Tuesday ||Wednesday || Thursday || Friday

Chicago Watertower.

**Click here to check out a meeting newsletter containing important information about the student activities at the meeting in Chicago.**

Please note that priority registration for the Chicago Walking Tour, Meet the Experts, the Noontime Sessions, and the Guided Poster Tours will be given to SER student members. Registration is now available - follow this link. Please register for the meeting BEFORE registering for these student sessions - you will be asked for your registration confirmation number.

Registration will remain open until all available slots for the sessions are filled. All other individuals interested in attending these sessions will be placed on a waiting list and will be notified after May 31, 2008 if they received a spot in the session.  If additional spots are available, the sessions will be opened to the general conference on site. More information on registration and the events will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

Time:  8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Location: Toronto Room
Presenter: 
J. Scott Osborne, Ph.D., M.P.H.
Health Scientist Administrator
Scientific Review Administrator
Cardiovascular and Sleep Epidemiology Study Section
Center for Scientific Review
National Institutes of Health, DHHS

This half-day session will address multiple facets of the process of developing an early career epidemiologic research project and the review of epidemiology applications at the NIH. The first part of the session will focus on (1) general strategies for developing an idea into a research application, (2) an overview of the review process for epidemiologic research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and (3) the perspective of Program/Institute Staff on early career awards. The second part of the session will focus on (1) alternative career paths, (2) the development of some particular areas of inquiry in epidemiology, (3) organizing different kinds of early career research projects, and (4) writing an application for the NIH or other funding agency. Specific examples will be presented by active epidemiologic researchers in each of these areas. Overall, the session will provide general and specific guidance on how to develop an idea into a project with realistic goals, the characteristics of successful research strategies, how applications are assessed, and the qualities of an outstanding application.

Registration is required for the workshop. There is no cost for registration, but registration is limited. Anyone that registers for this event is expected to attend. You should register for this event online when you register for the meeting.  This event is being sponsored by the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) Student Caucus, and seating priority will be given to students or anyone eligible for SER student membership. Available spaces for this session will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. All others will be registered as space permits.  For more information, contact Lizzi Torrone at torrone@email.unc.edu or Caroline Dilworth at caroline.hoffman@gmail.com.

Noontime Social Session: Walking Tour of Chicago - Historic Skyscrapers"

Time:  Meet at 1:30 pm
Meeting Location: Check at the registration desk

A professional walking tour of historic skyscrapers in Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper, will be lead by the Chicago Architecture Foundation (CAF). The tour will take an informative look at some of Chicago’s world famous early skyscrapers including: Burnham and Root’s Rookery (1888) with its Moorish revival exterior and restored Frank Lloyd Wright interior; Adler and Sullivan’s Auditorium Building (1889) a masterpiece of engineering, design and acoustics; Holabird and Roche’s Marquette Building (1895) an outstanding example of the Chicago School of design; and Holabird and Root’s Chicago Board of Trade Building (1930), one of the city’s most glamorous Art Deco skyscrapers.

We will leave the conference hotel (the Hyatt Regency Chicago on the Riverwalk) promptly at 1:30 PM and walk as a group to the CAF store, which is located in the Santa Fe Building at 224 South Michigan Avenue (0.8 miles from the conference hotel). The professional walking tour will begin at the CAF store at 2:00 PM and last approximately 2 hours.

* Registration is required for the walking tour. There is no cost for registration but registration is limited to 25 people. Anyone that registers for this event is expected to attend. If you register for this event and fail to attend, you will be asked to cover the cost of your spot on the tour ($14 per person). This event is being sponsored by the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) Student Caucus, and priority will be given to SER student members. For more information, contact Lizzi Torrone at torrone@email.unc.edu.

Afternoon Workshop Session*: Advanced Topics in SAS Programming

Time: 1:00 - 5:30 PM
Location:  Toronto Room
Presenter:

Stephen Hawes, Ph.D., M.S.
Assistant Professor
Department of Epidemiology
School of Public Health and Community Medicine
University of Washington

This half-day session will cover a number of topics in advanced SAS programming. The purpose of the session is to introduce those attending the workshop to SAS functions, procedures options, and other SAS coding “tricks” that are not usually covered in general SAS programming courses, with the ultimate goal of helping attendees improve their efficiency when conducting both common and sophisticated programming tasks for epidemiologic research. The first part of the session will focus on data and dataset management and manipulation, including working with multiple and complex data files (e.g. longitudinal datasets), using formats, using ARRAYs and IF/THEN/DO statements, and working with character data. The second part of the session will focus on using SAS to conduct stratified data analysis, logistic regression, linear regression, GEE, and survival analysis. Please note that all workshop participants should already have a basic understanding of SAS programming and epidemiological and statistical methods.

