Program

Meeting Agenda

Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention 2026 (BDRP)
66th Annual Meeting
Building a Better Tomorrow: Advances in the Fields of Pregnancy, Reproduction, and Development

Download Printable Agenda PDF

Please note that the times listed are in EDT, Eastern Daylight Time (US).

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Sunday, June 14, 2026
12:00 PM–6:00 PM
Registration Open


2:00 PM–5:30 PM
Placental Pathology and Associated Toxicological Models
Education Course
(Separate Registration Required)
Organized by the BDRP Education Committee
Chairpersons: Julia M. Gohlke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University;
Philip J. Katzman, University of Rochester Medical Center; and
Kaela M. Varberg, Kansas University Medical Center
Description: Pregnancy-related disease entities—including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placental abruption, placenta accreta spectrum, and inflammatory conditions—are associated with well-characterized lesions in the human placenta. Identification of these lesions is critical for clinicians when counseling patients during their reproductive years, as some carry risks of recurrence and have important implications for fetal growth. A thorough understanding of these lesions is also essential for researchers using animal models and new approach methodologies (NAMs) to accurately replicate human placental pathology.
Full Schedule


2:00 PM–2:05 PM
Course Overview
Education Committee Chairperson,
Julia M. Gohlke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University


2:05 PM–2:45 PM
Placenta Anatomy, Pathology Review and Maternal Vascular Malperfusion: The Pathology, Clinical Ramifications, and Case Presentation
Philip J. Katzman, University of Rochester Medical Center


2:45 PM–3:25 PM
Inflammatory and Fetal Vascular Placental Disorders and Effects on Fetal and Postnatal Neuro and Cardiac Development with Case Presentation
Sanjita Ravishankar, Case Western Reserve University


3:25 PM–3:40 PM
Break


3:40 PM–4:05 PM
Placental Programming of Neurodevelopment in Fetal Congenital Heart Disease (CHD)
Rachel León, UT Southwestern Medical Center


4:05 PM–4:30 PM
Understanding Placental Inflammation Through Advanced Pathology and Spatial Technologies
Sylvie Girard, Mayo Clinic


4:30 PM–4:55 PM
Advancing Placental Research Through Human Trophoblast Stem Cell Models
Kaela M. Varberg, Children’s Mercy


4:55 PM–5:20 PM
Building Human Embryo and Placenta Models from Naïve Stem Cells
Thorold Theunissen, Washington University School of Medicine


5:20 PM–5:30 PM
Discussion


5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Welcome Reception and Poster Session 1
(Joint with DNTS)
BDRP Posters P101–P133
BDRP Late-Breaking Posters: P134–P139
BDRP Poster Listing


P101│Early In Utero Benzene Exposure Reduces Placental Detection of DNA Damage and Apoptotic Transcripts at Two Hours Post-Exposure in CD-1 Mice

Megan E. Cull; Perri M. Grant; Lihua Xue; Louise M. Winn. Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

P102│Risk of Pregnancy Loss Among Pregnant Women Exposed to Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim with Uncomplicated UTIs During the First Trimester: Mediating Effects of Folic Acid Use

Wen Wen; Almut G. Winterstein; Yanning Wang; Yehua Wang. University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.

P103│Mechanistic Insights Into Perfluorooctanoic Acid–Induced Human Placental Trophoblast Dysfunction

Priscilla Kini; Albert Ofosu; Brede Gibson; Diamond Liles; Ali Ishaque; Ahmed Elnabawi. University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD, United States.

P104│An Evaluation of Epidemiology Studies of Birth Defects and Inorganic Arsenic Exposure

Steven R. Boomhower1,2. 1Gradient, Boston, MA, United States; 2Harvard University Division of Continuing Education, Cambridge, MA, United States.

P105│Pattern and Concordance of Medications Used During Pregnancy as Recorded in Self-Report and Administrative Claims from California

Jonathan A. Mayo; Gary M. Shaw; Chen Ma. Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.

P106│Population-Based Assessment of Cancer Risk in Children and Adolescents with Congenital Heart Disease

Jeremy M. Schraw1; Karin C. Mims2; Sara B. Stephens1; Sonja A. Rasmussen3; Tania A. Desrosiers4; Charles J. Shumate5; Wendy N. Nembhard6; Mahsa M. Yazdy7; Eirini Nestoridi7; Amanda E. Janitz8; Jean-Paul Tanner9; Russell S. Kirby9; Jason L. Salemi9; Chad D. Huff10; Sharon E. Plon1; Shaine A. Morris1; Philip J. Lupo11. 1Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; 2University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; 3Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; 4University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; 5Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, TX, United States; 6University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States; 7Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; 8University of Oklahoma Health Campus Hudson College of Public Health, Oklahoma City, OK, United States; 9University of South Florida College of Public Health, Tampa, FL, United States; 10University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States; 11Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.

P107│Maternal Sexually Transmitted Infections and Risk of Birth Defects in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study and the Birth Defects Study to Evaluate Pregnancy exposureS

Grace M. Barnum1; Eleni A .Papadopoulos1; Marcia L. Feldkamp2; Sarah C. Fisher1; Elizabeth C. Ailes3; Meredith M. Howley1,4. 1Birth Defects Registry, Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, United States; 2Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah Health Sciences, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; 3National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; 4Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Integrated Health Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY, United States.

P108│Identifying Modifiable Community-Level Disadvantages in Hispanic Populations Across Texas to Guide Birth Defect Prevention Strategies

Julia Saifetiarova; Soojin Kim; Padmanabhan Rengasamy. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX, United States.

P109│

Signal Identification of Congenital Malformations Following Montelukast Prenatal Exposure

Celeste L.Y. Ewig1; Thuy N. Thai2; Nicole E. Smolinski1; Yanning Wang1; Megan Wiley2; David Cole2; Sonja A. Rasmussen3; Judith C. Maro2; Almut G. Winterstein1. 1University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States; 2Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, United States; 3Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.

P110│Paternal Demographic Information Missingness and Preterm Birth among Infants with Birth Defects in the Texas Birth Defects Registry

Katherine L. Ludorf1; Renata H. Benjamin1; Omobola O. Oluwafemi1; Katherine Regalado2; A.J. Agopian1. 1University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, TX, United States; 2Birth Defects Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin, TX, United States.

P111│Early Implementation Signals After WHA76.19: Linking Large-Scale Food Fortification Policy to Neural Tube Defect Prevention and Birth Defects Surveillance

Kemel A. Ghotme1; Vijaya Kancherla2; Anastasia Arynchyna-Smith3; Martina G. Gomez3; Gail L. Rosseau4; Jeffrey P. Blount3. 1Universidad de La Sabana, Chia, Colombia; 2Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; 3University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, United States; 4George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.

P112│A Global Update on the Status of Prevention of Folic Acid-Preventable Spina Bifida and Anencephaly in the Year 2024

Vijaya Kancherla1; Kaustubh Wagh2; Helena Pachón1. 1Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, United States; 2Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States.

