Society of Reproductive Investigation (SRI)

SRI Celebrates a Successful 62^nd Annual Scientific Meeting!

The Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) welcomed over 1,200 attendees March 25 – 28 to San Francisco for its 62nd Annual Scientific Meeting. The pre-meeting began with five dynamic Satellite Meetings: Fetal Physiology, Placenta – featuring Dr. Alan Guttmacher who spoke on the Human Placental Project, Preterm Birth International Collaborative (PREBIC), Endometrium, and Myometrium. Career Development sessions for New and Mid-Career Investigators followed the Satellites, and Wednesday evening featured the Opening Reception, the official kick-off of the meeting. Hundreds of attendees gathered for an evening of conversation with old friends and new.

Thursday morning brought 2011 Nobel Laureate Dr. Bruce Beutler from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, speaking on Sensing and Responding to Microbes: A Forward Genetic Approach. The entire ballroom was filled beyond capacity for this fascinating session. The day continued with oral presentations and the first half of the Mini Symposia, which were comprised of expert speakers, both SRI members and non-members, in their respective disciplines. Thursday evening featured the third annual Connection Corners, an event aimed at those in training. The event, which has more than doubled since the first year, involved mid and senior SRI members hosting nine tables, each with a different topic. Attendees moved around the various topics leisurely while enjoying drinks and conversation with their fellow trainees. Topics included Going Global with Your Career, How to Negotiate a (post-doctoral) Fellowship, Searching for your First Faculty Position, Your First SRI Meeting, Basic Scientists and Clinicians Get Together Already!, Finding a Good Mentor, Diversity is the Future, Funding Rules, and Juggling Research with a Clinical Career.

The Meeting began Friday morning with the Minority Career Development session followed by another phenomenal President’s Distinguished Lecture. Dr. Margaret G. Petroff, Michigan State University, spoke on Autoimmune-Mediated Infertility: Reconsidering Immune Tolerance to Self. During the lunch hour, the annual SRI-Pfizer President's Presenter Awards were held. View the 25 awardees here. Throughout the day the second and third sets of Oral Presentations took place along with the remaining Mini Symposia. Each year SRI holds a Business Meeting for its members and this year was no different. The Presidency was handed over from Dr. Serdar Bulun to Dr. Hugh Taylor, who will serve through SRI’s 2016 meeting in Montreal. Dr. Yoel Sadovsky is the President Nominee and will ascend to the position of President in 2017.  Dr. Sandra Davidge was elected to become president in 2018. Additionally, the Society thanked Drs. Thomas D’Hooghe and Marilyn Cipolla for their years of service on the SRI Council as their terms ended, and welcomed Drs. Stacy Zamudio and Errol Norwitz for three-year terms. Dr. Emily Su, this year’s Program Director, was also presented with a plaque for her outstanding organization of the meeting. The SRI membership was given an update on the excellent state of the Society, which continues to grow and thrive. A wine and cheese reception followed the meeting, and the New Investigator Awards Ceremony ended the day. The four New Investigators that spoke during the Presidential New Investigator Plenary Session Thursday morning were presented with certificates, followed by the presentation of the Giorgio Pardi Foundation Travel Awards. View the recipients by following this link. Long-standing and dedicated SRI member Dr. Laxmi Baxi then presented two individuals with the Laxmi Baxi Foundation Travel Awards, and finally, the Thomas McDonald award was given by Dr. Peter Nathanielsz.

The final day, Saturday, began with the President’s Address, Awards Ceremony and SRI-Pardi Distinguished Scientist Award and Lecture by Dr. Eli Adashi, Brown University. The President’s Achievement Awards, were given to Drs. Ayman Al-Hendy and Emily Su. The Frederick Naftolin Award for Mentorship was presented to SRI past president, Dr. Linda Giudice, and the Rogerio A. Lobo Award for an excellent publication in Reproductive Sciences was also given to Dr. Al-Hendy. More information on the history of these awards can be found by clicking here. Following the award presentation, Dr. Adashi received the SRI-Pardi Distinguished Scientist Award and began his lecture, Fifty Years After Huxley: The Roadmap of Reproductive Medicine Revisited and Updated. The afternoon consisted of Hot Topics and the remaining Oral Presentations, and the meeting ended with the Best New Investigator Poster Awards.

A total of 1,046 abstracts and 48 Late Breaking abstracts were accepted, an increase from the 2014 meeting! Posters were presented and judged Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and the 20 Best New Investigator Poster winners are listed on the SRI website.

A few “never before’s” took place at this meeting including a Connections Corners Lounge which, while geared toward trainees, was a space for any and all attendees to gather. This year also featured the Bayer Breakfast Series, Thursday-Saturday, which were all well attended. Additionally, SRI merchandise was available at the registration desk and continues to be available for purchase. Contact the SRI office for your SRI polo shirt or travel mug today! Finally, all participants for the first time received a final program book which included the full schedule, general meeting information, a list of SRI’s newest members, and much more along with a publication of the late-breaking abstracts.

The SRI thanks its sponsors for their support of the meeting as well as its exhibitors, Celmatix Inc. and Miltenyi Biotec.

The SRI very much looks forward to another successful meeting in 2016 in Montreal, Canada! Watch the SRI website as more information becomes available.

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