The Western Region Islet Study Group will hold its ninth annual meeting, hosted by the Pacific Northwest Diabetes Research Institute, at Pack Forest Conference Center, an hour's drive from Seattle, Washington beginning on Friday, May 21^st and ending Sunday, May 23^rd, 2010. Registration takes place from 3 to 6 PM on Friday. The program runs Friday evening, from 7 AM to 5 PM on Saturday, and from 7 AM to Noon on Sunday. Both morning sessions are preceded by breakfast from 7 to 7:45 AM.

About the Conference

In the past few years, there has been an increasing emphasis on improving our understanding of β-cell biology as a necessary step towards developing a definitive therapy for both type-1 and -2 diabetes. To further facilitate progress and cooperation in the area of β-cell biology, the Western Region Islet Study Group (WRISG) was proposed in the summer of 2000 to bring together up to 100 participants at an annual meeting to meet and exchange ideas. There is strong emphasis on the participation of young investigators at the graduate and postgraduate level. An organizing committee has been chosen of established researchers in basic islet and diabetes research from 6 geographically dispersed centers namely Denver, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. The inaugural meeting of the group was held September 28th–30th 2001 at the Marconi conference center near San Francisco and was attended by islet researchers from the western U.S. and Canada.

As has become traditional, six topic areas will be covered and clinical investigation is encouraged

1. Embryological development of the endocrine pancreas.
2. Postnatal islet development – ductal cells, progenitor cells, islet neogenesis.
3. Islet beta cell survival and apoptosis.
4. Regulation of insulin and glucagon secretion.
5. Islet cell biology – granule biogenesis, granule transport, exocytosis, islet cell contact.
6. The islet in type-1 & -2 diabetes – pathology and novel therapeutic approaches.

The meeting will center around scientific sessions of 2 hours each covering the above topic areas. Oral presentations of 20-minute duration will be delivered from abstract submissions reviewed and selected by the organizing committee. A strong preference will be made towards young investigators in the selection process.

The primary goal of the meeting is to bring together as many young investigators in the islet research field within the region as possible and to foster communication and collaboration between these individuals and their supporting groups. It is intended to be more than just a conference. The WRISG meeting will be an important step in catalyzing developments in the field and unifying researchers in collaboration and translational efforts.

Pack Forest Conference Center

The Pack Forest Conference Center lies at the foot of Mount Rainier, nestled among stately Douglas-fir in a 4,300 acre forest. Rich in history, Pack Forest offers top quality meeting rooms and comfortable overnight accommodations.

Owned by the University of Washington's School of Forest Resources, Pack Forest is an ideal setting for educational conferences or retreats any time of the year.

Meals at the Pack Forest Conference Center:

The following meals are included with your registration fee:

• Friday, May 21st – Welcome Reception
• Saturday, May 22nd – Breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Pack Forest Conference Center
• Sunday, May 23rd – Breakfast and lunch at the Pack Forest Conference Cente

Getting to the Pack Forest Conference Center:

All registrants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements via rental car to and from Pack Forest Conference Center outside Seattle.

Pack Forest Conference Center:

9010 453rd Street East

Eatonville, WA 98328

Driving directions from SeaTac airport.