2021 Meeting Status

Due to continuing concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, ASHG’s Board of Directors made the decision to present the meeting program in virtual format in 2021. A virtual platform will enable many more attendees to participate again this year, eliminating issues with continued travel restrictions and potential financial constraints at institutions or for important communities such as trainees. Additionally, building on a successful 2020 meeting, the Society is already hard at work to provide an even better virtual experience, expanding the effectiveness of poster presentations, creating new ways to connect and network, and engaging valued ASHG exhibitors in new ways.

The ASHG 2021 Virtual Meeting will bring the global human genetics and genomics research community together for multiple days of cutting-edge science across all areas of human genetics. This event is open to all geneticists and is designed to facilitate scientific exchange across the globe and across the field, providing scientists at all career stages with opportunities to learn, collaborate, and connect. Our dynamic virtual platform will bring you the latest innovations in human genetics and genomics research in an environment that fosters interaction among global attendees. tuned for more details on a program that will feature the best in human genetics research on a broad range of topics. ASHG welcomes your feedback. If you have a comment, compliment, complaint or will like to sign up for email announcements regarding the Virtual Meeting, please feel free to submit to our online form.

As part of the fee to register, you will also get to enjoy multiple days of great content including:

• Plenary abstract talks (abstract-driven)
• Platform talks (abstract-driven)
• Invited sessions (member proposed sessions)
• Poster talks and dynamic poster sessions (abstract-driven)
• Special sessions such as the Presidential Symposium and ASHG/ESHG Building Bridges session, now in its 10^th year
• Enhanced capabilities for virtual networking through video and chat channels
• Opportunities for collaboration with an interdisciplinary network of emerging and leading scientists
• Industry-driven technology solutions
• Live and on-demand content
• CEUs and CMEs available
• Plus: award presentations, workshops, career development content, and more.
• Stay tuned for more details and sign-up for email announcements here!

The Presidential Welcome Address with ASHG President Gail Jarvik will kick off the meeting to highlight ASHG’s vision, mission, and values to our members.

Abstracts, Schedule, and Content Types

Questions? meetings@ashg.org

The scientific program, led by Chair Jeffrey Kidd, PhD and the ASHG 2021 Program Committee is currently being developed. The committee are building an exciting virtual program dedicated to creating the best possible experience for you.

• View the preliminary schedule outline in April and stay tuned for details and updates coming soon.
• Content types include:
  • Plenary Sessions: Plenary sessions showcase speakers who can inspire and energize attendees with their cutting-edge research and ideas and are programmed through abstract-driven submissions. These talks are 15-minutes in length and include cross-cutting topics.
  • Platform Sessions: Platform talks are quick rapid talks programmed through abstract-driven submissions. These talks are 10-minutes in length and include cross-cutting topics.
  • Invited Sessions: Invited sessions are developed and proposed by ASHG members around a particular topic of interest and run-in concurrent timeslots and are 90-minutes in length.
• Abstract Submission opens May 3.
  • Member-driven abstract presentations on a broad range of scientific topics.
  • The deadline to submit an abstract is June 10.
  • There is no fee to submit but you must register for the meeting in order to present your work.
• Look for:
• Dedicated programming addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and strategies to address systemic racism in research
• Vital ethical and social issues topics
• The latest research on COVID-19 and the work of our members whose research is at the forefront of this global pandemic
• New technology and industry presentations
• Cross-cutting research that represents our broad community
• ASHG’s Professional Awards celebrate geneticists for accomplishments in advocacy, mentorship, education, and more.
• Ancillary and Affiliated Events. We are exploring opportunities for scheduling affiliated events either before or during the ASHG 2021 virtual meeting and will share the process and details in May. This will include opportunities for you to schedule networking events on your own that can be added to this year schedule.

Registration

Questions? meetings@ashg.org

Registration will open May 3, 2021.

Registration gives you access to thousands of presentations on ground-breaking research as well as networking opportunities that will allow you to get valuable feedback on your research and grow your network in the human genetics community. With over 7,000 expected attendees, the ASHG 2021 Virtual Meeting is a diverse, global community that engages and welcomes diverse voices and alliances among scientists of all nationalities.

Registration rates by member category will be released in April. ASHG members receive an additional discount, so join or renew your ASHG membership today! Please note ASHG membership runs the calendar year. The cost to attend is where you will see the most significant savings–by attending virtually, you won’t need to book travel or accommodations and will be able to attend the meeting from the comfort and convenience of wherever you are. Members can expect to enjoy significantly discounted rates and even deeper discounts for early-career, trainee, and Developing Country scientists.

CEUs and CMEs: ASHG offers CE credits for CME and CEUs, including PACE CEUs. A list of approved sessions and the number of credits available will be announced in August. You are required to register for the meeting and pay a separate fee to apply for CE credits.

Exhibitors

If you are interested in participating in exhibiting at the ASHG 2021 Virtual Meeting, contact exhibits@ashg.org for details. We are exploring exciting opportunities for our industry partners that will allow various ways to engage and interact with attendees to ensure your company meets its goals.

About the Virtual Meeting and Attendee Experience

The ASHG 2021 Virtual Meeting platform is mobile responsive allowing you to access content on any device (laptops, desktops, handheld tablets, and smartphones). The meeting will feature both live and pre-recorded sessions that registered attendees can view beginning the first day of the meeting. The best parts of the ASHG in-person meeting will translate to virtual, plus some exciting new features. Attendees can expect a vibrant environment with new enhanced features to help you achieve your professional development goals. The virtual platform will:

• Allow for great opportunities for you to interact with fellow attendees to just say hello or share your excitement about the content. The platform will offer various ways to do this including video chats, meet-ups as well as text chat forums.
• Provide an environment where you can navigate to the content you want, anytime you want.
• The scientific “rooms” will be the place to go for all of your scientific content (plenary sessions, concurrent platform and invited sessions).
• Poster sessions and poster talks will be incorporated within the same platform using the same sign-in credentials and designated times for authors to present their work will be incorporated into the schedule
• Start planning your attendance at the ASHG 2021 Virtual Meeting by downloading the mobile app.
• You will have the ability to personalize your profile, supply a photo, email other attendees, and even send an electronic business card.
• As with last year’s Virtual Meeting, the platform will be hosted on a website, so you simply need a URL and internet connection to take part, which means you can participate on any type of internet-connected device (e.g., mobile phone, tablet, computer, etc.) The URL for accessing the platform will be emailed to all registrants right before the start of the meeting in mid-October 2021.

All live events are held in Eastern Standard Time (EST). Once the live event has occurred, it will be available to view on-demand, although please note that the schedule was set to be inclusive of as many time zones as possible.

No matter what your area of specialization, we want to see you at the ASHG 2021 Virtual Meeting! Save the date and remember to register on May 3!