Welcome

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

We have the pleasure to invite you to the upcoming Hans Selye Symposium on Stress: Basic Mechanisms and Clinical Implications to be held on at the University of Quebec in Montreal, (UQAM), Montreal, PQ, Canada from July 11 to 14, 2007.

Our aim is to organize a productive and successful meeting on stress to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Selye birthday (1907-1982). As with so many wondrous discoveries of science and medicine, it was by chance that Hans Selye stumbled upon the idea of the "General Adaptation Syndrome" and coined the term "stress" while researching at McGill University in Montreal. Subsequently, he spent 50 years studying the causes and consequences of stress as Director of the Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery that he founded at the University of Montreal. More than anyone else, Selye's breakthrough ideas about stress helped to forge an entirely new medical field, which has since then blossomed. He received the highest Canadian distinctions including being Companion of the Order of Canada and part of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, an organization dedicated to celebrate the accomplishments of Canada's medical and health sciences heroes.

Stress is a science that continues to make major advances today as discovery of the underlying mechanisms at the molecular levels are being unraveled. As such, the symposium will provide prominent new insights on the biochemical coding of stress by leaders in the field. A historical perspective of the stress concept will be captured by the Nobel Laureate, Professor Roger Guillemin, MD who worked a few years with Selye. The key role of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) signaling pathways in stress-related alterations of endocrine, behavioral, immune and visceral functions will be addressed by pioneer investigators from the Salk Institute along with a number of distinguished authorities in the field.

This global symposium aims are to bring together scientists, doctors, and professionals, from around the world to vividly discuss emerging issues on stress and exchange the latest information by poster or short communications in addition of plenary lectures as outlined in the program.

We dearly look forward to seeing you in Montreal, a city of festivals, a tradition that peaks in the summer particularly in July with the Jazz and Fantasia film festivals.

The organizing and scientific committees.

Yvette Taché, Chair