The Consequences of Aneuploidy

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT We are requesting grant support for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) conference “The Consequences of Aneuploidy.” In partnership with FASEB, the next meeting will be held from September 15-19, 2024 in Melbourne, Florida. The broad goal of the meeting is to bring together a

diverse and cross-disciplinary group of experts who study aneuploidy and its impacts on human health. Importantly, this meeting fills a substantial gap for the scientific community because there is no recurring conference series in the United States focused on the consequences of aneuploidy. Our long-term goal is to

develop the conference into a regular meeting series that occurs every two years. Aneuploidy, an abnormal number of chromosomes, is associated with many human conditions and diseases. During human development, aneuploidy is the leading cause of miscarriages and birth defects. In addition, aneuploidy is also a hallmark of aging and cancer, occurring in approximately 85% of all cancers.

Although recent advances have expanded our understanding of the consequences of aneuploidy, many critical questions remain: What are the fates of aneuploid cells during development, tumorigenesis, and aging? What are the universal vs. chromosome- or tissue-specific pathologies associated with aneuploidy? What are the

vulnerabilities of aneuploid cells? How can we therapeutically target aneuploidy-associated pathologies to develop medical rehabilitation interventions and how can we exploit the vulnerabilities of aneuploid cells to selectively eliminate these cells? We are assembling the world’s experts on aneuploidy to share their latest

findings, foster collaborations, and advance research in the field. Our current program agenda has 34 confirmed male and female senior and junior experts and includes international investigators as well as underrepresented groups. An additional 19 speakers will be selected from abstract submissions with an

emphasis on providing opportunities for junior trainees and early career investigators to present their research. Furthermore, the program agenda includes networking opportunities for junior trainees and investigators during poster sessions and career development sessions. Critically, an R13 grant will help us to defray the costs for

junior trainees and early career investigators to attend the meeting. In conclusion, a meeting dedicated to aneuploidy research will substantially advance our understanding of human health and disease and lead to new therapeutic strategies that prevent aneuploidy, eliminate aneuploid cells, and treat aneuploidy associated

pathologies.