Second International Symposium “Smooth Muscle Physiology and Biophysics”

Abstract

The 2nd International Symposium on Smooth Muscle Physiology and Biophysics is organized jointly by the Bogomolets Institute of Physiology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine), St. George’s Hospital Medical School of London University (Great Britain), and Taras Shevchenko National Kyiv University with support from the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, All-Ukraine Public Organization “Association of Pharmacologists of Ukraine,” The Wellcome Trust (Great Britain), and The Physiological Society (Great Britain). It will be held at the Bogomolets Institute of Physiology on October 28-31, 2003. The 1st Kyiv symposium “Smooth Muscle Physiology” was carried out 30 years ago in the tense international atmosphere of the cold war. However, many leading scientists were able to come from abroad, and the meeting seemed to open a window for cooperation between scientists from the USSR and their western colleagues. Today, the situation is entirely different, as many international research projects are conducted at the Bogomolets Institute, while Ukrainian scientists are performing research at universities throughout the world. The symposium will include lectures presented by prominent scientists from many countries on a wide range of smooth muscle physiology, biophysics, and pharmacology topics, including ionic mechanisms of electrical excitation, molecular organization, and biophysical properties of ion channels, neural regulation of smooth muscle motility, receptor-gated ion channels, mechanisms of action of neurotransmitters, calcium signals and active ion transport, excitationcontraction coupling, and mechanics of smooth muscle contraction. Twenty-five invited talks and short communications will be presented in seven sessions, namely: “Molecular Components of Cationic Channels: TRP and SOC,” “Neuronal Functions and Neurotransmitters,” “Endothelium and Smooth Muscle Function,” “Spontaneous Activity in Smooth Muscles,” “Responses of Smooth Muscle to Neurotransmitters,” “Regulation of Smooth Muscle Contraction,” and “Emerging Roles of Non-Smooth Muscle Cells in Smooth Muscle Tissues.” Two poster sessions, which will include about 50 research communications, are also planned. The program of the symposium will, thus, reflect the diversity of problems, techniques, and achievements of modern smooth muscle physiology and biophysics. We are hoping that the meeting will take place in a friendly and stimulating atmosphere of productive scientific exchange, which will enable young researchers to discuss problems and questions of modern smooth muscle physiology and biophysics with distinguished experts in this field. The Organizing Committee is happy to announce that the present symposium will coincide with the 75th birthday of Professor Mykhailo F. Shuba, who is one of the founders of contemporary smooth muscle physiology. We congratulate him on this event and wish Prof. Shuba good health and successful continuation of his important research.