Project Summary The American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB), founded in 2000, will sponsor its 10th Biennial Conference November 8-11, 2020 in St. Louis, Missouri. The ASMB promotes the field of matrix biology in order to disseminate knowledge about the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to translate this knowledge to improve human health and aging and to better treat human disease. The theme of ASMB 2020 is “Matrix, Cells, and Interactions in Health, Disease, Aging, and Regeneration.” The Specific Aims of this R13 application are: Aim 1: To disseminate and integrate new knowledge about ECM and its receptors in health, disease, aging, and regeneration. The overall program of ASMB 2020 reflects the diverse interests of the matrix biology scientific community. In addition, the program has been designed to welcome expanding and evolving areas of interest for matrix biology, such as the tumor and stem cell microenvironments; aging-related diseases involving ECM changes; cardiovascular and musculoskeletal injury and regeneration; bone and cartilage development, disease, and regeneration; new technologies to study ECM in disease; and novel strategies for therapeutic interventions, including using ECM for tissue engineering. Aim 2: To promote the careers of young scientists. To achieve this aim, ASMB 2020 has selected junior faculty as featured speakers in 2 of the 5 Plenary Sessions and in 4 of the 17 Concurrent Sessions. Moreover, each Concurrent Session will have a Chair chosen from junior faculty and senior postdoc registrants and four talks selected from submitted poster abstracts, giving trainees (postdocs, graduate students) and young scientists opportunities to speak. ASMB 2020 will also offer trainees the opportunity to organize and chair special interest sessions (SIS). Two career mentoring breakfasts as well as highly interactive poster sessions and poster “flash talks” will also support career development. ASMB’s Junior Investigator Award, Founders’ Award, and new Iozzo Trainee Awards will highlight young scientists. Travel Awards will be provided to competitive trainees. Aim 3: To promote the careers of women and under-represented minorities. To achieve this aim, ASMB 2020 will showcase the work of 7 women (of 14 speakers) in the Plenary Sessions and of 6 women and 1 under- represented minority (of 17 speakers) in the Concurrent Sessions. Of the 32 invited speakers, 13 are women (41%). A mentoring breakfast devoted to career development issues particular to women will also be held. In the selection of speakers, we have focused on including those from diverse backgrounds. In addition, ASMB has reserved 3 travel awards for under-represented minority trainees.