2024 AUA OFFICE OF RESEARCH BASIC SCIENCES SYMPOSIUM “Spatial Biology in Benign and Malignant Urologic Disease” PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This application requests support for our annual Basic Sciences Symposium during the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA), to be held on Saturday, May 4, 2024, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm in San Antonio, TX. The 2024 topic, “Spatial Biology in Benign and Malignant Urologic Disease,” will bring together pioneers in spatial biology to educate and foster interaction between urologists, other physicians, and researchers who manage and/or study benign and malignant urological disorders. Recent advances in spatial epigenomics are providing new insights into epigenetic priming, differentiation, and gene regulation with implications for tumor staging and grading in urologic disease. The symposium will bring the latest research advancements in spatial biology in urology to the world’s largest gathering of national and international, private and academic practice, and physician scientists and researchers at all career stages as well as have immediate applicability to malignant urology research. Early-career investigators will comprise a significant proportion of the symposium presenters and audience and the poster session will provide additional scientific discourse. Proposed session topics include: 1. Spatial Transcriptomics/Epigenomics Technology 2. Spatial Biology and the Body 3. Patient Perspectives The Principal Investigator for this project is Christine Riordan, PhD, LCSW-C, AUA Director of Research, and the Program Chairs are David B. Solit, MD, Director, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Douglas Strand, PhD: Associate Professor of Urology, UT Southwestern Medical Center. The Program Chairs prioritized consideration of racial, ethnic, gender/gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, cultural, religious, age, (dis)ability, career stage, and socioeconomic backgrounds in accordance with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement of the Research Education Conferences, and Communications Committee (RECCC). Support for this symposium will provide travel awards for approximately 20 trainees and early-career investigators.