P113│The Effects of Fortifying Cereal Grain Products with Folic Acid on Serum Folate Concentrations: Findings from Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

Anastasia Arynchyna-Smith1; Lyn M. Steffen2; Vijaya Kancherla3; Inmaculada Aban1; Andrzej Kulczycki1; Ron C. Hoogeveen4; James M. Shikany1; Jeffrey P. Blount1; Alexander N. Arynchyn1. 1University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States; 2University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States; 3Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; 4Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.

P114│Prenatal Exposure to Minocycline and Risk of Pregnancy Loss

Bao Trang Le; Hung-Kai Chen; Yanning Wang; Nicole E. Smolinski; Almut G. Winterstein. Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.

P115│Developmental Pathophysiology of Childhood-Onset Manganese-Induced Dystonia-Parkinsonism in Slc39a14-KO Mice

Ritishka Kapoor; Alexander N. Rodichkin; Jennifer L. McGlothan; Daniel A. Martinez-Perez; Tomás R. Guilarte. Florida International University, Miami, FL, United States.

P116│Prenatal and Postnatal PFAS Exposure Induces Sex-Specific Reproductive Organ Hypertrophy in CD-1 Mice

Oyemwenosa N. Avenbuan; Mikayla Watt; Trinity Tzendzalian; Emma Mattingly; Rebecca C. Fry. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.

P117│Validation of Automated Open Field Assessment for Detecting Anxiolytic and Anxiogenic Responses in Developmental Neurotoxicity Studies

Dilshan S. Harischandra; Christy John; Paul B. Bushdid. Labcorp, Greenfield, IN, United States.

P118│Withdrawn

P119│Nonclinical Strategy Supporting the Early Inclusion of Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women in Clinical Trials

Annick Cauvin1; Sophie Kervyn1; Laura Shaughnessy2; Marie Teil1. 1UCB Biopharma SRL, Brussels, Belgium; 2UCB Biosciences Inc., Raleigh, NC, United States.

P120│Systematic Evidence Map of Dental Fluorosis Human Studies in the EPA Fluoride Human Health Toxicity Assessment

Paige A. Bommarito1; Krista Y. Christensen2; Rachel M. Shaffer2; J. Michael Wright3; Casey D. Lindberg2; Lindsey B. Foote2; Marie C. Russell2; Alexandra L. Lee1; Anthony L. Su2; Bevin E. Blake1; Carlye A. Austin2; Avanti V. Shirke2; Erin E. Yost1; Laura V. Dishaw1; Sorina Eftim4; Alexander Lindahl4; Wren Tracy4; Samantha Snow4; Meredith Clemons4; Thomas F. Bateson2; Elizabeth G. Radke2. 1US EPA, Durham, NC, United States; 2US EPA, Washington DC, United States; 3US EPA, Cincinnati, OH, United States; 4ICF, Reston, VA, United States.

P121│Preliminary Literature Survey Results: Human Studies of Developmental Neurotoxicity to Support the EPA Fluoride Health Assessment

Krista Y. Christensen1; Paige A. Bommarito2; Rachel M. Shaffer1; J. Michael Wright3; Casey D. Lindberg1; Lindsey B. Foote1; Marie C. Russell1; Anthony L. Su1; Avanti V. Shirke1; Bevin E. Blake2; Carlye A. Austin1; Erin E. Yost2; Laura V. Dishaw2; Terranna M. Haxton3; Sorina Eftim4; Alexander Lindahl4; Wren Tracy4; Meredith Clemons4; Samantha Snow4; Kyla W. Taylor5; Thomas F. Bateson1; Elizabeth G. Radke1. 1US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Washington, DC, United States; 2US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States; 3US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Cincinnati, OH, United States; 4ICF, Reston, VA, United States; 5National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.

P122│Developing a New US EPA Fluoride Human Health Toxicity Assessment

Elizabeth G. Radke1; Thomas F. Bateson1; Todd J. Zurlinden2; Erin E. Yost3; Krista Y. Christensen1; Paige A. Bommarito3; Alexandra L. Lee3; Hongyu Ru3; Michael W. Dzierlenga3; Carlye A. Austin1; Laura V. Dishaw3; Brittany L .Jacobs1; J. Michael Wright4; Casey D. Lindberg1; Rachel M. Shaffer1; Anthony L. Su1; Bevin E. Blake3; Czarina Cooper1; Kelsey Miller1; Lindsey B. Foote1; Avanti V. Shirke1; Marie C. Russell1; Samantha Snow5; Meredith Clemons5; Sorina Eftim5; Alexander Lindahl5; Wren Tracy5; Janielle Vidal5; Kate Weinberger5; Terranna M. Haxton4; Susan Y. Euling1. 1Office of Water, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, United States; 2Office of Water, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, DC, United States; 3Office of Water, US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, United States; 4Office of Water, US Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, United States; 5ICF, Reston, VA, United States.

P123│Preliminary Scope of EPA’s New Fluoride Health Assessment: Children’s Health Focus and Key Science Issues

Erin E. Yost1; Elizabeth G. Radke2; Thomas F. Bateson2; Todd J. Zurlinden1; Krista Y. Christensen2; Paige A. Bommarito1; Alexandra L. Lee1; Hongyu Ru1; Michael W. Dzierlenga1; Carlye A. Austin2; Laura V. Dishaw1; Casey D. Lindberg2; Brittany L. Jacobs2; Marie C. Russell2; Avanti V. Shirke2; Rachel M. Shaffer2; Anthony L. Su2; J Michael Wright3; Wren Tracy4; Lindsey B. Foote2; Terranna M. Haxton3; Susan Y. Euling2. 1US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States; 2US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Washington, DC, United States; 3US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Water, Cincinnati, OH, United States; 4ICF, Reston, VA, United States.

P124│Acute and Chronic Quaternary Ammonium Compound Exposure Disrupts Human Neurodevelopment in a hESC-Based Model

Julia do Amaral Gomes; Jessica Chen; Amanda M. Gutierrez; Lin Li; Yoichi Fernandez; Miguel P. Gomez; Joshua F. Robinson. Center for Reproductive Sciences and Center to Advance Toxicology and Chemical Hazard Assessment (CATCHA), Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco, CA, United States.

P125│Epigenome-Wide Analyses of Newborn Bloodspots Evaluating the Increased Risk for Blastogenesis + Cardiac Defects Among Children Conceived Using In Vitro Fertilization

Melissa A. Richard1; David S. Lee1; Sarah C. Fisher2; Meredith M. Howley2,3; Eva Williford2; Denise M. Kay4; Valerie L. Baker5; Katie Cameron5; Carrie Williams6; Alastair G. Sutcliffe6; Barbara Luke6,7; Philip J. Lupo1,8. 1Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; 2Birth Defects Registry, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, United States; 3Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany College of Integrated Health Sciences, Albany, NY, United States; 4Newborn Screening Program, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, United States; 5Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; 6Policy, Practice, and Population Unit, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom; 7Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States; 8Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States.

