Meeting Information
Annual Meeting Awards
Josef Warkany Lecturer
This lecture recognizes Josef Warkany’s contributions to the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention. Dr. Warkany was the first to demonstrate that exposure to environmental chemicals is responsible for the production of congenital malformation. His early studies culminated in the formulation of the scientific principles of teratology. This award recognizes a scientist who has significantly contributed to the field over his/her career. This year’s lecture will be presented by Christina D. Chambers, PhD, MPH University of California San Diego on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at 8:15 am.
F. Clarke Fraser New Investigator Award
This award honors F. Clarke Fraser, one of the founding members of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, for his many contributions to the field of developmental toxicology. The award recipient must be an active member of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention with evidence of a successful, independent research career in birth defects research. This year’s award recipient is Jeremy Schraw, PhD, Baylor College of Medicine on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at 1:30 pm.
James G. Wilson Publication Award
This award honors James G. Wilson, one of the founding members of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and is presented in recognition of the best paper accepted or published in the journal Birth Defects Research during the prior year. The dual purpose of the award is to provide recognition to the author(s) of the best paper and to encourage authors trained in various disciplines to submit high-quality papers to Birth Defects Research. The paper selected for this year’s award is An Improved Multicellular Human Organoid Model for the Study of Chemical Effects on Palatal Fusion, 2023; 115(16): 1513–1533. The lecture will be given by Cynthia J. Wolf, PhD, US Environmental Protection Agency on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at 2:05 pm.
Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Innovator Award
This award recognizes innovative and translational research at the intersection of at least two of the following areas: basic science, new technologies, clinical research, policy, and outreach.
The three finalists for this year's award are Kelsey Robinson, DVM, who will present Rare Variants in PRKCI Cause Van der Woude Syndrome and Other Features of Peridermopathy; Mengjing Wang, PhD, who will present Integrating In Vitro and Computational Approaches to Identify Novel Environmental Chemicals that Alter Human Retinoic Acid Signaling; and Lin Li, PhD, who will present Profiling Naled Toxicity in Primary Human Placental Cytotrophoblasts. The abstracts will be presented during the Innovator Award Finalist platform session on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at 2:40 pm.
Patricia Rodier Mid-Career Award in Research and Mentoring
This award honors the legacy of Dr. Patricia Rodier, a past President of the Developmental Neurotoxicology Society and a past Council member of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention. The purpose of the award is to recognize a mid-career individual who has demonstrated a successful, independent research career and track record of mentorship. This year’s award recipient is Christopher J. Bowman, PhD, DABT, Pfizer Inc. will give his lecture on Sunday, June 23, 2024, at 4:00 pm.
Keynote Lecture
The Society is honored to have Wendy K. Chung, MD, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital, present the Keynote Lecture on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 8:00 am. Dr. Chung is the Kennedy Family Professor of Pediatrics in Medicine whose research relates to the genetic basis of a variety of human diseases including obesity, type 2 diabetes, congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathies, arrhythmias, Long QT syndrome, pulmonary hypertension, endocrinopathies, congenital diaphragmatic hernias, cleft lip/cleft palate, seizures, intellectual disabilities, autism, inherited metabolic conditions, rare disorders, and breast and pancreatic cancer susceptibility. She also works on the implementation of genomic and precision medicine. She is the director of the Pediatric Neuromuscular Network Molecular Core and the New York Obesity Center Molecular Genetics Core. She is the director of the Clinical Cancer Genetics program, DISCOVER, and the fellowship program in Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics, and she supervises medical education in human genetics for Columbia University Medical School.
Narsingh Agnish Fellowship
This award recognizes Narsingh Agnish’s contributions to the Society, particularly the implementation of the Education Courses. The Narsingh Agnish Fellowship is awarded to a long-standing member who has made a major contribution to education in the field. This year’s recipient is Kenneth L. Jones, MD , UCSD, CA MotherToBaby will present this lecture on Monday, June 24, 2024, at 2:00 pm.
Robert Brent Lecture
This lecture recognizes Robert L. Brent’s contributions to the Society, particularly for implementing the “Teratogen Update.” The purpose of the Robert L. Brent Lecture is to facilitate the discussion of new and old teratogens during the Annual Meeting. This year’s Robert L. Brent Lecture will be presented by Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, University of California San Francisco on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at 11:00 am.
Edward W. Carney Distinguished Service Award
This award honors Edward W. Carney, Past President of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, for his exemplary dedication and service to the Society and the field. This year’s Edward W. Carney Distinguished Service Award recipient is Melissa S. Tassinari, PhD, DABT(1995–2020). Dr. Tassinari has had a wide-reaching impact on the fields of birth defects research and developmental and reproductive toxicology. Her dedication to the Society is evidenced by her active participation for over 45 years, serving key roles on nearly all standing committees and Council, including as President. This award also acknowledges her exceptional leadership and contributions to revising and developing labeling and safety assessments for pregnancy, lactation, and pediatrics, and your mentorship and guidance of junior Society members and colleagues. Dr. Tassinari has left an indelible mark on the Society and on the field at large.
Edward W. Carney Trainee Award
This award supports graduate student or postdoctoral scholar travel to meetings that offer significant educational opportunities in the field of reproductive and developmental toxicology, such as the annual meetings of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and the Society of Toxicology. The award is supported by the Edward W. Carney Trainee Award Fund which was established within the SOT Endowment in memory of Dr. Carney to encourage education and training in reproductive and developmental toxicology.
The recipients for travel to the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention 64th Annual Meeting are Brad Hansen, BS, University of Washington and Sophia M. Richards, MSc, University of Toronto. This award will be presented during the Annual Meeting Awards Presentation and Business Meeting.
Marie W. Taubeneck Award
This award is presented to a student or postdoctoral fellow in recognition of scholarship in research on birth defects and disorders of developmental origin and service to the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and includes a cash prize. The Marie W. Taubeneck Fund established in memory of Dr. Taubeneck supports this award. The 2024 recipient of this award is Kian Afsharian, BSc, University of Toronto.
Wilson Presentation Award
The Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Platform Session showcases the work of eight students and postdoctoral fellows. The participants in this session were selected by the Student Affairs Committee. Two of the trainees presenting in this session will be selected to receive the Wilson Presentation Award, named in honor of founding member James G. Wilson. This award will be presented during the Annual Meeting Awards Presentation and Business Meeting.
James C. Bradford Memorial Student Poster Award
This award recognizes the best poster presentation by a student or postdoctoral fellow at the Annual Meetings of BDRP and DNTS. These awardees are selected by MARTA and will be announced during the Annual Meeting Awards Presentation and Business Meeting on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, at 4:30 pm.