State-of-the-Art Plenary

♦ Asthma ¹- Friday, May 1, 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm

Chair: Michael M. Grunstein, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

The alarming increases in the prevalence, morbidity, and age-adjusted mortality rates in children with asthma underscore the crucial need to gain a better understanding of the pathobiology and management of this most chronic disease in children. This plenary session addresses these issues by providing a contemporary overview of the pathobiology and management of asthma.

Michael M. Grunstein, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

New Concepts on the Pathogenesis of Asthma

Stanley J. Szefler, National Jewish Medical and Research Center & University of Colorado Health Sciences Center

New Concepts in the Pharmacological Management of Childhood Asthma

Tracy A. Lieu, Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente

Asthma Health Services Research: The New Frontier

♦ Brain Metabolism and Injury - Friday, May 1, 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm

Chair: Donna Ferriero, University of California San Francisco

Hypoxic-ischemic brain injury remains a major cause of mortality and mobidity in the neonatal period. In recent years basic research has raised the possibility that damage may be mitigated by modifying the normal response to injury or by promoting healing from neuronal stem cells. A variety of new therapies may soon be ready for clinical trials. This session will focus on the accurate diagnosis and grading of hypoxic-ischemic injury and discuss new concepts in the mechanisms of both injury and recovery.

Anthony James Barkovich, University of California, San Francisco

Magnetic Resonance of the Brain in Asphyxiated Neonates

Evan Y. Snyder, Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital, Boston

Neutral Progenitors and Stem Cells: Developmental Insights May Suggest New Strategies for Gene Therapy and Repair of the Injured Newborn Brain

Donna M. Ferriero, University of California at San Francisco

Injury Response in the Developing Brain: OH NO⁺

♦ Cell Signaling - Monday, May 4, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Chair: Michael M. Grunstein, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Emerging new information provides evidence that a variety of diseases in children are attributed to pertubations in certain transmembrane signaling mechanisms regulating cellular function. According, this plenary session is aimed at providing a contemporary overview of various aspects of altered transmembrane signaling related to disease.

Andrew Shenker, Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Medical School

Mutations in G protein-Coupled Pathways as a Cause of Endocrine Disease

Garrett M. Brodeur, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania

The Biological and Clinical Importance of TRK Family Gene Expression and Signaling in Human Neuroblastomas

Steven A.N. Goldstein, Yale University School of Medicine

The Molecular Basis for Ion Channel Function and Disease

♦ Child Health Services Research ²- Monday, May 4, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Chair: James Perrin, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Child health services research represents a relatively new field for pediatric departments and investigators. As such, the area has only recently clarified its main investigative activities, techniques, and links with other disciplines: The field includes diverse areas: outcomes research, quality assessment, clinical effectiveness, health services utilization, and access. This session will highlight recent developments in health services research for children and adolescents, data available for analysis, and the relationship of health services research to studies of quality.

John M. Eisenberg, Administrator Agency for Health Care Policy and Researh

An Overview of Child Health Service Research: What is it? What have we learned?

Steven L. Gortmaker, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston

Data Sources for Child Health Services Research

David A. Bergman, Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford

Practice Guidelines: Necessary but not Sufficient to Improve Care

Elizabeth R. McAnarney, University of Rochester

The Importance of Child Health Services in the Pediatric Research Endeavor

♦ Fetal - Neonatal Medicine - Sunday, May 3, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Chair: Philip Shaul, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Significant advances have been made in the diagnosis, treatment and outcome of specific diseases of the fetus and newborn. The speakers in this symposium will describe some of these advances as they relate to problems found in the separate organ systems.

Robert L. Chevalier, University of Virginia Children's Medical Center

Congenital Obstructive Nephropathy: From the Fetus to the Future

Beverly S. Emanuel, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

From Maps to Medicine: Dissecting the Chromosome 22 Microdeletion Syndromes

David A. Williams, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Indiana University School of Medicine

Biology and Clinical Use of Interleukin-11: Implications for a New Therapy of Necrotizing Entercolitis

♦ Gene Therapy - Sunday, May 3, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Chair: Michael Kaback, University of California, San Diego

Sponsored by an education grant from March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation.