P126│Identifying Patterns of Inherited Rare Variant Risk in Human Myelomeningocele Case-Parent Trios Leveraging Transmission Disequilibrium and Digenic Inheritance Testing

Maya Puar1; Rachel Schlack1; Katrina Etts1; Osvaldo M. Mutchinick2; Rosa A. Pardo3; Margaret Elizabeth Ross4; Paul Wolujewicz5. 1Frank H. Netter School of Medicine, Quinnipiac University, North Haven, CT, United States; 2National Institute of Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City, Mexico; 3Department of Clinical Genetics, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; 4Center for Neurogenetics, Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY, United States; 5Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT, United States.

P127│Rat and Rabbit Whole Embryo Culture as a New Approach Method for Unlabeled Therapeutic Antisense Oligonucleotide Hazard Identification with No Requirement for Microinjection Assisted Transfection

Sara M. Bender1; Sharon Chapman1; Sreenivas Nannapaneni1; Joel D. Parry2; Joyce Rendemonti1; Stanley Robinson1; Bradley Spencer-Dene2; Dinesh Stanislaus1. 1GSK, Collegeville, PA, United States; 2GSK, Stevenage, United Kingdom.

P128│Advancing Developmental Toxicity Testing with Species-Specific In Vitro Methods

Paula van Rossum; Jing Fang; Amer Jamalpoor. Toxys, Oegstgeest, Netherlands.

P129│Maternal Stimulation with Ifn-G Limits Valproic Acid-Induced Gene Expression Changes in Murine Neural Tubes

Kayah J. Tucker1; Mural K. Mallela2; Terry C. Hrubec1. 1Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States; 2Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Blacksburg, VA, United States.

P130│Development of a Robust Quantitative Approach for Syncytial Trophoblast Fusion to Assess Placental Dysfunction

Hyojin Lee; Yixian Quah; Ji-Seong Jeong; Sangyun Kim; Tae-Yang Jung; Jaesik Jung; Yoongmin Kim; Seung-Jin Lee; Wook-Joon Yu. Korea Institute of Toxicology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.

P131│Poisoning and Drug Overdose in Pregnancy: A Review of the National Poison Data System (2018–2023)

Teresa Dodd-Butera1; Hong Li2; Jessica Frankeburger3. 1Azusa Pacific University, San Diego, CA, United States; 2Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA, United States; 3Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, United States.

P132│Maternal Vascular Malperfusion of the Mouse Placenta as a Potential Key Mechanism of PFAS-Induced Preeclampsia and Low Birth Weight

Bevin E. Blake1; Vesna Chappell1; Colette Miller2; Julie Foley1; Catherine Picut3; Helen Nguyen4; Dhiral Phadke5; Michele Balik-Meisner5; Ignacio Tripodi5; Deepak Mav5; Ruchir Shah5, Suzanne E. Fenton6. 1National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, NC, United States; 2US Environmental Protection Agency, Durham, NC, United States; 3Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, MA, United States; 4US Environmental Protection Agency/ORISE, Durham, NC, United States; 5Sciome, Durham, NC, United States; 6NC State University, Raleigh, NC, United States.

P133│Reference Intervals for Hematologic, Chemistry, and Coagulation Tests in Sprague-Dawley Rats in Juvenile Animal Toxicity Studies

Aradhana Gupta1; Stavros Zinonos2; Taylor Hulten3; Nicola Powles-Glover4; Keith R. Shockley5; Alan M. Hoberman6; Zhiyong Xie7; Stephanie L. Rayhon8; Tacey E.K. White9; Shermaine K. Mitchell-Ryan10; Connie L. Chen10; Stephanie S. Powlin11; Lindsay Tomlinson2. 1Boerhinger Ingelheim, Ridgefield, CT, United States; 2Pfizer, Pearl River, NY, United States; 3Pfizer, Groton, CT, United States; 4ExxonMobil, Houston, TX, United States; 5National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States; 6Charles River Laboratories, Horsham, PA, United States; 7Fosun Pharma, Shenzhen, China; 8Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick, NJ, United States; 9Tacey White Toxicology Consulting, LLC, Glenside, PA, United States; 10Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, Washington, DC, United States; 11Takeda Pharmaceutical International Co., Cambridge, MA, United States.

P134│Withdrawn

P135│Maternal Dietary Intakes and Gastroschisis in Offspring

Julie Margit Petersen1; Yiqun Jiang2; Swathi Vajrala1; Kathleen Angell3; Deepanjali Bhale1; Rashida Smith-Webb1; Muskan Ahuja1; Corrine Hanson1; Martha Werler4. 1University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; 2University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; 3University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada; 4Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States.

P136│How Much Stress Is the Cultured Human Embryos Under?

Ximena Ruden1; Campbell Coddington2; Lynessa Asplund1; Anjie Dinakin1; Awoniyi Awonuga1; Douglas Ruden1; Steven Korzeniewski1; Lijun Zhang3; Elizabeth E. Puscheck1; Daniel Rappolee1. 1Wayne State University Medical School, Detroit, MI, United States; 2UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States; 3Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.

P137│Testing the Limits: Can Federated EHR Networks Detect Teratogenic Signals?

Fady Tawfik; Justyna Sienkaniec; Mrinalini Deverapal; Miriam Michael. Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, United States.

P138│Navigating Developmental Toxicity NAMs Towards Regulatory Use: Recommendations and Actions of a HESI DART NAMs Workshop

Allen R. Kaczor1; Steven Van Cruchten2; Connie L. Chen3. 1Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States; 2University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium; 3Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, Washington, DC, United States.

P139│Withdrawn





Monday, June 15, 2026
7:00 AM–4:30 PM
Registration Open


7:00 AM–8:00 AM
Education Committee Meeting


7:00 AM–8:00 AM
Membership & Engagement Committee and Social Media Workgroup Meeting


8:00 AM–9:00 AM
The Ever-Changing Female in Toxicology
Josef Warkany Keynote Lecture
(Joint with DNTS)
Chairperson: Prägati S. Coder, Charles River
Ralph L. Cooper, Quality Scientific Solutions, LLC


9:05 AM–12:05 Noon
Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Platform Session 1
Wilson Presentation Award Finalists
Innovator Award Finalists*
Organized by the BDRP Student Affairs Committee and Awards Committee
Chairpersons: Hao Chen, Ionis Pharmaceuticals; Mikayla Watt, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Julia Y. Hui, Chara Consulting LLC
Sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Matching Funds | Kary E. Thompson, PhD
 All presenters will compete for the Wilson Presentation Award. Presenters marked with an asterisk (*) are finalists for the BDRP Innovator Award.
Full Schedule


9:05 AM–9:10 AM
Introduction


9:10 AM–9:30 AM
Characterizing the Association Between In Vitro Fertilization and Congenital Heart Defects: A Population-Based Study of 1.5 Million Live Births
Ji Yun Tark, Baylor College of Medicine


