Conference Program
Date: July 15-18, 2024
The scientific program will begin on July 15 at 10 am and end at 5:30 pm on July 18, and will be followed by a Conference Dinner at the FIU Faculty Club
Location: Florida International University, Modesto Maidique Campus
Topoisomerases are nuclear enzymes that control the dynamic genome structures in all living organisms, regulating the winding of the DNA double helix and untangling DNA and RNA for cells to carry out the required functions for life. Many antibacterial and anticancer drugs listed as essential medicines by the World Health Organization focus on interfering with topoisomerase actions.
FIU faculty and students are collaborating with scientists from other research organizations to illuminate the details of topoisomerase mechanism of action, as well as identify (or design) novel small molecules that can target these enzymes in cancer or bacterial cells for the development of new medicines.
This international conference would provide a venue for outstanding scientists from across academia, government and industry to discuss new ideas and unpublished results at the very frontier of genome dynamics in biology and medicine.
Keynote Speakers
Scott H. Kaufmann, M.D., Ph.D.
Dr. Kaufmann's Anticancer Drug Action Laboratory conducts research to study what happens when cancer cells are treated with targeted anti-cancer agents. His work with Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center's Early Cancer Therapeutics Group has contributed to phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials for ovarian cancer, other solid tumors and acute leukemias.
Wilma K. Olson, Ph.D.
Dr. Olson's research at Rutgers University combines a variety of computational approaches with new developments in polymer theory to understand the influence of chemical architecture on the conformation, properties and interactions of nucleic acids. Her work attempts to clarify the role of local structure and ligand binding on the overall folding of DNA and RNA.
Speakers
Adela de la Campa
Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
Benu Brata Das
Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, India
Caroline Austin
Newcastle University, UK
Dmitry Ghilarov
John Innes Center, UK
Joaquim Roca
Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona, Spain
John Marko
Northwestern University, USA
Marc Drolet
University of Montreal, Canada
Maria Mills
University of Missouri, USA
Mark Mitton-Fry
The Ohio State University, USA
Matthew Schellenberg
Mayo Clinic, USA
Olivier Sordet
Cancer Research Center of Toulouse, France
Sarah Harris
University of Leeds, UK
Seychille Vos
MIT, USA
Topics
- From genes to chromatin: genome-wide topology
- Cellular response and repair processes for topoisomerase inhibition and adducts
- Computational and artifical intelligence approaches to topoisomerases and topology
- Structure and mechanism of topoisomerases
- New breakthroughs in targeting topoisomerases to fight cancer
- Topoisomerases in antibacterial therapy
- Topoisomerases in neurological disorders
- Interaction partners and regulation of topoisomerase activities
Pre-Conference Symposium
This pre-conference symposium will take place the day before the 2024 Topoisomerases in Biology and Medicine conference on July 14. It will provide a venue for early career researchers, such as graduate students and postdocs, to learn about networking, career options, and presenting their research. Registration is free and available to all early career researchers attending the main conference. Campus housing is available for night of July 13 to accommodate attendees’ travel plans.
Chairs for Pre-Conference Symposium:
Ian Morgan
NIH
Chelsea Mann
Ohio State University
Poster Session Information
Posters will be on display throughout the meetings. Poster presenters should be at their posters in one of the poster sessions according to their poster number:
Poster session 1: even-numbered posters
Poster session 2: odd-numbered posters
Poster session 3: follow-up session (all posters)
Please prepare poster in A0 format (841 mm x 1189 mm or 33.1 in x 46.8 in). Portrait orientation is preferred; landscape orientation is possible but will leave no space between neighboring posters). Posters wider than 1189 mm (46.8 in) will not fit on the poster boards available.
Housing
Campus Housing in FIU University Towers (walking distance to Grahm Center for Conference)
Private Bedroom with full-size mattress in 4 Bedroom unit with 2 shared Bathrooms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I27KI5pcSQo
Included: bedsheets, comforter, pillow, pillowcase, and towel
Not included: daily cleaning, toiletries
Earliest check-in: 1 pm, Sunday 7/14/24, Latest check-out: 11 am, Friday 7/19/24
Administrative desk in University Towers lobby is open 24 hrs
Cost for 5 nights from 14-19 July is $240 per person.
Send email to ytsedinh@fiu.edu to inquire about availability of campus housing pending release of additional rooms by FIU Housing.
Off Campus Hotel Accommodation
We have reserved a block of rooms in DoubleTree by Hilton Miami Doral for our attendees.
10250 NW 19th Street, Miami FL 33172 (3 miles from FIU)
Attendees will need to plan own transportation to FIU for Conference
2 Queen Bed or 1 King Bed (maximum 4 adults in 1 room)
Conference Rate: $149 per night per room + applicable tax (currently 13%) for stay between Sunday July 14 to Saturday July 20. Length of stay can be specified during booking.
Link for Conference rate booking will be sent to attendees AFTER registration is completed.
Conference rate available until May 31, 2024 or while supplies last
Organizers
Yuk-Ching Tse-Dinh
Distinguished University Professor, Florida International University
305-348-4956
ytsedinh@fiu.edu
AHC4 210
Dagmar Klostermeier
Professor of Biophysical Chemistry, University of Münster
Co-Organizers
John L. Nitiss
Professor of Pharmacology; Associate Head for Research; Assistant Dean for Research, University of Illinois at Chicago
Valerie Lamour
Associate Professor, Institut de génétique et de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire, University of Strasbourg
