features a 24/7 fitness center with locker rooms, free weights, and aerobic exercise equipment.
What will I eat while at Janelia Farm?
We will provide you with breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For snacks and other options, feel free to use the credit applied to your room key at Bob's Pub, which is open all day.
What if I have special needs regarding meals or accommodations?
Please notify us of any special needs you may have in the "special needs" section during the online registration. You may also e-mail Campus Services at reservations@janelia.hhmi.org.
When will I receive the meeting agenda?
Those who are invited or who apply and are chosen to participate will receive a provisional agenda following registration, when it is available. A more current agenda will be sent along with directions from Washington Dulles International Airport about one week prior to the meeting. The agenda will also be posted on our web site.
How big are the poster boards?
Our poster board size is approximately 45 inches tall by 45 inches wide (1.14 meters x 1.14 meters).
Do I need to bring my own laptop?
No. We have both PCs and MACs available for your use, but feel free to bring your own if you wish. You can bring your presentation on a disc or other portable hard drive. Keep in mind that our optimal screen resolution is 1920 x 1080.
Do I have to attend the whole meeting?
Yes. By agreeing to participate in a Janelia conference, you agree to stay for the entirety of the meeting. Only in rare instances do we permit participants to arrive late or leave early.
What should I do if I am unable to attend the conference?
We are sorry you will not be joining us. Once you are logged into the Web system, under the "Conference Info" section you will find "Decline Registration." Please click the "Decline Registration" button. Once you have declined registration, we will note that you will not be attending and you will no longer receive any notifications regarding the conference.
Am I expected to present my work at the conference?
We do expect everyone to be an active participant, by presenting either a talk or a poster.