9:30 AM–9:50 AM
Extracellular Vesicle Dynamics and Molecular Signatures Illuminate Racial Disparities in Preterm Birth*
Xiyu Ge, Baylor College of Medicine


9:50 AM–10:10 AM
Mapping Teratogen-Induced Disruption of Embryonic Lineage Trajectories at Single Cell Resolution*
Lin Li, University of California, San Francisco


10:10 AM–10:30 AM
Intravenous Maternal EV Delivery Enables Gestational Targeting for Spina Bifida Treatment*
Julia Enterria-Rosales, Baylor College of Medicine


10:35 AM–10:45 AM
Break


10:45 AM–11:05 AM
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AHR) Pathway Drives TBBPA- Induced Cartilage Development Defects
Kanchaka Senarath Pathirajage, Clemson University


11:05 AM–11:25 AM
Single-Cell Transcriptomic Dissection of Bisphenol-Induced Disruption in Human Osteogenic Differentiation: Implications for Environment-Associated Skeletal Birth Defects
Nneamaka Iwobi, University of California, Irvine


11:25 AM–11:45 AM
Fine Particulate Matter Disrupts Human Stem Cell Osteogenesis and Reprograms Metabolism to Promote a Developmental Skeletal Risk
Madeline Vera-Colon, University of California, Irvine


11:45 AM–12:05 PM
Qualitative Brain MRI Abnormalities in Infants with Esophageal Atresia: Patterns Across Gestational Age and Surgical Subtype
Jaewoo Park, Boston Children's Hospital; University College London Medical School; and UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London


12:05 PM–1:30 PM
BDRP Council 1 Meeting
 (All current and incoming Council members, as well as Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs.)


1:35 PM–2:05 PM
Rewiring Bone Developmental Trajectories by Modern Environmental Exposures
F. Clarke Fraser New Investigator Award
Organized by the BDRP Awards Committee
Chairperson: Julia Y. Hui, Chara Consulting LLC
Nicole R. Sparks, University of California, Irvine


2:10 PM–2:40 PM
COVID-19 Vaccination During Pregnancy and Birth Defects: Results from the CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Pregnancy Registry
James G. Wilson Publication Award
Organized by the BDRP Publications Committee
Chairperson: Wendy Nembhard, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
CAPT Andrea Sharma, USPHS, Retired


2:45 PM–3:15 PM
Epidemiology of Congenital Heart Defects: Differences in Burden Across Communities and Population Groups
Patricia Rodier Mid-Career Award for Research and Mentoring
(Joint with DNTS)
Organized by the BDRP and DNTS Awards Committees
Chairperson: Julia Y. Hui, Chara Consulting LLC
Wendy Nembhard, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences


3:15 PM–3:30 PM
Break


3:30 PM–5:00 PM
Multidisciplinary Research Needs Workshop
Organized by the BDRP Science Committee
Chairpersons: Katie J. Turner, Johnson & Johnson; and
Kevin H. Denny, WuXi AppTec Sales, LLC
Full Schedule


3:30 PM–3:50 PM
Introduction


3:50 PM–4:30 PM
Breakout Groups
Breakout Group 1: DART Data for Hazard and Risk Assessment
Leads: Kimberly C. Brannen, Merck; Brian Johnson, Michigan State University; and Austin Martini, Corteva
  • Opportunities (In Silico, In Vitro, and In Vivo) for the Use of Machine Learning and AI Methods to Predict Toxicity for Hazard and Risk Assessment
  • How to Address “Not Ready Yet” Applications
  • How to Address Regulatory and Implementation-Related Challenges
Breakout Group 2: Birth Defects Research
Leads: Katie J. Turner, Johnson & Johnson; and Yanmin Zhu, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
  • Use of AI for Information on Prenatal Exposures and Birth Defect Risk by Clinicians, Researchers, and Patients
  • Use of AI/ML for Birth Defect Diagnosis, Screening, and Hazard/Risk Prediction in the Clinical Setting
  • How to Ensure the Reliability, Reproducibility, and Transparency of Data
Breakout Group 3: Environmental Exposures Research and Human Health Outcomes
Leads: Bevin E. Blake, NIEHS Division of Translational Toxicology; and Julia M. Gohlke, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • Use of AI/ML for Systematic Reviews Related to Environmental Exposures: What Is Needed to Ensure Reliable Assessments?
  • Opportunities for Use of AI/ML to Integrate Large Datasets to Assess Exposures and Health Outcomes in Different Populations
  • How to Address Challenges with This Type of Approach

4:30 PM–5:00 PM
Discussion


5:00 PM–6:30 PM
Poster Session 2
(Joint with DNTS)

BDRP Posters P201–P233
BDRP Late-Breaking Posters: P234–P239
BDRP Poster Listing


P201│Retrospective Analysis of Embryo-Fetal Development in Rabbits with Different Administration Routes of Polyethylene Glycol 400

Shuijin Yang; Jing Yan. WuXi AppTec (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., Suzhou, Jiangsu, China.

P202│ Early Developmental Toxicity of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) Phenanthrene and Fluoranthene: Cytoskeleton as a Target

Alfredo A. Rojas; Sunil Sharma; Subham Dasgupta. Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States.

P203│Early Sex-Specific Oxidative Stress and DNA Damage Signalling in the Murine Fetal Liver Following In Utero Benzene Exposure

Perri M. Grant; Frederick Stephenson; Megan E. Cull; Lihua Xue; Louise M. Winn. Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

P204│Perfluorohexane Sulfonate (PFHxS) Induced Developmental Toxicity Is Susceptible to Photoperiod Perturbations

Syed Rubaiyat Ferdous1; Alfredo A. Rojas1; Cole Frank1; Yasmeen Berry2; Heidi Sabatini1; Xixia Luo2; Sunil Sharma3; Ryan Thummel2; Christopher Chouinard1; Subham Dasgupta1. 1Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States; 2Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States; 3Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.

P205│Abandon Ye the ICD-10 Q7260 Coding Because “Absent Fibula” Is a Radiologic Misnomer

David R. Hootnick. SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States.

P206│Consider the Recurrence of the Clubfoot Deformity, After Apparently Successful Ponseti Correction, a Result of Medial Column/Talo-Navicular Undergrowth, Following Embryonic Vascular Disruption

David R. Hootnick. SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States.

P207│Epigenetic Profiles of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy Identified in Newborn Bloodspots of Children with Blastogenesis + Cardiac Birth Defects Are Modified by Method of Conception

David S. Lee1; Melissa A. Richard1; Sarah C. Fisher2; Meredith M. Howley2,3; Eva Williford2; Denise M. Kay2; Valerie L. Baker4; Katie Cameron4; Carrie Williams5; Alastair G. Sutcliffe5; Barbara Luke5,6; Philip J. Lupo1,7. 1Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; 2New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, United States; 3University of Albany, Albany, NY, United States; 4Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; 5University College London, London, United Kingdom; 6Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States; 7Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.

