The goal of the Functional Genomics of Critical Illness and Injury Symposia is to bring together those with the diverse skills sets necessary to apply genomics and systems analysis to the study of critical illness and injury. The objectives are three-fold: education, consensus, and collaboration. Thus, our success will be measured in the tangible deliverables that address these objectives. The previous two Symposia provided an educational forum for those interested in new high-throughput technology and systems approaches to analysis. Since our last meeting over a year ago, a critical mass of important new data from patients and animal models have been analyzed, the focus of this year's Symposium. Thus, we are now poised to begin reaching consensus on how best to apply functional genomics to the study of critical illness and injury. This in turn will provide the groundwork for future collaborative interactions. To these ends, the Organizing Committee is pleased to announce that the theme of the 3rd annual Symposium is "Identifying Research Priorities".

In 2005 our primary focus will be on the rapidly evolving technologies of genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic analysis. This educational focus will be particularly important as the cost of the technology decreases and tools move from the hands of investigators in large-scale collaborative projects to those who work in independent centers or laboratories. As in the past, featured speakers will lend their expertise in related fields such as cancer research to demonstrate the power of genomic and related technologies and their optimal use. Plenary speakers will discuss the application of functional genomics to patients with critical illness or injury with particular reference to host-pathogen interactions, an underappreciated and understudied influence on the outcomes of these patients. The 2005 program will also emphasize the increasing involvement of leaders in computational biology, biostatistics, and systems engineering. Highlighting the program will be a discussion of the ethical, legal, and societal consequences of the knowledge gained from these investigations, particularly as they affect the design of clinical trials, issues of informed consent, and the health and behavior of subjects/patients and their right to privacy.

We welcome your participation and look forward to a stimulating and productive symposium.

Selected Speakers and Topics

• Genomics: SNPs and Outcome
  Lisa D. Brooks, PhD, on the HapMap Project
  Stephen J. Chanock, MD, on molecular epidemiology
  Jean-Paul Mira, MD, PhD, on sepsis polymorphisms, Part I
  Frank Stüber, MD, on sepsis polymorphisms, Part II
  
  
• The Human Proteome Project
  Samir M. Hanash, MD, PhD
  
  
• Transcriptomics: Biomarkers and Targets
  Trinad Chakraborty, PhD, on the German National Genome Research Network
  Hector R. Wong, MD, on the applications of functional genomics to pediatric critical care
  Lyle L. "Linc" Moldawer, PhD, on inflammation and host response
  
  
• Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications
  Jeffrey R. Botkin, MD, MPH, on genetic exceptionalism
  Timothy Buchman, PhD, MD, on ethical, legal and social implications in the ICU
  
  
• The NIH Roadmap: Re-engineering the Clinical Research Enterprise
  Robert A. Star, MD
  
  
• Proteomic, Metabolomic, and Organ Responses
  Patricia Molina, MD, PhD, on allostasis and the host response
  David G. Camp, PhD, on plasma proteome and the host response to inflammation
  Adam Seiver, MD, PhD, on organ complexity: modeling controller dysfunction
  Gerald Saidel, PhD, on dynamic systems modeling of cellular metabolic processes with organ and whole-body responses
  
  

We welcome your participation and look forward to a stimulating and productive symposium.