* Registration is required for the workshop. The cost is $25 for registration. You should register for this event online when you register for the meeting. This event is being sponsored by the Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) Student Caucus, and seating priority will be given to students or anyone eligible for SER student membership. Available spaces for this session will be filled on a first come, first serve basis, and may be purchased at the time of conference registration.  All others will be registered as space permits. For more information, contact Lizzi Torrone at torrone@email.unc.edu or Caroline Dilworth at caroline.hoffman@gmail.com.

Evening Session*: Poster Session and Welcome Reception

Time: 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Location:  Regency Ballrooms C&D

Meet and mingle with other students at the opening reception. Refreshments will be served. SER-SC will be raffling off over 30 valuable prizes - including books, memberships, software, and more! Raffle tickets will only be distributed at the Welcome Reception, and tickets will be drawn throughout the conference at student sessions. Be sure to stop by to hear more about the raffle, and meet fellow students and trainees! Information on student opportunities and sponsoring organizations will be available. The SER-SC will also be holding a “speed networking” event in the SER-SC room (the Hong Kong Room) at 8:30 PM. The purpose of the speed networking event is to introduce students attending the Annual Meeting to each other and help encourage student interaction throughout the rest of the week.

This session will provide students an opportunity to learn more about academic and non-academic careers in epidemiology. The panel will include four epidemiologists with experience working in academia, government, industry or at a non-profit organization. The session will begin with a short, introductory presentation by each panelist. The floor will then be opened up for a Q&A session.

Panelists:

• John Acquavella, PhD, Executive Director, Global Epidemiology, Amgen, Inc.
• Lisa Herrinton, PhD, Research Scientist, Kaiser Permanente - N California Region
• Polly Marchbanks, BSN, MSN, PhD, NCCDPHP, CDC
• Roberta Ness, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh

*Note: Registration is required for this session. You should register for this event online when you register for the meeting. Priority registration will be given to SER student members through May 21, 2008. All other individuals interested in attending these sessions will be placed on a waiting list and will be notified after May 31, 2008 if they received a spot in the session. For more information, contact Lizzi Torrone at torrone@email.unc.edu or Caroline Dilworth at caroline.hoffman@gmail.com.

PLEASE NOTE! Lunch will NOT be provided by SER-SC. Those attending the noontime workshop will need to plan ahead and bring lunch with them to the session.

The Guided Poster Tour will be an informal session that will address writing a poster and evaluating a poster. Some of the questions that will be addressed are: What makes a good poster? What to include/not include in a poster? How to set up a poster? How to keep a poster from getting too busy? How to put together a poster to draw attention? What to avoid in a poster? How to summarize your project into a poster? The Guided Poster Tour can accommodate six students per presenter and the slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

*Note: Registration is required for this session. Priority registration will be given to SER student members through May 21, 2008. All other individuals interested in attending these sessions will be placed on a waiting list and will be notified after May 31, 2008 if they received a spot in the session. Priority registration will be given to SER student members.  For more information, please contact Kristal Chichlowska at kristalchichlowska@gmail.com.

*Note: Registration is required for this session. Priority registration will be given to SER student members through May 21, 2008. All other individuals interested in attending these sessions will be placed on a waiting list and will be notified after May 31, 2008 if they received a spot in the session. Students will have the opportunity to sign up for the presenter of their choice on a first come, first served basis. A confirmation with the room location will be sent to you before the conference. For more information, please contact Vanessa Moore at Vanessa_Moore@URMC.Rochester.edu. 

This goal of this session is to provide students with tangible strategies that they can use to successfully finish their doctoral dissertation or masters thesis. Topics will include:

1. How to create a sound structured approach to completing their dissertation, thesis or other important graduate milestones.
2. How to manage the various phases of doing a dissertation or thesis including selecting a topic, writing a proposal, and carrying out the actual study.
3. The importance of maintaining a positive mindset about graduate work and strategies to develop a more positive mindset.
4. The real sources of procrastination & strategies to overcome procrastination.
5. Strategies to overcome perfectionism.
6. Strategies to increase motivation, learning, and productivity.
7. Strategies to work effectively with chairpersons and committee members.
8. Strategies to increase accountability.
9. Strategies to make self-care and down time an important part of life as a graduate student.

*Note: Registration is required for this session. Priority registration will be given to SER student members through May 21, 2008. All other individuals interested in attending these sessions will be placed on a waiting list and will be notified after May 0, 2008. if they received a spot in the session. For more information, please contact Caroline Dilworth at caroline.hoffman@gmail.com.

PLEASE NOTE! Lunch will NOT be provided by SER-SC. Those attending the noontime workshop will need to plan ahead and bring lunch with them to the session.

This is the annual business meeting of the Society for Epidemiologic Research Student Caucus. Please join us for an annual report and a discussion of goals for next year. Anyone is welcome to attend this meeting. If you are interested in learning more about SER-SC and what we do, join us for this meeting!