Alternative Muscle Club - Meeting Emphasis

Meeting Emphasis

The Alternative Muscle Club meeting is aimed at scientists early in their research careers. The free daylong meeting provides an opportunity for young investigators in the academic, industry and medical sectors to present their work in a more relaxed environment. Its main goal is to build connections in the research community, and help learn about projects from other research laboratories and organizations.
Bringing aspiring researchers together to promote their science

Areas of Interest

The one-day meeting covers a wide range of muscle-related research areas. We will try to represent the full range of cutting-edge muscle-related research that is being undertaken today.
Topics include, but are not limited to the following areas:
  • Muscle Structure and Function
    • Sarcomeric Proteins
    • Cytoskeletal Proteins
    • Muscle Signaling Pathways
    • Ion Channel Mechanisms
    • Sarcolemma Membrane Functions
    • Functions of the Cardiac Intercalated Disk
    • Calcium Handling and Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Function
    • Structure and function of the Neuromuscular Junction
  • Biomechanics and Biophysics of Muscle Contraction
    • Muscle Biophysics
    • Contractile Dynamics
    • Bioengineering of Muscle Tissue and Organs
    • Molecular Functions of Mechanosensors and Mechanotransducers
  • Muscle Development
    • Cardiac Development
    • Skeletal Muscle Development
    • Gene Expression Profiling
    • Epigenetic Regulation of Muscle Development
    • Model Organisms
    • Pathogenesis and Progression of Cardiac and Skeletal Muscle Myopathies
  • Muscle and vascular disease mechanisms
    • Cardiac and skeletal muscle myopathies
    • Atherosclerosis
    • Molecular mechansisms of disease development
    • Disease biomarkers
    • Novel disease associated mutations
  • Muscle Regeneration & translational research
    • Differentiation of iPS and Stem Cells cells into Cardiomyocytes and Skeletal Muscle
    • Cardiac Repair mechanisms
    • Skeletal Muscle Stem Cell/Satellite Cell Biology
    • Applications for Muscle Therapeutics
    • Translational Research: Bench to bedside and back
  • Cardiac vasculature
    • Endothelial cell function and signaling pathways
    • Myocardial infarction
    • Atherosclerosis
  • Muscle metabolics
    • Metabolic syndrome & cardiometabolic risk
    • Metabolites and biomarkers for disease
    • Catabolism: Autophagy, UPS & proteases
  • Muscle systems biology
    • Muscle metabolomics
    • Muscle proteomics
    • Muscle transcriptomics/genetics/GWAS
    • Systems biology approaches in muscle and cardiovascular science
    • Novel bioinformatics tools to study larga datasets in cardiovascular research

Career Development

We are hoping to be able to offer three career development sessions on 'Translational Medicine', 'Alternative Career Paths' and "Patenting and taking your innovation to the next level" panel.. These sessions will either be taking place alongside or after the 'open poster viewing' time.
  • Eureka Network-Duchenne (END) Translational Medicine Workshop.
    This workshop will be specifically designed for early career scientists (graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, assistant professors) working on various aspects of muscule myopathies (neuromuscular, cardiac or skeletal) to learn concepts on how to translate their science from 'bench to bedside'. Participation will be limited to a small number of attendees! Participants get information on how to apply for an all expenses paid follow up workshop taking place in Italy later this year.

  • Alternative Career Paths Panel
    This panel session that will feature panelists that outline alternative (non-academic) career pathways. Each panelist will showcase their career paths and experiences. The panelists will be available for a Q&A during the career development session.

  • "Patenting and taking your innovation to the next level" panel.
    This session will offer insights into patenting and IP protection for your innocations and ideas. Panelists will include patent professionals from the Innovation Office at UCSD, as well as scientists with experience in patenting and funding their own companies. The panelists will be available for a Q&A during the career development session.

Presenting your data at the AMC can boost your career.


All accepted poster presentations will be automatically entered into the poster competition, while all accepted oral abstracts from junior investigators will compete for the AMC young investigator awards.

We are also introducing the Jean Hanson Award for Diversity in Science.
This award, named in honor of Jean Hanson, is aimed to promote diversity of speakers and attendees at the AMC meeting. Meeting attendees from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply for this award!
The award will be given to one presenting AMC attendee based on:
  • scientific merit of his/her abstract,
  • his/her curriculum vitae or biosketch, and
  • a personal statement (~500 words) from the attendee on why he/she should be considered for this award.

Further details will be announced in the final program.