Objectives
Disturbances in developmental neurobiology occurring during the fetal and early postnatal periods have long been recognized as key contributors to permanent cerebral dysfunction in children. The spectrum of adverse events ranges from stillbirths and neonatal deaths to mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, developmental delays, and learning disabilities. In addition, disturbances occurring during early childhood, such as metabolic encephalopathies, stroke, or trauma result in long-term cerebral dysfunction in survivors. Animal models of perinatal and developmental brain damage have been available for more than two decades. New animal models are being developed continually but a discussion is needed for the appropriateness of animal models to elucidate the physiological and biochemical correlates of these pathologic processes as they occur developmentally in humans. There has also been an explosion in our understanding of cellular and molecular processes and significant contributions to the in depth understanding of the events surrounding these insults in the fetal and postnatal brain. State of the art imaging modalities now allow for the elucidation of pathophysiologic processes as they occur in the fetus and newborn. More and more evidence highlights the basic but vital fact that cerebral metabolic insults to the immature, developing brain are vastly different in both impact and outcome from the more extensively studied conditions in the adult.
Thus, the overall goals of the proposed meeting is to bring together internationally known clinical and basic scientists involved in research pertaining to brain injury and regeneration in developing animals and humans. The basic approach remains the same for the 2010 7th meeting and has three objectives:
1) application of current research in basic science to the clinical question;
2) recognition and discussion of ongoing controversy and progress toward resolution;
3) identification of future directions.

Scientific Need and Timeliness for an established conference on Developmental Brain Injury

It has become clear that there is a critical scientific need for a regularly held meeting that focuses specifically on the topic of developmental neurobiology and pathobiology. The initial concept for such a meeting began at the International Symposium of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism in Cologne, Germany in July of 1995. At that time, several colleagues approached Drs. Susan and Robert Vannucci requesting such a meeting .Thus, the first Hershey Conference was born. After the first meeting, there was uniform agreement that the Hershey Conference should be continued with Drs. Susan and Robert Vannucci as the organizers. Further interest and support came for such a meeting from the need of the developing brain community to arrange several satellite symposiums and workshops to in conjunction with other big international meetings. It was thus felt that the time had come for establishing a small but important meeting dedicated to the advances in our understanding of injury to the developing brain. The Hershey Conference became formally established with subsequent meetings under Drs. Susan and Robert Vannucci and later under the leadership of Drs. Susan Vannucci and Donna Ferriero and an organizing committee that had Robert Vannucci, Henrik Hagberg, William Pierce, Pierre Gressens, and David Edwards at various times.

Although many of our participants routinely participate in larger meetings such as Brain, Society for Neuroscience, Neurochemistry, Stroke, and the Princeton Conference, these meetings do not provide a strong mechanism for interaction among clinical and basic neuroscientists who work in the developmental brain area. Although young investigators can benefit from larger meetings because of the extensive array of presentations, there is not the opportunity for the intimate interaction with senior investigators that has come to characterize the Hershey Conference.The need for such a meeting to continue comes also from a perceived need for more focused research for pediatric brain disorders. An increasing number of scientists are turning their focus to this end of the life spectrum, the developing brain. If the brain has been considered “the last frontier” of basic research, as typified by the last decade being declared the Decade of the Brain, the developing brain is even less understood and thus becomes the last outpost of the last frontier. It is the Hershey Conference that has truly evolved to be the core nexus of this community of researchers, bringing together scientists from around the world who do not necessarily have the opportunity to interact, especially in a relaxed and informal atmosphere conducive to intellectual dialog and the sharing of ideas and research interests.




Sidhartha Tan, M.D.
Department of Pediatrics
NorthShore University HealthSystem
2650 Ridge Ave
Evanston, IL 60201

and
Susan J. Vannucci, PhD.
Research Professor of Neuroscience in Pediatrics/Newborn Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College,
525 E. 68th St.
N-506
New York, NY 10065,

are co-organizers for this conference.

We thank the publisher for Developmental Neuroscience, Karger, for providing free access to their latest theme issues:

Special Issue:  Developmental Neuroscience 2009, Vol. 31, No. 5
Special Issue:  Developmental Neuroscience 2007, Vol. 29, No. 4-5
Special Issue:  Developmental Neuroscience 2005, Vol. 27, No. 2-4






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