Abstract

The Gordon Research Seminar on Cartilage Biology and Pathology is a unique forum for graduate students, post-docs, and other scientists with comparable levels of experience and education to present and exchange new data and cutting edge ideas. The primary focus of this student run and organized meeting is to bring together young investigators from a variety of geographic and scientific backgrounds to further our understand of cartilage biology from the perspective of development, normal physiology, and pathology. Over recent years, the link between cartilage/bone development and cartilage pathology has been reinforced by numerous groups. As a result, our understanding of human diseases afflicting bones, joints, and cartilage, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, skeletal deformities, and skeletal tumours, has advanced tremendously. However, these diseases remain a persistent socioeconomic burden on a global scale. This 2 day meeting will address these issues from multiple angles, with the hope of establishing a progressive dialogue and advancing the field through sharing of cutting edge data, and establishment of international collaborations.