Society for Pediatric and 
Perinatal Epidemiologic Research

President's Corner

In another month, our new century will begin. The society has flourished, thanks to the active participation of members. I strongly urge everyone to commit to serving the society.

Elections for officers will occur next year. The society has the luxury of an open selection of officers and all votes do count and are counted. Our officers need not be USA citizens. Therefore, we hope our members overseas and in Canada will freely accept to serve.

We are initiating electronic abstract submissions this year. Every effort has been made to effect the transition painlessly.

But because it is electronic, it is unpredictable. We request a certain level of patience and tolerance as the system is implemented.

I am looking forward to the meeting in Toronto, in 2001. The notices for the different abstract submissions are included in this newsletter. Please, encourage your students to submit papers, with an abstract also submitted for consideration for abstract presentations.

I wish you and your families the best for the coming years.
Edem Ekwo, MD, MPH,
-La Rabida Children’s Hospital and Research Center

Fourteen Annual Meeting

SPER's 2001 meeting will take place June 12-13 at the Westin Harbour Castle, Toronto, Canada. The meeting will be expanded this year, to begin at 2:00 p.m. on the first day instead of at 6:00 p.m. Information on registration and the program will be provided in the Spring newsletter, or you may refer to our web-site, at www.sper.org.

Call for Abstracts

SPER requests the submission of abstracts to be considered for posters and oral presentations at its 14^th Annual Meeting. You do not have to be a member to submit an abstract, but if your abstract is accepted, we ask you to join before presenting your paper. We particularly encourage students to submit abstracts. Students attending SPER for the first time are not required to pay the registration fee for the meeting.

For the first time for SPER, abstract submission will be via the Internet. The guidelines for submitting abstracts are available at www.sper.org. Please review them carefully and follow the instructions closely.

Abstracts must be submitted no later than February 1. This deadline is somewhat earlier than previous years due to the fact that we’re implementing electronic processing. Abstracts that are late cannot be accepted.

Authors will be sent notification of the Abstract Review Committee’s decision by April 13. We expect notification to be sent by e-mail. The committee is chaired by Russ Kirby.

Another change for this year is that the abstract processing fee will be incorporated into the general registration fee, again to facilitate our transition to the Internet. We may return to charging it as a separate fee for the 2002 meeting, but that will be decided at a later date.

If you have any questions or if you are unable to submit your abstract electronically, contact Suzan Carmichael at (510) 434–5342 or sca@cbdmp.org.

Student Prize 
Paper Award

This competition is open to graduate, medical, and postdoctoral students, and to medical residents and clinical fellows.

All SPER members are asked to encourage eligible students to submit papers to be considered for this award. The meeting will provide a unique opportunity for a student not only to present his or her paper but also to meet and interact with experts in reproductive, perinatal, and pediatric epidemiology.

Deadline for submission is March 12. Detailed submission guidelines are enclosed in this newsletter. The selection committee is chaired by Germaine Buck, President-Elect. You may contact her for more information at 301-496-6155 or buckg@mail.nih.gov.

Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by 
April 13.

Heinz Berendes International Travel Award

Also included in this newsletter is the

application for the Heinz Berendes International Travel Award. The award will cover the recipient’s travel expenses to the 14^th Annual Meeting in Toronto, in addition to an honorarium of $250. Papers that emphasize populations in developing countries are encouraged.

Deadline for submission is March 12. Please refer to the insert for more details. The selection committee is chaired by Edem Ekwo, President, SPER; you may contact him for additional information at (773) 363-6700, ext. 332, or eekwo@larabida.org. Applicants will be notified of the committee’s decision by 
April 13.

Nominations for New Officers

Nominations are being sought for SPER’s President, Secretary, and one Member-at-Large.

The President serves a 3-year term as President-Elect, President, and Past President. The Secretary serves a 3-year term, and the Member-at-Large a 4-year term. A nomination form and a brief description

The leadership and direction of SPER depend on your nominations, so please send them in! If you do nominate another member of SPER, please obtain his or her consent. Also, we encourage self-nominations!

A slate of candidates will be presented to the membership for elections in March. You may contact Ken Schoendorf for additional information (contact information is provided on the nomination form). Nominations are due by January 26.

SER Annual Meeting

As usual, SER’s annual meeting will be held right after SPER, June 13-16, in Toronto. The meeting will be a joint Congress with the Epidemiology Section of the APHA, the American College of Epidemiology (ACE) and the Canadian Health and Epidemiology Society.

See their website at www.epi2001.org for information about abstract submission and links to information about Toronto.

For general information about SPER, contact Suzan Carmichael, PhD, Secretary, at (510) 434–5342 or sca@cbdmp.org.