Medical College of Wisconsin to host 19th Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) received a one-year, $8,000 award from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to help fund the 19th annual Midwest Microbial Pathogenesis Conference (MMPC), which will be held from September 7-September 9, 2012, at MCW in Milwaukee.

Thomas Zahrt, Ph.D., associate professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, and Christopher Kristich, Ph.D., assistant professor of microbiology and molecular genetics, are supervising the organization of this event.

The regional conference provides an important opportunity for between 200 and 300 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, junior faculty and established investigators to discuss recent advances in the field of microbial pathogenesis, including the identification, validation, and characterization of new therapeutic targets or strategies for combating human infectious diseases. This scientific forum is especially relevant for junior faculty who make up at least 50 percent of presenters, as these investigators are often discussing their research with peers for the first time since establishing new laboratories.

MMPC is a venue that helps promote collaboration and networking among faculty, especially underrepresented minorities in science who are encouraged to attend and participate. This grant will help continue a valuable meeting by providing support that will ultimately enhance knowledge of diseases that are caused by microbial pathogens of humans.