The 7th Conference on Candida and Candidiasis, Austin, Texas, USA, March 18–22, 2004

The 7th Conference on Candida and Candidiasis, sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology, was held during March 18–22, 2004, in Austin, Texas. The conference was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research) as well as several industrial sources. Like the preceding ones, this conference was extremely high quality. Candida and Candidiasis conferences are now the premier event for Candida biologists and clinical research scientists, and as a reflection of the general interest in this area of study approximately 400 people attended. Most contributed oral papers and/or presented posters. A total of 247 abstracts were submitted for posters. This conference was the first to be held at a two-year interval. Previously, all conferences were organized on a three-year cycle. Certainly, this change was needed given the vast literature and exciting observations that have occurred since the last conference. It is expected that the “every other year” conference format will remain in place, and rightfully so. The subject emphasis changes somewhat per conference, to reflect ongoing research interests and “hot” research areas. This conference was no exception, but a balance of information on pathogenesis and immunology, clinical updating, basic biology, drug discovery and testing, epidemiology, and diagnosis was available for attendees. One of the more visible changes in the format of the conference was an increase in the number of oral presentations by junior scientists, which accomplished at least two things. First, the participatory activity of the younger scientists gave them an opportunity to …