The Sun Valley workshop was highly focused on supporting young investigators. We had a 10% increase in attedance this year and hope to see that trend continue throughout future Sun Valley Workshops. 

The meeting took place in Sun Valley, Idaho, which is a gorgeous location in the mountains of Idaho. The meeting was organized with scientific talks in the morning and evenings and much of the mid-day free for hikes and other opportunities to network and have fun.  The IBMS supported young investigator participation through many travel grants and awards including Harold M. Frost awards, Alice L. Jee Awards, Under-represented Minority Awards, and Osteoarthritis Award. This conference also invited a large number of young investigators to present their research orally, and with posters, and encouraged interaction with PIs and more senior researchers. Young Investigators were also given the opportunity to have a mentor with senior researchers, which was a great networking opportunity. 

The broad research areas this year were broken into: 1. Diabetes and Bone, 2. Bone Marrow and the Hematopoitic Stem Cell Niche, 3. CKD-MBD: Pathophysiology and Experimental Techniques in Complex System Biology, 4. Bone Fatigue, Stress Fractures and Bone Repair, 5. Cell Interactions and Signaling at the Bone and Cartilage Interface. There was also a Career Development Seminar this year, providing advice to younger investigators on grant writing, tenure, and CV content. This was a wonderful conference that I’d encourage all young investigators researching in the bone field to attend. Click here to download the abstract book. 

Save the date and join us at the 2014 Sun Valley Workshop: 3-6 August 2014! 

- Young Investigator Committee Co-Chair, Michaela Reagan