The American Society for Nutrition (ASN), American Society of Animal Science (ASAS) and American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) are collaborating on a one-day pre-conference event: "Agri-Medical Research: Providing Dual Benefit for Agriculture and Human Health," Saturday, July 9, in New Orleans.

This ASN-ASAS-ADSA pre-conference to the 2011 ADSA-ASAS Joint Annual Meeting will cover biomedical and agricultural interventions or therapies to improve both human health, companion animal health and farm animal health and production. Themes include metabolism, developmental origin of adult disease and infectious (zoonotic) diseases and nutritional impact of pro-inflammatory response. Each symposium will span the spectrum of mechanistic to applied and include implications for a variety of animal species. Keynotes from outside, related disciplines will bring a unique view to the context of the presented science.

A poster competition for graduate students and postdocs will complement the presented science. Attendees may also continue their discussion of the science and applications at a cocktail reception directly following the day's scientific sessions.

Highlighted sessions include:

• "Impact of Metabolism on Human Health, Companion Animal Health and Farm Health and Production"
  • This keynote presentation will discuss metabolic regulation, especially as it relates to lipid metabolism and obesity, and how this relates to the biomedical and agricultural interventions or therapies to improve human health, companion animal health and farm health and production. The talk will explain any broader national and international trends related to metabolism and how humans, companion animals and farm animals may be affected. Current research about related disease states or developmental abnormalities will also be presented to illustrate the broader impact of metabolism.
• "Microbial Endocrinology - Interactions of Nutrition, Host Physiology, and Microbes that impact Infectious Disease"
  • This keynote presentation will discuss the role of endocrine cross-talk between enteric microbes and the host, and how these microbes contribute to the pathogenesis of infectious disease in humans and animals. The talk will explain any broader national and international trends related to intestinal and microbiologic issues and how humans, companion animals and farm animals may be affected. Current research about related disease states or developmental abnormalities will also be presented to illustrate the broader impact.