Annual Meeting of the Neurobehavioral Teratology Society

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This request is for support to help defray the costs of the Annual Meeting of the Neurobehavioral Teratology Society (NBTS) for 5 years. The annual meeting of NBTS highlights new data and theoretical constructs concerning neurobehavioral teratology and the developmental origins of CNS disorders that result from developmental exposure to drugs, toxic substances, environmental contaminants (including food contaminants), stressors, genetic mutations, epigenetic changes, and the interaction of these factors. Effects in humans, animal models, and neural studies of mechanisms are presented. Issues of construct and translational validity are considered, as well as developments concerning the mechanisms of how drugs and other chemicals affect brain and behavior. The 2013 meeting features topics on advances in methods, advances in the science of developmental disorders, and brings forward areas (e.g., schizophrenia) as issues of importance since recent data suggest that neuropsychiatric disorders may have embryonic and fetal origins. The meeting brings together developmental neuroscientists, developmental neurotoxicologists, developmental psychologists, developmental epidemiologists, teratologists, developmental toxicologists, medical geneticists, physicians, genetic councilors, and developmental environmental scientists from academia, industry, and government. NBTS meets with the Teratology Society (TS) and the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) producing synergy. Aim 1: Support Conference Travel Awards for 2 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, advanced undergraduates or research assistants to present their data with waiver of registration fee and discounted room rates. Conference Awards are $700 each. The Society matches this by supporting 2 conference travel awards from its dues for a total of 4 awards per year. Aim 2: Support 1 New Investigator Award per year. The Society waives the recipient's registration fee and pays for travel and meeting-related expenses ($1100 coming from this grant and the balance ($2000-2500) from the Society. Aim 3: Provide support for travel expenses for non-member speakers. NBTS typically invites 8-10 non-member speakers per year. We request $2,500 toward this cost. The 2013 outside speaker estimated costs will be ~$15,000. Hence, the $2,500 contribution requested will be partial support to help the Society maintain the involvement of high quality non-member speakers.