The conference will provide the platform for researchers in the recombination and repair fields to present their new unpublished data that sheds novel insights into not only the mechanisms of DSB repair by recombination, but also the consequences of inaccurate repair leading to cancer. It is now clear that many inheritable cancers, including those linked to defects in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes, are caused by defects in homologous recombination. Understanding the precise mechanisms of recombinational repair is therefore critical for the development of new drugs that can target these diseases and improve human health.