P208│Mendelian Randomization of Maternal Cytokine Immune Response and Risk of Congenital Heart Defects in Offspring

Omobola O. Oluwafemi1; Laura E. Mitchell1; Jenil R. Patel2; Wendy N. Nembhard3; Han Chen4; Suman Maity3; Fadi Musfee5; Elizabeth Goldmuntz6; Laura Schultz7; Katherine L. Ludorf1; Bruce Gelb8; Gary M. Shaw9; Andrew Olshan10; Angela E. Lin11,12; Paul Romitti13; Meredith M. Howley14,15; Lorenzo D. Botto16; Ming Li17; Amna Qasim18; Yuri A. Zarate19,20; Xiang-Yang Lou21; A.J. Agopian1. 1Department of Epidemiology, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Houston, TX, United States; 2Department of Epidemiology, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Dallas, TX, United States; 3Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Reproductive Health Monitoring System, Little Rock, AR, United States; 4Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University, New York, NY, United States; 5Department of Epidemiology, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, Brownsville, TX, United States; 6Division of Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States; 7Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, United States; 8Human Genetics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States; 9Stanford University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States; 10Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; 11Medical Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, MA, United States; 12Massachusetts Center for Birth Defects Prevention, Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, United States; 13Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States; 14Birth Defects Registry, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY, United States; 15Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University at Albany College of Integrated Health Sciences, Albany, NY, United States; 16Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States; 17Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States; 18Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States; 19Section of Genetics and Metabolism, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States; 20Division of Genetics and Metabolism, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States; 21Department of Biostatistics, College of Public Health and Health Professions & College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.

P209│Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Mixtures Trigger Stress Signaling and Apoptosis in Human Syncytiotrophoblast

Keisuke Kozai1; Kaela M. Varberg1,2. 1Fetal Health Center, Children's Mercy, Kansas City, MO, United States; 2University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, United States.

P210│Chronic PFUnA Exposure Induces Liver Hypertrophy, Increased Blood Pressure, and Altered Serum Chemistry in Pregnant CD-1 Mice

Mikayla Watt; Emma Mattingly; Oyemwenosa N. Avenbuan; Trinity Tzendzalian; Feng Li; Rebecca C. Fry. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.

P211│Global and Regional Patterns in Birth Defect Prevalence 2020–2024: Updated Modell Global Database Estimates and How to Apply Them.

Kathleen L. Strong1; Vijaya Kancherla2; Jamie Perin3; Paul Romitti4. 1World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland; 2Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; 3John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States; 4University of Iowa, Des Moines, IA, United States.

P212│Use of Medical Marijuana Among Pregnant Individuals in Florida

Nicole E. Smolinski; Arthur N. Rosales; Yanning Wang; Almut G. Winterstein.

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States.

P213│Building a Better Tomorrow: Maternal Micronutrients, Inter-Pregnancy Gaps, and Risk of Birth Defects in Community Antenatal Care

Hafiza Anita Atlas. Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan.

P214│Impact of Mandatory Fortification with Folic Acid on Prevalence of Congenital Heart Defects, Neural Tube Defects, and Orofacial Clefts: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Kristin Wu1; Jessica Parker1; Amanuel Kisho1,2; Amanda Dorsey1; Lauryn Cravens2,3; Mary E. Grap2,3; Vijaya Kancherla1; Helena Pachón2,3. 1Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States; 2Food Fortification Initiative, Atlanta, GA, United States; 3Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.

P215│Impact of Birth Defects Surveillance Beyond One Year of Age for 47 Priority Birth Defects in South Carolina

Paige Jones; Heather Blackwell.

South Carolina Department of Public Health, Cayce, SC, United States.

P216│Assessing the Impact of a CSV Flat-File Template and Validation Feature on Michigan Birth Defects Reporting Completeness

Edmund Wooldridge; Dominic Smith; Erin Cooper; Liz MacIntyre; Chris Fussman. State of Michigan, Lansing, MI, United States.

P217│Concentrations and Estimated Daily Intake of Legacy and Emerging PFAS in the Milk of Women Residing in the Greater Cincinnati Area

Erin P. Hines1; Aaron Dixon1; Susan M. Pinney2; Shannon Conrey2; Hatice Cetinkaya2; Mary Allen Staat2; Ardythe Morrow2; Angelico Mendy2. 1US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States; 2University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States.

P218│Prevalence, Types, and Associated Factors of Congenital Anomalies at a Tertiary Hospital in Eastern Ethiopia

Tadesse Gure Eticha; Karama Filama; Haimanot Mezmur. Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.

P219│Withdrawn

P220│Socioeconomic and Health Disparities Associated with Cardiovascular Birth Defects in the Rio Grande Valley

Soojin Kim; Julia Saifetiarova; Padmanabhan Rengasamy. University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, Edinburg, TX, United States.

P221│Hypomagnesemia as a Risk Factor for Metabolic Changes and Neural Tube Defects in Response to Dolutegravir Therapy

Lauren LeFevre; Evanjalina Matoy; Janee Gelineau-van Waes. Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States.

P222│Impact of Gestational Liver-Mediated Hypothyroidism on Fetal Thyroid Hormone Homeostasis

Rashin Ghaffari; Alyssa Albert; Sophia Wu; Jinlan Dong. Corteva Agriscience, Newark, DE, United States.

P223│Beyond Litter Averaging: Analysing Developmental Toxicology Data Using Mixed-Effects Models to Distinguish Shared Litter Influences and Intralitter Variability

Caitlyn I. Kirkpatrick; Megan E. Cull; Lauren T.L. Brown; Lihua Xue; Louise M. Winn. Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.

P224│Withdrawn

P225│Withdrawn

P226│Withdrawn

P227│From Evidence to Acceptance: Global Alignment on a 3Rs‑Driven mAb Fertility Strategy

Stephanie L. Rayhon; Vicki L. Sutherland; Weimin Chen; Kary E. Thompson; Katie J. Turner. Johnson & Johnson, Spring House, PA, United States.

P228│Influence of ICH S11 on Nonclinical Strategies for Pediatric Drug Development

Kristen Roosa-Beck. Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, United States.

P229│Reduction in Animal Use through Combined Thyroid and Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing

Jaime L. Mesnard; Travis L. Calkins; Mark T. Herberth; Pragati S. Coder. Charles River, Ashland, OH, United States.

P230│Male Fertility Assessments: Comparison of Historical Data from Standalone Male Fertility and Chronic Toxicity Studies

Terry Szczerbaniuk; Stephanie Barbeau; Iryna Primakova; Jessica Martin. Charles River, Senneville, QC, Canada.

P231│Prevalence of Siponimod Exposure Among Females of Childbearing Age in the US Sentinel System

Catherine L. Callahan1; Jummai Apata1; Fatma M. Shebl1; Kira Leishear1; Sarah K. Dutcher1, Ashish Rai2,3; Jillian Burk3; Laura Hou3. 1US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, United States; 2Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; 3Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, Boston, MA, United States.

