Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Welcome from the Program Committee

This year's theme, Fertility: A Global Challenge, highlights the impact reproductive science has on the environment, wildlife species, domesticated animals, human fertility, and population growth, as well as their interaction with one another.

Jock Findlay, Ph.D., D.Sc. (Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research) will host a President's Symposium that will focus on the success and challenges associated with advancing the next generation of effective and safe contraceptives, including new developments in male and nonhormonal female contraceptives. This symposium will include two lectures followed by a roundtable discussion of issues related to contraceptive research and development by a panel of experts from academia and the National Institutes of Health.

Symposium speakers are Christina C. Wang, M.D. (University of California Los Angeles), a world leader in efforts to develop a safe, effective, and reversible hormonal male contraceptive, and Jeffrey T. Jensen, M.D. (Oregon Health and Science University), whose experience in both research and family planning inspires his dedication to the development of safe and widely accessible female contraceptives.

The roundtable discussion participants are: Richard L. Stouffer, Ph.D. (Oregon National Primate Research Center), who is co-director of the NIH-sponsored Contraceptive Development & Research Center at ONPRC; Diana L. Blithe, Ph.D. (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development), who is the Program Director for the Contraceptive Development Research Centers Program and the Male Contraceptive Development Program; and John K. Amory, M.D. (University of Washington), whose research is focused on the development of safe, effective, and reversible forms of male contraception.

The President's Symposium also fits perfectly with the Keynote Lecture, "Increasing Global Contraceptive Use," to be given by Anna Glasier, M.D. (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University of Edinburgh). Dr. Glasier is a recognized world expert on emergency contraception and has been an instrumental figure in its deregulation. She has advised for such notable organizations as the World Health Organization, the Population Council, and the Wellcome Trust, and has held many memberships on related advisory panels.

Additional confirmed lectures include the following:
  • A Plenary Lecture by Milo C. Wiltbank, Ph.D. (University of Wisconsin–Madison), focusing on reproductive issues related to agriculturally relevant species.
  • A Historical Perspectives Lecture on the history of cloning by Sir Ian Wilmut, FRS, Ph.D. (University of Edinburgh).
  • A State-of-the-Art Lecture by Richard E. Green, Ph.D. (University of California, Santa Cruz), on reproduction and human evolution.
  • An ASRM Exchange Lecture by Robert J. Norman, AO, M.D. (Robinson Institute, University of Adelaide).
Since the 2012 meeting at Penn State, minisymposia have been replaced with focused or themed modules. Strong positive feedback from SSR members has encouraged continuation of this evolving format. The modules for 2014 will focus on "function" to provide a more global "systems" overview of reproductive biology. The module themes for 2014 tentatively include:
  • Mechanisms of Fertility/Infertility.
    • Neuroendocrine Function.
    • Gonadal/Germ Cell Development & Function.
    • Gamete Transport & Fertilization.
    • Uterine Receptivity & Implantation.
    • Placentation & Parturition.
  • Ovarian Workshop. The organizers of the SSR meeting and the Ovarian Workshop are working closely to integrate the latest findings in ovarian research into this biannual event.
  • Translation of Basic Science to Real-World Practice. 
    • Wildlife, Feral Species, Companion Animals.
    • Agricultural/Large Animal Species.
    • Humans/Nonhuman Primate Models.
    • Cancer.
  • Interrelationship of Reproduction and the Environment.  
    • Toxicology.
    • Endocrine Disruptors.
    • Obesity and Nutrition.
  • Pregnancy/Developmental Origins of Health & Disease. 
    • Effects on Gonad/Gamete Function.
    • Effects on Reproductive Tract Function.
    • Mechanisms of Programming.
The abstract submission deadline of 15 February 2014 will be here before you know it. Start thinking about those abstracts!

See you in Grand Rapids.

—Jon Hennebold and Lois Salamonsen
SSR 2014 Program Committee Co-Chairs