2015 Innovations Symposium Inspires Collaborations to Advance Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research

OAKLAND, Calif., June 4, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A diverse group of health scientists, clinicians and creative thinkers in academia, and the public and private sectors will assemble in San Francisco for the Kenneth Rainin Foundation's 2015 Innovations Symposium: Wound Healing, Repair and IBD.  Featuring distinguished guest speakers, poster sessions and numerous networking opportunities, the Symposium will take place July 20-21, 2015, at the Hyatt Embarcadero in San Francisco. An annual event, the Symposium was created by the Foundation to facilitate cross-disciplinary scientific collaborations on ideas that will advance Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) research and ultimately lead to effective treatments and cures.

Again this year, the Foundation is accepting applications for its highly coveted Synergy Awards, a grant opportunity available exclusively to Innovations Symposium attendees. This award encourages synergistic, discovery-oriented projects that incorporate interdisciplinary collaboration. The Synergy Award offers $100,000 in research support for one year to each investigator on a team, up to a total of $300,000.

"From the beginning, we have seen our annual Innovations Symposium as a grand experiment. It's a testing ground for what we learn from researchers at each event, and it is constantly evolving as we try new approaches and explore new issues," said Dr. Jen Rainin, Kenneth Rainin Foundation CEO. "The time we spend collaborating and sharing ideas is part of what makes this event so meaningful." 

The Innovations Symposium features a slate of notable guest speakers:

Stephen Hanauer, MD, Northwestern University, is the distinguished scientist and respected physician who will emcee the Symposium and make connections from each talk to IBD. Dr. Hanauer is an international leader in the treatment of IBD and his protean research covers a broad range of IBD issues. His talk is entitled "From Animal Models to Human Models."

Linheng Li, PhD, Stowers Institute for Medical Research/University of Kansas Medical Center, is a renowned stem cell biologist who has conducted groundbreaking research that shows promise for cancer and IBD, including discovering key characteristics and genetic codes for stem cell growth.  He will speak about the "Characterization of Stress Responsible Stem Cell in Intestines."

Wenjun Ouyang, PhD, Genentech, will examine the role of T helper cells in communications between the body's immune system and internal organs as they fight off inflammatory diseases. His talk will address "The Function of IL-22 in Mucosal Immunity."

Zena Werb, PhD, University of California, San Francisco, is a prominent researcher in the biology of cell development and cancer. Dr. Werb focuses on the interplay of cellular growth, proteolysis, inflammation and cancer. Using studies of bone and breast development, she explores how cells bind themselves to their nearby environment and how that environment functions in "Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Stem Cells in Tissue Regeneration."

Tom Wynn, PhD, National Institute of Allergy & Infectious Disease, NIH, investigates the molecular and immune system mechanisms that control chronic inflammation and the pathological scarring of fibrosis. He uses a variety of "in vivo" model systems to study these conditions and test new anti-fibrotic drugs. Dr. Wynn will present "Therapeutic Targeting of IL-13 Signaling in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Fibrosis."

The following Kenneth Rainin Foundation grantees will also present progress on their research: Gautam Dantas, Washington University, St. Louis; Richard Maizels, Edinburgh University; and Samuel Miller, University of Washington.

To see the agenda and learn more about the Innovations Symposium, please visit: krfoundation.org/symposium.  

About the Kenneth Rainin Foundation: Kenneth Rainin Foundation is a private family foundation dedicated to enhancing quality of life by championing and sustaining the arts, promoting early childhood literacy and supporting research to cure chronic disease. Collaboration and innovation are at the heart of all our programs. Our vision is guided by the belief that change is possible through inquiry, creativity and compassion. More at krfoundation.org.

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SOURCE The Kenneth Rainin Foundation

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