P232│Assessing Risks to Infants from Chemical Exposure through Milk: A Toxic Substances Control Act Case Study

Susanna Wegner1; Catherine Ngo1; Sarah Gallagher1; Anthony Luz2; Chris Brinkerhoff1; Sheila Xiah Kragie1.

1US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, United States; 2US Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States.

P233│Is There Something Simpler than EASZY for Estrogenicity Detection?

Austin M. Martini1; Rachna Mirchandani2; Gabe Jones3; Enrica Bianchi3; Maria Bondesson2. 1Corteva Agriscience, Newark, DE, United States; 2University of Indianapolis, Bloomington, Indiana, United States; 3Corteva Agriscience, Indianapolis, IN, United States.

P234│Withdrawn

P235│Estimating the Prevalence of Spina Bifida Across the Lifespan in the United States

Jennifer Hall-Lande. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

P236│Autism Prevalence and Racial and Ethnic Differences Among Eight-Year-Olds in Minnesota

Jennifer A Hall-Lande. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.

P237│Can the Cultured Human Embryo Resolve Its Stress?

Ximena Ruden1; Campbell Coddington2; Lynessa Asplund1; Anjie Dinakin1; Awoniyi Awonuga1; Steven Korzeniewski1; Douglas Ruden1; Lijun Zhang3; Elizabeth E. Puscheck1; Daniel Rappolee1. 1Wayne State University Medical School, Detroit, MI, United States; 2UC San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States; 3Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.

P238│Assessment of Intralaboratory and Interlaboratory Reproducibility of the devTOX quickPredict Assay

Jessica Palmer1,2; Darren Kidd1, Daniel Bramham1; Irina Komjarova3; Craig Griffiths3; Elizabeth Donley2. 1Labcorp, Harrogate, United Kingdom; 2Stemina Biomarker Discovery, Inc., Madison, WI, United States; 3Labcorp, Huntingdon, United Kingdom.

P239│Ecological Analysis of Select Birth Defects and Agrochemicals in the United States

Julie Margit Petersen1; Deshamithra Jayasekera2; Rashida Smith-Webb1; Shivendra Srivastava1; Jabeen Taiba1; Rahul Singh1; Kaycie Lane3; Haiyue Li1; Muskan Ahuja1; Kelli Gribben1; Kristina Kintziger1; Jesse E. Bell1,3,2. 1University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; 2Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE, United States; 3University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States.



6:30 PM–7:45 PM
Trainee Professional Development Workshop
Future-Proof Your Science Career: Building a Professional Brand
Organized by the BDRP Student Affairs Committee
Open to all BDRP Trainees
Cassie Briggs, Success in Science Career Coaching


7:50 PM–9:30 PM
MARTA Trainee Career Event: Networking Social
Hosted by the Middle Atlantic Reproduction and Teratology Association (MARTA)
Organized by the BDRP Student Affairs Committee and MARTA
Open to all BDRP and DNTS Trainees


9:30 PM–11:00 PM
Meet & Greet


Tuesday, June 16, 2026
7:00 AM–3:30 PM
Registration Open


7:00 AM–8:00 AM
Awards Committee Meeting


7:00 AM–8:00 AM
Student Affairs Committee Meeting


8:00 AM–9:00 AM
The Rise of Regulatogens: A Crisis of Insouciance and Dilettantism in the Regulatory DART World—And How We Must Fix It
Robert L. Brent Lecture
(Joint with DNTS)
Chairperson: Wafa A. Harrouk, US Food and Drug Administration
John M. DeSesso, Exponent


9:05 AM–12:05 PM
Reevaluating Fluoride Exposure: Developmental Risks and Emerging Evidence Symposium
(Joint with DNTS)
Chairpersons: Amy Padula, University of California, San Francisco; and
Gary M. Shaw, Stanford University
Description: The developmental health risks associated with community water fluoridation have come under renewed scrutiny amid ongoing federal reviews. While fluoride’s dental benefits are well established, emerging data from animal studies and human neurodevelopmental research raise questions about the potential effects of high-dose or early-life exposure. Despite widespread implementation, developmental and reproductive risks remain incompletely characterized due to exposure variability, co-exposures, methodological challenges, limited birth defect data, and gaps in mechanistic understanding. This session will convene experts in exposure science, developmental toxicology, epidemiology, and risk assessment to examine recent evidence, evaluate critical windows of susceptibility, consider mixture interactions, and discuss implications for public health guidance and regulatory decision making. A key goal is to clarify areas of consensus and define priority research needs.
Full Schedule


9:05 AM–9:10 AM
Introduction


9:10 AM–9:40 AM
Growing up with Fluoride: An Evanstonian’s Perspective on the History of Fluoride Use and Regulations
Andrew A. Rooney, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS


9:40 AM–10:10 AM
Quantifying Maternal Fluoride Exposure and Pregnancy Outcomes: Challenges and Solutions
Dana Goin, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health


10:10 AM–10:40 AM
Fluoride Exposure and Birth Defects: Current Evidence and Research Gaps
Amy Padula, University of California, San Francisco


10:40 AM–10:55 AM
Break


10:55 AM–11:25 AM
Understanding the Role of Animal Evidence in the NTP Monograph on Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopment
Kyla W. Taylor, Division of Translational Toxicology, NIEHS


11:25 AM–11:55 AM
Understanding Potential Neurodevelopmental Risks from Fluoride Exposure in Humans: Past and Present
Ashley Malin, University of Florida


11:55 AM–12:05 AM
Discussion


9:05 AM–12:00 PM
Platform Session 2
Chairpersons: Connie L. Chen, Health and Environmental Sciences Institute; and
Christine P. Curran, Northern Kentucky University
Full Schedule


9:05 AM–9:21 AM
Evaluation of Development and Reproductive Toxicity: New Approach Methodologies for Botanicals
Connie Mitchell, HESI


9:21 AM–9:37 AM
Fetal Lung Development, Lung Surfactant, and Early Postnatal Death: An Investigation of a Rat-Specific Mode of Action for a Phenoxy Herbicide
John M. DeSesso, Exponent


9:37 AM–9:53 AM
An ICH S5(R3)-Aligned Pre- and Postnatal Developmental Study in Guinea Pigs (Cavia porcellus), Including Sexual Maturation, Reproductive Performance, and Neurobehavioral Assessments
Jakob T. Gunderson, Charles River


9:53 AM–10:09 AM
First-Trimester ACE Inhibitor Exposure and Risk of Pregnancy Loss in Women with Pre-existing Hypertension (12)
Yanning Wang, University of Florida


10:09 AM–10:25 AM
Investigating Molecular Alterations Associated with Early Carcinogenic Processes Following Triphenyl Phosphate Exposure in an Alternative Embryonic Cell Model
Holly Mackay, Queen's University


