Photo credit: Ruth Karlina & Kenji Schorpp, Helmholtz Zentrum München
Journal of Experimental Biology Symposium 2017:
The biology of fat
Date: 25-29 March 2017
Location: Wiston House, Steyning, UK
Organisers: Raul Suarez and Hans Hoppeler
The synthesis, storage and breakdown of fats, the roles played by adipose tissue in thermogenesis, thermoregulation, migration, prolonged fasting and hibernation have been the subject of interest among comparative ecological physiologists for decades. In biomedical circles, there have been remarkable advances made in the understanding of the chemical and neural signalling mechanisms that regulate appetite, fat metabolism and body fat content. New information has become available concerning the evolution of adipocytes as well as their ontogenetic development into cell types with different physiological functions. Because of the epidemic in obesity, there is much research concerning the regulatory mechanisms underlying adiposity and the ailments often associated with obesity known as the ‘metabolic syndrome’. But there are divergent views concerning the evolutionary forces that led to the results often seen when sedentary lifestyles are combined with harmful diets. Much can be learned by juxtaposing the diverse outcomes of nature’s ‘experiments’ with the human outcomes of office chairs, televisions and supermarkets, combined. Much could be gained from knowing how ‘bad’ adipose tissue might be trained to be ‘good’ and establish normal relations with other organs.
This JEB Symposium brings together comparative physiologists/biochemists with biomedical research scientists to stimulate exchange of ideas and information concerning various aspects of the Biology of Fat.
Organisers & speakers
Raul Suarez University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
Hans Hoppeler University of Bern, Switzerland
Matthew Andrews Oregon State University, USA
Marika Charalambous Queen Mary University of London, UK
Melinda Fowler Springfield College, USA
Christopher Guglielmo Western University, Canada
Matthijs Hesselink Maastricht University, The Netherlands
Martin Jastroch Helmholtz Zentrum München/Philipps University of Marburg, Germany
Martin Klingenspor Technische Universität München, Germany
Heather Koopman University of North Carolina Wilmington, USA
Ronald Kühnlein Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Germany and University of Graz, Austria
James Minchin University of Edinburgh, UK
Laura Musselman Binghamton University, USA
Cristina Salmerón University of California, San Diego, USA
Nini Sissener National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research, Norway
Brent Sinclair Western University, Canada
John Speakman Chinese Academy of Sciences, China and University of Aberdeen, UK
Kristin Stanford The Ohio State University, USA
Luc Tappy University of Lausanne, Switzerland
Siegfried Ussar Helmholtz Zentrum München, Germany
Kenneth Welch University of Toronto, Scarborough, Canada
Programme
The symposium is open to invited speakers and delegates only. However, all presentations will be published as a special issue of Journal of Experimental Biology in early 2018.
Venue
Wiston House is a 16th-Century Grade-1-listed building located at the foot of the South Downs National Park in England, surrounded by over 6000 acres of parkland.
Steeped in history, it provides a relaxed atmosphere that lends itself to work, dialogue and recreation.
Wiston House
Steyning Road
Steyning
West Sussex
BN44 3DZ
UK
Tel: +44 1903 815020
Travel
Wiston House is easily accessible by road and rail from the major London airports: London Gatwick is 32 miles away (~45 mins by road) and London Heathrow is 60 miles away (~2 hours by road).
If you are driving to Wiston House, please enter postcode BN44 3DZ on your satellite navigation equipment.
The nearest train station to Wiston House is Shoreham-by-Sea. Trains run regularly from London Victoria train station and take approximately 1 hour 10 minutes. Plan your route and book tickets online on the National Rail Enquiries website. Alternatively, train tickets can be purchased at any station.
A taxi rank is located outside Shoreham-by-Sea station. The journey to Wiston House takes 15-20 minutes and costs £20-25. Please note that most taxi drivers require payment in cash.
Accompanying persons
Spouses/domestic partners are welcome to accompany invited delegates to the meeting. To cover the costs of the accommodation, catering and social event, the registration fee will be £795. The fee assumes two people sharing a double room and that accompanying persons will NOT attend the scientific sessions.
Registration fee (£795) for accompanying persons includes:
- Accommodation for four nights (25-28 March)
- Welcome Reception on 25 March
- Breakfast on 26-29 March
- Lunch on 26-28 March
- Dinner on 25-27 March
- Conference Dinner on 28 March
- Social event on 27 March
The registration fee is payable direct to Wiston House on check-out.
To register an accompanying person, please email us as soon as possible, and by Friday 20 January 2017 at the latest. Charges will be incurred for cancellations after 12 March 2017.
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