The explosion in molecular definition of inherited pediatric disorders of metabolism and development and delineation of gene alterations in malignancies has provided increased understanding of the pathogenesis of metabolic disease, congenital malformations, and cancer. However, specific treatment directed at the genetic mutations or defects remains rare. The speakers in this State of the Art symposium will focus on the prospects for gene therapy for pediatric disorders.

Nelson A. Wivel, Institute for Human Gene Therapy, Wistar Institute

A Primer of Gene Therapy Methodologies

Mark A. Kay, Division of Medical Genetics, University of Washington

Gene Therapy for Genetic Diseases

Malcolm Brenner, Baylor College of Medicine

Gene Therapy for Childhood Cancer

♦ Public Policy Forum - Developing Future Pediatric Academicians³- Saturday, May 2, 1:30 pm -3 pm

Chair: Jimmy L. Simon, Wake Forest University School of Medicine

This interactive and provocative session is intended to explore the issues surrounding the education and training of pediatric researchers and will be moderated by Jimmy Simon, M.D., chair of the Task Force on the Future of Pediatric Education II. The panelists will address issues concerning the research tracks for fellows comparing those who engage in a clinical subspecialty versus those who engage in research; the financing of tracks for basic and clinical research; the relationship between excellence in pediatric research training and the health of children; the education of pediatric health service researchers and the obligation of the mentor, department and school to assure that fellows receive training that is required to make them competitive. In addition, a member of the Louisiana Congressional delegation will be invited for the session to discuss the role of the government in the education and financing of residents in this country.

Thomas Boat, Children's Hospital Medical Center & University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

Financing Graduate Medical Education

Robert Kelch, The University of Iowa College of Medicine

Developing Future Pediatric Academicians: Training Physician Scientists

James M. Perrin, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School

Education of Pediatric Health Service Researchers

Christopher Wilson, University of Washington

The Obligations of the Mentor, Department and School to Assure that Fellows Receive Training that is Required to Make Them Competitive

♦ Telemedicine ^* - Sunday, May 3, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Chair: Michael Fordis, Baylor College of Medicine

Recent advances in telecommunications, information, and Internet technologies are providing academicians and practicing physicians with a new set of tools for engaging in healthcare, clinical research, and education at a distance. Telemedicine technologies are providing impetus for academic centers to rethink how they pursue their tripartite missions. In this plenary session, existing technologies will be presented and demonstrated, relevant obstacles and issues including regulatory concerns will be discussed, and a glimpse into the future will be provided.

Michael Fordis, Baylor College of Medicine

Reaching Beyond the Walls of Academia: Technologies for Today and Tommorrow

Charles Edmond, University of Washington

Virtual Sinus Surgery

Robert Waters, Arent Fox Kintner and Plotkin

Telemedicine: The Legal and Regulatory Environment

Ronald K. Poropatich, Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Telemedicine: Exploring the New Frontier

♦ Thromboembolic Disease in Children: A Product of Modern Technology

Monday, May 4, 12:30 pm - 2:00 pm

Chair: Maureen Andrew, Hamilton Civic Hospital Research Center & Alan Michelson, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Thromboembolic disease in children and newborns is an increasingly frequent and serious problem. These patients have serious underlying diseases that complicate the diagnosis and treatment. This session will discuss new information on the molecular causes of thrombotic diseases in children as well as the diagnosis and management of childhood stroke, venous thrombotic disease and central venous line related thrombosis. Ongoing international trials addressing these issues will be summarized.

Edwin (Ted) Bovill, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Pathophysiology and Evaluation of the Hereditary Hypercoagulable State

Patricia Massicotte, The Hospital for Sick Children at Toronto

Central Venous Line Thrombosis: An Epidemic in Tertiary Care Pediatrics

Gabrielle deVeber, Hamilton Civic Hospitals Research Center & McMaster University

Thrombotic Stroke in Little Folks: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge

Alan D. Michelson, University of Massachusetts Medical Center

Antithrombotic Therapy in Children

♦ Transcription Factors in Endocrine Development⁴- Sunday, May 3, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

Chair: Melvin Grumbach, University of California, San Francisco

The program will review the latest developments in how the endocrine glands form, develop and function. The session will focus on pituitary, thyroid, adrenal and gonadal development.

John Parks, Emory University School of Medicine

Molecular Pathology of Pituitary Development

Edward R.B. McCabe, University of California, Los Angeles

Roberto Di Lauro