10:25 AM–10:41 AM
Valproic Acid Induces Dose- and Sex-Dependent Structural Remodelling of the Placenta in CD-1 Mice
Lauren T. L. Brown, Queen's University


10:41 AM–10:56 AM
Break


10:56 AM–11:12 AM
Maternal Genome-Wide Association Studies and Meta- Analyses Across 13 Cohorts of Congenital Heart Defects in Offspring
Omobola O. Oluwafemi, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health


11:12 AM–11:28 AM
Obstetric and Fetal Complications Among Pregnant Women with Congenital Heart Disease in a Georgia Medicaid Dataset
Vijaya Kancherla, Emory University


11:28 AM–11:44 AM
Prediction of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) During First Trimester of Pregnancy by Use of NMR-Based Clinical Metabolomics Screening
Indu Lata, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences


11:44 AM–12:00 Noon
Integrating Transcriptomic Profiles and Differentiation Endpoints to Evaluate Developmental Toxicity in a Human Placental Barrier–Embryo Co-Culture Model
Kelly Brant, US Food and Drug Administration/CDER


12:05 PM–1:25 PM
BDRP Past Presidents’ and Honorees’ Luncheon
(By Invitation Only)


1:30 PM–2:00 PM
Teachers Are Learners Too: Lessons Learned During Four Decades of STEM Education
Agnish Fellowship Lecture
Organized by the BDRP Education Committee
Chairperson: Julia M. Gohlke, Virginia Tech
Christine P. Curran, Northern Kentucky University


2:05 PM–3:05 PM
The Value of NHPs for DART Risk Assessment
BDRP and European Teratology Society (ETS) Exchange Lecture
Chairpersons: Prägati S. Coder, Charles River; and Stephanie Clubb, Charles River

BDRP
Natasha Catlin, Pfizer, Inc. (Presented by Christopher J. Bowman, Pfizer Inc.)

ETS
C. Marc Luetjens, LabCorp Early Development Services GmbH


3:10 PM–6:10 PM
What's Next in Birth Defects Research? The Future of Science and Innovation in Understanding Congenital Anomalies Symposium
(Joint with DNTS)
Chairpersons: Nicole R. Sparks, University of California, Irvine; and
Mikayla Watt, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Description: Despite advances in understanding the causes of birth defects, major gaps remain in predicting and preventing these conditions. This session explores what’s next in birth defects research by spotlighting emerging scientific approaches and the next generation of investigators pushing the field forward. Centered on innovative technologies and methodologies, the session features diverse perspectives from clinical research, environmental epidemiology, computational modeling, and stem cell modeling. Presenters will share work on stem cell-derived organoids and placental models to investigate the developmental origins of health and disease; artificial intelligence tools to predict birth defect risk; epigenetic epidemiology to assess early-life environmental exposures; and integrative genomics approaches to uncover underlying mechanisms. Together, these talks reflect the multidimensional nature of modern birth defects research and emphasize how interdisciplinary innovation is reshaping prevention, diagnosis, and care. This session will appeal to researchers, clinicians, and public health professionals interested in the scientific frontiers of congenital anomaly research and the novel tools redefining the future of maternal and child health.
Full Schedule


3:10 PM–3:15 PM
Introduction


3:15 PM–3:50 PM
Multi-omic Surveys of the Placenta at the Intersection Between the Prenatal Environment and Disease
Maya Deyssenroth, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health


3:50 PM–4:25 PM
Modelling Persistent Neurotoxic Effects of Trans-placental Developmental Exposures
Anke M. Tukker, Purdue University


4:25 PM–4:40 PM
Break


4:40 PM–5:15 PM
Integrating Multi-omics to Uncover Hidden Risk Factors for Birth Defects
Jeremy Schraw, Baylor College of Medicine


5:15 PM–5:50 PM
Modeling Birth Defects Using Pluripotent Stem Cells
Rebekah M. Charney, University at Buffalo


5:50 PM–6:10 PM
Discussion


3:10 PM–6:10 PM
Including Pregnant and Lactating Women in Clinical Trials: From the Past to the Future Symposium
Organized by the BDRP Public Affairs Committee
Chairpersons: José F. Cordero, University of Georgia; and Leyla Sahin, US Food and Drug Administration
Description: Women have historically been excluded from clinical trials and biomedical research; however, the issue has been even more difficult for pregnant and lactating women due to perceived risks. Unfortunately, this means many clinicians often make treatment decisions without solid data on the new drugs and therapies in the context of pregnancy and lactation. This symposium will review past practices and policies in the United States and other countries, as well as the efforts of the PRGLAC group to increase participation by pregnant and lactating women in clinical trials, highlight the value that can be gained through pregnancy registries, as well as the limitations of those registries, and end with a discussion of the barriers that remain and strategies to reduce them.
Full Schedule


3:10 PM–3:15 PM
Introduction
José F. Cordero, University of Georgia


3:15 PM–3:45 PM
Overcoming Real and Perceived Barriers to the Inclusion of Pregnant and Lactating Women in Clinical Trials
Janet R. Hardy, Consultant


3:45 PM–4:10 PM
Scope of the ICH E21 Guidelines, General Considerations
Leyla Sahin, US Food and Drug Administration


4:10 PM–4:35 PM
Overview of How Preclinical Data and Nonclinical Data Can Be Used
Dinesh Stanislaus, GSK


4:35 PM–4:50 PM
Break


4:50 PM–5:20 PM
Considerations for Enrollment: Pregnant Women
Corinne De Vries, European Medicines Agency


5:20 PM–5:45 PM
Considerations for Enrollment: Breastfeeding Women
Laura Shaughnessy, UCB Pharmaceuticals


5:45 PM–6:10 PM
Discussion


6:15 PM–7:45 PM
Awards Presentations and Reception
Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow Travel Awards
Edward W. Carney Trainee Awards
Wilson Presentation Awards
Marie Taubeneck Award
James C. Bradford Memorial Student Poster Awards
Edward W. Carney Distinguished Service Award
BDRP Innovator Award
Recognition of Other Awards Presented throughout the Week


Wednesday, June 17, 2026
6:30 AM–7:30 AM
BDRP 45th Annual Volleyball Game


7:30 AM–1:30 PM
Registration Open


8:00 AM–8:45 AM
Annual Business Meeting


8:50 AM–11:50 AM
Exposome Research: Longitudinal Cohorts as a Critical Piece of the Puzzle Symposium
(Joint with DNTS)
Chairpersons: Suzanne E. Fenton, NC State University; and
Lida Chatzi, University of Southern California
Description: The exposome refers to all environmental exposures an individual experiences throughout their life, from conception to death, and how those exposures influence health and disease. It complements the human genome, providing a more holistic view of factors contributing to health outcomes. Exposome research is often thought of as a new frontier in precision environmental health because it considers a vast range of environmental factors, including chemicals, physical agents, lifestyle, and social determinants, which interact with an individual's genetics to influence disease development. By identifying specific environmental exposures associated with diseases, exposome research can help identify modifiable risk factors, which can be targeted for interventions to prevent or mitigate disease. The exposome allows for a more personalized approach to understanding disease risk, as different individuals may have different sensitivities to specific environmental exposures due to genetic variations or other factors. Exposomics research can provide new insights into the underlying mechanisms of chronic diseases or birth defects, going beyond the single-factor approach of traditional toxicology and epidemiology.
Full Schedule


