2018 Annual Meeting

SPER’s 31st Annual Meeting will be held in Baltimore, Maryland at the Hyatt Regency, June 18-19, 2018.  Registration is open and a preliminary agenda will soon be available on the SPER website.

Registration

Registration is currently open for both the Annual Meeting and the Advanced Methods Workshop.  Fees for the Annual Meeting include: attendance at all sessions, meeting materials, continental breakfasts, a box lunch, and refreshment breaks.  Registration may be completed by mail, fax or via the internet.

The deadline for early registration is Monday, May 14.   A confirmation letter will be sent upon receipt of the completed registration form.  Payment can be made by check, MasterCard, Visa, Discover or American Express.  Payment must be received prior to admittance to the meeting.   Please note that anyone selected to present either a talk or a poster at the SPER meeting is required to join SPER in order to present. To register, click here.

Accommodations and Transportation

Hotels

The 2018 Annual Meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore, located at 300 Light St, Baltimore, MD 21202.  Click here to book your special-rate accommodations!   If rooms at the Hyatt become sold-out in the coming weeks, we will alert you to alternative housing options through posts on the SPER website as well as on the society’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Transportation

The Hyatt Regency is 10 miles from BWI.  A taxi from the airport to the hotel will cost approximately $33-$41 each way.  Another transportation option includes light rail service.  Take the Blue Line and exit at the Convention Center station (Howard & Pratt St), which is located 3 blocks from the hotel.  One-way fares are $1.80.

Advanced Methods Workshop – Monday, June 18th, 2:00-4:30 pm

We are pleased to offer the Advanced Methods Workshop immediately preceding the SPER Annual Meeting.  We have two exciting sessions planned: “Introduction to Epigenetics and High Dimensional Epigenome-Wide Association Studies for Perinatal Epidemiology” led by Andres Cardenas (Harvard University) and “Epidemiologic Evidence Without p-values” by Sonia Hernandez-Diaz (Harvard University).  Click here for more details on the sessions.  Don’t forget to register for the Advanced Methods Workshop when you register for the annual meeting!   Registration for the Workshop includes admission to both workshop sessions.

Opening Panel Discussion – Monday, June 18h, 5:00 pm

We will launch the annual meeting with a panel discussion on causal inference methods and their contributions to translational research.  Our exciting lineup of panelists include leaders in the field:  Penelope Howards (Emory University), Robert Platt (McGill University), and Jonathan Snowden (Oregon Health and Sciences University).   Our discussion will be moderated by Quaker Harmon (NIEHS).

Roundtables – Tuesday, June 19, 7:00-7:45 am

We are looking forward to three Roundtable discussions at the Annual Meeting.  Our topics and facilitators this year include:

  • Allen Wilcox, M.D., Ph.D. (National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences), who will lead a conversation on the most interesting unanswered questions about fertility and pregnancy health;
  • Claudia Holzman, D.V.M., M.P.H., Ph.D. (Michigan State University), who will lead a discussion aimed at trainees and early career investigators entitled “Career Paths: Finding Your Way and Enjoying the Journey,” and
  • Carmen Messerlian, Ph.D. (Harvard University) and Megan Romano, Ph.D. (Dartmouth College), who will lead a discussion about windows of vulnerability from preconception through childhood.

These forums provide an excellent opportunity for informal discussion and getting to know fellow SPER colleagues.  All registered conference attendees are welcome to attend!

Keynote Speaker

Our Keynote Speaker will be Merete Eggesbø, M.D., Ph.D., who is a senior researcher in environment exposure & epidemiology at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.   Dr. Eggesbø will discuss advances in the study of gut microbiota, including its early life determinants and health consequences.  Please note that the keynote address is scheduled for the second half of the first morning session on Tuesday, June 19.   Click here to learn more about Dr. Eggesbø and her research program.

Fun Run 5K

Participate in what is becoming an annual conference tradition, the SPER- and SER-sponsored Fun Run 5K!   Click here to register and for additional details.  Hope to see you there!