Meeting Information
Annual Meeting Awards
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 of teratology. The Edward W. Carney Distinguished Service Award will recognize an individual who has provided distinguished service to the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention.
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 awardee will give a presentation related to their research as a demonstration to pre- and postdoctoral students of the development of an independent career in birth defects research.
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 (DNTS) and a Council member of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention. The award is presented in a joint session during the concurrent annual meetings of BDRP and DNTS. The awardee will give a presentation related to his/her research that is intended to serve as a demonstration of independent mid-career research in a field relevant to BDRP and DNTS.
Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Innovator Award
The BDRP Innovator 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. Three finalists for this award will give platform presentations during the annual meeting.
James G. Wilson Publication Award
This award honors James G. Wilson, a founding member of the Society, and is presented in recognition of the best paper accepted or published in the journal Birth Defects Research during the prior year. The essence of the winning publication will be presented and discussed by the primary author at an award ceremony at the annual meeting. Mrs. James G. Wilson is a tireless supporter of the Society and through the James G. Wilson Foundation has provided the generous resources for this prestigious award.
Josef Warkany Lecturer
This lecture recognizes Josef Warkany's contributions to the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention. Dr. Warkany was the first person 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 throughout their career. Dr. Sonja A. Rasmussen from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Robert Brent Lecture
This lecture recognizes Robert L. Brent's contributions to the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and particularly for the implementation of 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 Vani Vannappagari, MPH, PhD, ViiV Healthcare.
Narsingh Agnish Fellowship
This award recognizes Narsingh Agnish's contributions to the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, particularly the implementation of the Education Courses. The Narsingh Agnish Fellowship is awarded to a long-standing member of the Society late in their career who has made a major contribution to education in the field of teratology or a related discipline.
Keynote Lecture
The Society is honored to have Sarah G. Običan, University of South Florida, present the 2025 Keynote Lecture on Fetal Surgery. Dr. Običan is a practicing Obstetrician and Gynecologist and an Associate Professor in Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida. With her medical and clinical training in obstetrics and gynecology and maternal-fetal medicine, she has an extensive clinical understanding of pregnancy and post-natal disorders. Through her fellowship training in teratology and toxicology, she honed her training in animal toxicology, human embryology, fetal development, and birth defects. She is involved as a board member of Reprotox, an extensive database summarizing the effects of medications, chemicals, biologics, and physical agents on pregnancy, reproduction, lactation, and human development. She is also an expert in clinically treating high-risk pregnant women, in fetal echocardiography, and fetal therapy. Dr. Običan is the medical director of the Fetal Care Center of Tampa Bay and takes care of pregnancies affected by fetal complications such as anemia, congenital abnormalities, and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome.
Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Awards
Travel Awards
Each year the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention awards money to students and postdoctoral fellows to assist them with their travel expenses to attend the annual meeting. Students and postdoctoral fellows who have an abstract that is accepted for presentation and present the abstract during the meeting, as either a platform or poster presentation, are eligible for a Travel Award.
Edward W. Carney Trainee Award
These travel awards are supported by the Edward W. Carney Trainee Award Fund within the Society for Toxicology Endowment.
Wilson Presentation Award
Two students (graduate students in an accredited degree-granting program or postdoctoral fellows) will be selected for these awards, which include a cash prize, based on their platform presentations at the annual meeting.
James C. Bradford Memorial Student Poster Award
This is an award for the best poster presentation by a student or postdoctoral fellow at the annual meetings of the Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention and Developmental Neurotoxicology Society (DNTS). It is sponsored by the Middle Atlantic Reproduction and Teratology Association (MARTA) and includes a cash prize.