8:50 AM–8:55 AM
Introduction
Suzanne E. Fenton, NC State University


8:55 AM–9:30 AM
The Early Life Exposome and the Origins of Childhood Metabolic Disease: From Molecular Signatures to Precision Prevention
Lida Chatzi, University of Southern California


9:30 AM–10:05 AM
Unhealthy Environments and Pregnancy Outcomes: The Power of Nontargeted Analysis
Dimitri Abrahamsson, University of California, San Francisco


10:05 AM–10:25 AM
Warkany Tea


10:25 AM–10:50 AM
Integrating Exposomics and Human-Relevant NAMs to Identify Developmental Toxicants
Joshua F. Robinson, University of California, San Francisco


10:50 AM–11:25 AM
Exposome and the ECHO Program: What the Future Holds
Susan Laessig, Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health


11:25 AM–11:50 AM
Discussion


8:50 AM–11:34 AM
Platform Session 3
Chairpersons: Susan Y. Euling, US Environmental Protection Agency; and Thomas B. Knudsen, Indiana University
Full Schedule


8:50 AM–9:06 AM
Quantitative Simulation of Blood Island Morphogenesis
Thomas B. Knudsen, Indiana University


9:06 AM–9:22 AM
Single-Cell Mapping of Neural Tube Defect Genes in Human and Rodent Embryogenesis
Julia do Amaral Gomes, University of California, San Francisco


9:22 AM–9:38 AM
A Genome-Wide Association Study of Anotia/Microtia in a Predominantly Hispanic US Sample Identifies Risk Variant Near ROBO1, Association with Indigenous Ancestry
Priya B. Shetty, Baylor College of Medicine


9:38 AM–9:54 AM
Z-Drug Initiation During Pregnancy and Risk of Adverse Neonatal Outcomes
Chih-Wan Grace Lin, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School


9:54 AM–10:10 AM
Trio-Based Whole Genome Sequencing Reveals Inherited Rare Structural Variation in the Genetic Architecture of Spina Bifida
Paul Wolujewicz, Quinnipiac University and Weill Cornell Medicine


10:10 AM–10:30 AM
Warkany Tea


10:30 AM–10:46 AM
Cord Blood Toxic Metal Concentrations and Developmental Toxicity Fingerprints: A Multi-Endpoint Developmental and Reproductive Toxicology Analysis at Birth
Vanitha Thurairasu, The National University of Malaysia


10:46 AM–11:02 AM
In Vitro Maturation of Oocytes and Whole Embryo Transfer in the Mouse
Marie Bouressam, Charles River


11:02 AM–11:18 AM
Bulk RNA-Seq Identifies Mesoderm Lineage-Specific Toxicity Signatures of Environmental Skeletal Toxicants
Piunik Babakhanins, University of California, Riverside


11:18 AM–11:34 AM
Why Thalidomide Embryopathy, Mediated by Embryonic Vascular Disruption, Created Congenital Long Bone Deficiencies and Endowment of the Science of Teratology: No Flow, No Grow!
David R. Hootnick, SUNY Upstate Medical University


12:00 Noon–1:00 PM
Public Affairs Committee Meeting


12:00 Noon–1:00 PM
Publications Committee Meeting


12:00 Noon–1:00 PM
Science Committee Meeting


1:15 PM–4:15 PM
Connecting the Dots: Interpreting Teratogenic Risk Across Study Types and the Path to Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration Symposium
Chairpersons: Yanmin Zhu, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital; Sonia Hernández-Díaz, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; and Krista F. Huybrechts, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Description: Assessing the teratogenicity of medications remains one of the most complex challenges in maternal-fetal medicine, particularly when interpreting diverse and sometimes inconsistent data. This symposium will explore how multiple types of evidence—nonclinical models, case reports, and controlled epidemiologic studies—contribute to our understanding of medication safety in pregnancy. These evidence types, each with unique strengths and limitations, are increasingly integrated rather than considered in isolation.
Full Schedule


1:15 PM–1:20 PM
Introduction


1:20 PM–1:55 PM
From Bench to Belly: Interpreting Nonclinical Data in Teratogenic Risk Assessment
George P. Daston, Procter & Gamble Company


1:55 PM–2:30 PM
Clinical Clues: When Case Reports Signal Teratogenic Risk
Sonja A. Rasmussen, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine


2:30 PM–2:45 PM
Break


2:45 PM–3:20 PM
Evidence in the Population: Insights from Registry and Epidemiologic Data
Lynne Mofenson, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation


3:20 PM–3:55 PM
From Evidence to Action: Challenges in Evidence Synthesis and the Need for Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration in Teratogenicity Evaluation
Sarah G. Običan, University of South Florida
Presented by Nevena Krstić, University of South Florida


3:55 PM–4:15 PM
Session Summary and Discussion


1:15 PM–4:15 PM
The Next Generation of NAMs: Evaluating Toxicities in Reproductive Tissues Symposium
Chairpersons: Connie L. Chen, Health and Environmental Sciences Institute; and
Prägati S. Coder, Charles River Laboratories, Ashland LLC
Sponsored by the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute
Description: The session will cover the latest in new approach methodologies (NAMs), not just for use in developmental regulatory toxicology, but those for key reproductive tissues. The session will feature presentations from international experts and introduce cutting-edge NAMs for the mammary gland and both male and female reproductive toxicity assessment tools, including ovary- and testis-on-chip models, as well as advanced platforms for studying placental transfer and maternal-fetal interface. Emphasis will be placed on translational relevance, scientific innovation, and real-world application, with academic perspectives enriching the conversation on early science and future regulatory utility.
Full Schedule


1:15 PM–1:20 PM
Introduction


1:20 PM–2:00 PM
Women's Reproductive Health: Ovary-on-a-Chip and Female System-on-a-Chip
Shuo Xiao, Rutgers University


2:00 PM–2:40 PM
Microengineered Modeling of Human Placental Barrier Dysfunction during Environmental Metal Exposure
Pouria Fattahi, University of Georgia


2:40 PM–2:55 PM
Break


2:55 PM–3:35 PM
Modeling the Complexities of Mammary Gland Growth and Function
Russ Hovey, University of California, Davis


3:35 PM–4:05 PM
Testicular Organoids to Model Testis Function In Vitro
Ina Dobrinski, University of Calgar


4:05 PM–4:15 PM
Discussion


4:30 PM–6:30 PM
BDRP Council 2 Meeting
(2026–2027 Council members)


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