Dear Colleagues, Friends and Fellow Parasitologists,

We would like to announce the opening of registration for the 34th Hybrid Molecular Parasitology Meeting (MPM XXXIV).

WHEN: Sunday, September 17, 2023, to Thursday September 21, 2023

WHERE: Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA (USA)

HOW TO REGISTER: Go to https://www.parasitesrule.com/mpm-xxxiv (Abstracts due June 19)

This hybrid meeting will be held simultaneously online AND at the MBL in Woods Hole. Speakers and poster presenters will therefore both be in person in the MBL lecture halls as well as presenting online.

MPM XXXIV will continue to cover diverse aspects of parasite biology including molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, drug development and targets, host-parasite interactions, and methodological innovations. As in past years, we will prioritize talks and posters presented by young scientists (students and post-docs) to give them the opportunity to showcase their best work to a large audience.

This year our keynote speaker is the Distinguished Professor Alan Cowman (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, University of Melbourne), who has made foundational contributions to the molecular study of malaria. The keynote talk celebrates an individual who has made a long-term contribution to molecular parasitology through mentoring, leadership, and research with sustained impact in their field.

We are also honored to host Professor Francine Ntoumi (Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville,  Republic of the Congo), who is a global leader in infectious disease biology - including malaria - and public health research capacity building. Prof. Ntoumi will present our annual plenary session focused on building a more connected, equitable and just molecular parasitology community.

Talks will be selected from submitted abstracts, with an emphasis on outstanding, mostly unpublished science and program balance. In-person attendance is not a pre-requisite for selection, and we anticipate having a mix of in-person and virtual seminars throughout the meeting.

We encourage you to start working on your abstracts as the abstract submission deadline is June 19, regardless of whether you plan to attend in person or online.

To submit your scientific abstract, you will first need to register and then you will be redirected to the abstract submission page.                  

Registration Link: https://www.parasitesrule.com/mpm-xxxiv

Note: If you are a scientist based at institutions in low and middle income countries (LMICs), we are pleased to be able to offer fee waivers for virtual attendees.  LMIC status is determined by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.  To check if your country is considered an LMIC see here: https://wellcome.org/grant-funding/guidance/low-and-middle-income-countries

Important dates and deadlines

●       IF YOU WANT TO SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT:

June 19, 2023, for in person AND virtual registration/payment

●       IF YOU ARE ATTENDING BUT NOT SUBMITTING ANY ABSTRACT:

July 23, 2023, for in person registration/payment

September 1, 2023, for virtual registration/payment

·        IF YOU WANT TO APPLY FOR A VIRTUAL REGISTRATION FEE WAIVER (for LMIC only):

June 19, 2023 if you want to submit an abstract

August 21, 2023 without abstract.

Please note that the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) requires all in-person attendees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (https://goforward.mbl.edu/covid-19-vaccination/). For information on staying up to date with COVID vaccine requirements for traveling to the USA, please visit these CDC websites https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/international-travel/index.html and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html).

We look forward to receiving your exciting abstracts!

Please also feel free to forward this announcement to anyone we may have inadvertently missed from the mailing list.

We are very much looking forward to seeing you in September,

Bibo Li, Manuel Llinás, Maryse Lebrun, Omar Harb, & Deepali Ravel

Further information at: https://www.parasitesrule.com/mpm-xxxiv

Or contact us at: mpmmeeting@gmail.com

Travel information for getting to Woods Hole, Massachusetts is available here: https://www.mbl.edu/about/local-area-information/travel-information

This Code of Conduct covers the in-person, virtual (online) or hybrid Molecular Parasitology Meetings (MPM). MPM conferences may include keynote presentations, concurrent sessions, live poster Q&A, workshops, conference-related Slack channels, and Q&A via Zoom chat.

Updated July, 2021 (adapted from the Genetic Society of America policy)

MPM fosters an international community of parasitologists and provides opportunities for scientific discussion and collaboration. To make this experience productive and welcoming to all, and to foster open communication we ask you to adhere to MPMs code of conduct outlined below:

All conference participants (regardless of their role) are expected to follow the Code of Conduct while attending any portion of the conference, including but not limited to keynote presentations, concurrent sessions, live poster Q&A sessions, workshops, Zoom, email, social media and all conference Slack channels. This code of conduct applies to all modes of communication virtual or in-person. 

Unacceptable Behaviors

Unacceptable behaviors include, but are not limited to:

• Intimidating, harassing, abusive, discriminatory, derogatory, or demeaning speech or actions by any participant and at all related events

• Harmful or prejudicial verbal or written comments or visual images related to gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, sexual orientation, race, religion, political orientation, socioeconomic, disability or ability status, or other personal characteristics, including those protected by law

• Inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images (including presentation slides, posters, Slack channels, or Zoom chat)

• Deliberate intimidation or stalking

• Violating the rules and regulations of the online provider, Zoom

• Sustained disruption of scientific sessions or other events

• Unwelcome and uninvited attention or contact

• Real or implied threat of physical harm

• Real or implied threat of professional or financial damage or harm

• Photographing or reproducing slides of oral presentations and posters without permission

• Recording of scientific and other sessions without permission

Taking action or making a report

• MPM organizers take any complaints seriously. If you need to report a Code of Conduct violation, please reach out to the meeting organizers.

Consequences of non-compliance

Anyone asked by MPM organizers, a Session Chair, Workshop Leader, Moderator, Presenter, or Zoom representative to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately. Retaliation toward MPM or toward someone reporting an incident or after experiencing any of the following consequences will not be tolerated and may result in additional sanctions.

The consequences of non-compliance with MPM’s Code of Conduct may include:

• Immediate removal from accessing the online meeting and Slack channels without warning

• Restrictions from future MPM meeting attendance

• Incidents may be reported to the proper authorities

Diversity and Inclusion

MPM is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion to create greater opportunity for any individual to fulfil their scientific potential, irrespective of their background, gender, or circumstances. This diversity leads to innovation by attracting the widest possible talent to the community and fostering a greater diversity of ideas, approaches, and perspectives. The Organizing Committee aims to select speakers and session chairs that represent the breadth and diversity of the discipline and conference participants.

Social Media/Photo/Video Policy

Live tweeting of presentations is allowed unless the speaker explicitly opts out by stating so at the start of their talk. Taking or sharing photos, videos, or reproductions of posters is not permitted unless you have the presenter’s consent.

Posters

When you view poster materials at the conference, remember that posters are typically works in progress. We expect poster attendees to treat virtual posters exactly as they would in-person posters and not to cite or reproduce any part of them without permission of the presenter.

The Molecular Parasitology Meeting (MPM) takes place annually at the Marine Biological Laboratories (MBL) in Woods Hole, Massachusetts (MA), USA.

Address:

Marine Biological Laboratory

7 MBL Street Woods Hole, MA 02543

U.S.A.

Phone Number: +1-508-548-3705

Travel information to Woods Hole available here:

https://www.mbl.edu/about/local-area-information/travel-information