2008 Summer Academy
Molecular Mechanisms of Human Disease: Injury, Inflammation, and Tissue Repair
July 12-14-2008 - Bethesda, MD

The Molecular Mechanisms of Human Disease Summer Course was a 2-1/2 day in-depth overview of current and cutting edge cell and molecular biology of human diseases focusing on injury, inflammation, and tissue repair. This course was designed for graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty, and scientists from industry desiring a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying basic physiologic processes and how those pathways contribute to pathology and disease.  For example, basic presentations on pathways of cell injury and apoptosis were linked with strategies to limit cell death; leukocyte recruitment and activation lead into informal discussions of atherosclerosis and septic shock.

The 2008 Summer Academy goal was to introduce researchers and educators to a broad sampling of new and exciting areas of biomedical research. 

Daily sessions  were planned as a series of 1.5 hour blocks organized with basic overviews followed by frontiers presentations by national experts. 

Upon completion of this course, participants would be able to:
1. Understand the fundamental pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying human diseases in the areas of injury, inflammation, and tissue repair;
2. Appreciate the current limits of our knowledge of disease, as well as what are some of the exciting questions at those frontiers; and
3. Understand the tools and approaches that will allow research questions to be asked.