Gateway Ion Channel Symposium 2025: A portal to advance ion channel research in the Midwest
Fellows interested in exploring ion channels and related research gather at Northwestern University in Chicago to share their latest discoveries
This summer, scholars from different fields related to ion channel research gathered to share their most recent studies at the second edition of the biannual Gateway Ion Channels Symposium. The event was hosted by Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois and organized by an outstanding team: Alfred L. George Jr., Baron Chanda, Christopher Ahern, Eduardo Perozo, Isabelle Deschenes, Jeanne Nerbonne, Juan Du, and Sudha Chakrapani.
By regulating ion flows across membranes, ion channels are fundamental to cell function and therefore to several cellular processes that rule many vital functions. Given the importance of such research, the symposium offers an environment of learning and exchange for scholars of the Midwest to come together through keynote sessions, short talks, and poster presentations.
From a musical presentation about how temperature affects ion channels by Dr. Juan Du to a lecture on the relationship between potassium channels and epilepsy, different ion-channel related topics were explored. The event featured a total of eight keynote speakers from different Midwest institutions: Alexandria Miller (University of Iowa), Colin Nichols and Vivan Gonzalez-Perez (Washington University in St. Louis), David Jones and Lori Isom (University of Michigan), Juan Du and Richard Smith (Northwestern University), and Rama Ranganathan (University of Chicago).
“The second Gateway Ion Channel Symposium was a big success! We were pleased with the large turnout, the high quality of science presented, and the enthusiasm of participants. I give credit to the organizing committee and conference organizers for making this happen. We look forward to making the Gateway Symposium a regular biennial event and an important conference for the ion channel research community for many years to come”, said Dr. Alfred George, conference organizer.
Alfred L. George Jr., M.D. (Conference organizer and host)
Sponsors for the event included MaxCyte, Nanion Technologies, Sophion Bioscience, Sutter Instrument, Cytocybernetics, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Journal of General Physiology, Northwestern Pharmacology, and the Center for Mechanical Excitability.
The next Gateway Ion Channel Symposium will be held in 2027. Interested in hosting the next meeting? Contact a member of the Organizing Committee.