Active Dendrites in Motor Neurons

University of Colorado

Boulder, Colorado
June 24-26, 2004

Go the summaries of the 2004 Meeting

Meeting Organizers

C. J. Heckman
Department of Physiology
Northwestern University Medical School
M211 303 E. Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60611, USA
Phone: 312-503-2164
Fax: 312-503-5101
E-mail: c-heckman@nwu.edu

Roger M. Enoka
Department of Integrative Physiology
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO 80309-0354, USA
Phone: 303-492-7232
Fax: 303-492-6778
E-mail: roger.enoka@colorado.edu

Objectives for the Meeting

To assemble a critical mass of preeminent investigators to participate in a three-day meeting designed to review current knowledge on motor neuron properties and motor unit behavior, to identify critical gaps in existing knowledge, and to formulate a research agenda that can address these issues.

To stimulate open discussion and foster collaborative interactions among investigators interested in understanding the relations between motor neuron properties and the discharge characteristics of motor units.

To encourage the participation of young investigators in this field by demonstrating the number of exciting questions that remain to be addressed and by providing them with an opportunity to give brief presentations during the meeting.

To disseminate the findings and conclusions of the conference by posting the information on a publicized website.

Invited Speakers

Motor Neuron Labs

Bernhard Keller (University of Göttingen, Germany)
Bob Lee (Emory University, Atlanta)
Brent Fedirchuk (University of Manitoba, Canada)
C. J. Heckman (Northwestern University, Chicago)
David Bennett (University of Alberta, Canada)
Hans Hultborn (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
Ken Rose (Queens University, Canada)
Marc Binder (University of Washington, Seattle)
Phil Gardiner (University of Manitoba, Canada)
Randy Powers (University of Washington, Seattle)
Rob Brownstone (Dalhousie University, Canada)
Robert Fyffe (Wright State University, Dayton)
Tim Cope (Emory University, Atlanta)

Motor Unit Labs

Andy Fuglevand (University of Arizona, Tucson)
Annie Schmied (CNRS, France)
Christine Thomas (University of Miami, Florida)
Dario Farina (Politecnico di Torino, Italy)
Inge Zijdewind (Groningen University, The Netherlands)
Jacques Duchateau (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium)
Jayne Garland (University of Western Ontario, Canada)
Monica Gorassini (University of Alberta, Canada)
Parveen Bawa (Simon Fraser University, Canada)
Penelope McNulty (University of New South Wales, Australia)
Roger Enoka (University of Colorado, Boulder)
Simon Gandevia (University of New South Wales, Australia)
Zeynep Erim (Northwestern University, Chicago)

Meeting Program

The presentations will begin at 8 am on June 24th and end at 5 pm on June 26th, followed by a buffet meal at 7 pm to conclude the meeting. The presentations by the invited speakers are organized into eight sessions:

Synaptic Integration in Active Dendrites of Motor Neurons - Marc Binder, Bernhard Keller, Robert Fyffe, Ken Rose
Control of Active Dendrites in Motor Neurons - CJ Heckman, Hans Hultborn, Bob Lee
Control of Motor Neuron Discharge Properties - Rob Brownstone, Brent Fedirchuk, Randy Powers
Plasticity and Disease - David Bennett, Phil Gardiner, Tim Cope
Synaptic Inputs and Motor Outputs - Parveen Bawa, Dario Farina, Annie Schmied, Simon Gandevia
Discharge Characteristics of Motor Units - Andy Fuglevand, Penelope McNulty, Inge Zijdewind
Task-Related Motor Unit Activity - Jacques Duchateau, Jayne Garland, Carol Mottram
Adaptations in Output - Zeynep Erim, Monica Gorassini, Chris Thomas

Other meeting attendees (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, collaborators) may exhibit posters (1.2 m x 1.2 m) and participate in the meeting. Those attendees who wanted to present a poster had to submit a request for a poster slot to Roger Enoka before May 15, 2004. The intent is to limit participation to less than 100 individuals so that discussions are maximized.

Registration Fee

The registration fee is $175/person and must be paid before the Meeting. Make out a check to the University of Colorado and mail it to Dr. Enoka at the address listed above. The registration fee for those individuals who do not pay before June 10 will be $571/person. The registration fee for invited speakers (PI + students and postdocs; maximum of 4 persons) has been paid by an award from the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

Accommodation

We have made arrangements with the Millenium Harvest House for discounted accommodation during the meeting. To make a reservation at this hotel ($109/night), use either of the following strategies:

Call the hotel directly (800-545-6285) and inform the reservation person that you are with the "Active Dendrites Conference" that is being hosted by the University of Colorado.

Go on-line to Millennium Harvest House and select (on the left) "USA" for country and "Millennium Harvest House Boulder" for hotel. From the drop-down menu below, select "Group" and enter "10353" as our code. This should bring you to the page where you can make your reservation.

There are other hotels in Boulder, some of which are cheaper than the Millennium Harvest House. Go to Boulder Hotels to view a list of hotels that are reasonably close to the University.

Transportation

Use the Supershuttle service to travel from Denver International Airport (DIA) to Boulder.

When you arrive at the gate, follow the signs to the train service and the Main Terminal.
Disembark from the train at the Main Terminal and ascend the escalator. The counter for Supershuttle (blue and yellow) will be on your left at the top of the escalator.
Purchase a ticket ($20 one way) for the shuttle to Boulder. Inform the agent that your destination is the Millenium Harvest House Hotel (or the location of your accommodation) in Boulder. The agent will tell you where to embark onto the shuttle
The shuttle departs from DIA at 10 minutes after the hour from 0600 until 2300 hours.
The trip to Boulder will take about one hour plus the time it takes them to transport you to the hotel. If you are satisfied with the service, tip the driver $2.

Venue

The meeting will be held in an auditorium (Room A2B70) in the Department of Cellular, Molecular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB). The building is located opposite the football stadium (Folsom Field). Find the statue of a buffalo in the quad outside the stadium and then follow the signs to the auditorium.

2000 Meeting

The Neural Control of Movement Laboratory at the University of Colorado in Boulder hosted a similar meeting in June, 2000. A summary of the meeting can be found at Plateau Potentials and Rhythmic Firing in Motoneurons.

2004 Meeting

Approximately 90 individuals participated in the Meeting and posed for a photograph at midday on Saturday (June 26) .

The participants have posted brief summaries to provide a synopsis of the Meeting content.