2023 SoCal Genome Stability Symposium

ABSTRACT The 2023 SoCal Genome Stability Symposium is a one-day conference that will be held at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. The conference will focus on genomic instability, DNA mutagenesis, environmental mutagens, DNA damage signaling, mechanisms of DNA repair, and their implications in cancers

and therapies. In recent years, many novel cancer therapies have been developed to target DNA repair pathways. These new therapies are currently moving from the lab to the clinic, and we are poised for a rapid expansion of DNA repair pathway-targeting drugs that will be used to treat different types of cancer. At the

same time, treatments can induce DNA damage accumulation and cancer recurrences. Thus, understanding the mechanisms of DNA repair and cell responses to DNA repair-targeting chemicals is necessary to improve treatments. At the conference, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from laboratories located in

Southern California will present their ongoing unpublished research. The goals and objectives of the conference are: 1) to expose students and postdocs to the new frontiers of rapidly progressing research areas critically important to addressing cancer; 2) to provide a formal platform for presentations to trainees, and an

opportunity to receive feedback on their research progress; 3) to stimulate new collaborations between laboratories across different research institutions; 4) to catalyze opportunities for young scientists to network with a diverse group of scientists, including by receiving formal and informal mentoring and by opening future

postdoctoral or faculty position opportunities; 5) to provide an atmosphere of inclusion and rigor for the trainees participating in the symposium. The symposium will enhance interactions among students and postdoctoral fellows from all genders, backgrounds, and origins, including historically marginalized groups such as those

from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, individuals with disabilities, individuals with different sexual orientations, and individuals from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Broader awareness of the field gained through local meetings such as this is particularly important to prepare trainees for their next

career stages as postdoctoral fellows, principal investigators, or other careers in science.