The American Association of Veterinary Parasitologists (AAVP) 55th Annual Meeting

Message from the Program Committee

Dear colleagues,

The AAVP will hold its 55th Annual Meeting, from 31 July – 3 August 2010, at the Loews Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. The brand new Loews Hotel creates an atmosphere where contemporary Southern style meets classic luxury in Midtown Atlanta. The venue is close to many local attractions, restaurants and bars, and offers state-of-the-art meeting facilities.

Parasites continue to evolve and adapt to our attempts to control them, from developingDo not include resistance to spreading into new or sometimes previously “cleared” areas. The theme of the meeting is “PARASITE EVOLUTION” - Veterinary parasites and their strategies to survive human intervention, around which we are developing an exciting scientific program. The meeting will branch out with invited speakers from adjacent research fields which will complement, as usual, a large number of submitted oral presentations on a variety of veterinary parasitology topics. The Program Committee now invites abstracts for oral presentations with a submission deadline of May 10th, 2010. More information can be found at the AAVP web site: www.aavp.org .

The annual meeting of the AAVP is a very successful vehicle for the dissemination of the latest data and views on the biology and control of parasites of veterinary importance. This forum is also unique as a professional society in its very broad based attendance with parasitologists from academia, industry, government and private practice. We hope you can join us, not only for the exciting science, but also to reconnect will your fellow veterinary parasitologists.

Sincerely,

Patrick Meeus, Program Chair
Al Marchiondo, Secretary-Tresuary
Lora Ballweber, President
Karen Snowden, President-elect
Susan, Past-President

General Meeting info

Registration
It is highly recommended to you pre-register for the Atlanta meeting and acceptance of an abstract will be dependent on pre-registration. You can register on-line at www.aavp.org or complete a paper copy of the pre-registration form inserted here and return it to the Secretary/Treasurer with the registration fee no later than 1 June 2010. All payments; online, mail-in or on-site; can be done by credit card (Visa or MasterCard or American Express).

2010 registration fees

• Pre-registration: US $85.00 (general) / US $35.00 (student)
• Late registration (post June 1st) or on-site: US $135.00 (general) / US $50.00 (student)

The AAVP meeting registration fee supports the actual cost of running the AAVP meeting and is separate from the AVMA registration fee and annual AAVP membership dues. This year a Continuing Education Fee, used to pay for RACE application, will be charged separately from the general registration fee to keep the meeting as affordable as possible. Continuing Education Fee received before June 1st, 2010 is $20.00; received after June 1st or at meeting is $35.00.

You will receive an acknowledgement of your pre-registration if received prior to 1 June. A proceedings book with abstracts, meeting badge and other information will be available on-site. These items will not be mailed in advance of the meeting even if you pre-register. AAVP membership is not required for meeting registration, but of course highly encouraged. However, students must be an AAVP member to apply for a student travel grant and compete in the student award competitions. A new member application form is provided in the newsletter and on the AAVP website.

Location
The newly constructed Loews Atlanta Hotel, 1075 Peachtree Street, Midtown, Atlanta, GA, will be the site for all AAVP meetings and functions. To make your hotel reservation you need to call the Loews Hotels at 1-888-563-9736. Inform the reservation agent that you are attending the AAVP conference. AAVP rooms have been set aside and the hotel has offered a special room rate of $159.00 plus tax (15%) per night. It is important for AAVP members to stay at this hotel in order to satisfy the AAVP room block commitment. So please book your room at this hotel! Try to confirm your room reservation as early as possible to ensure that you get into this hotel.

How to get there:
Fly into Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport from where you can get to the hotel in a taxi or using public transport. Taxis are located on the lower level of the terminal, outside the baggage claim area. A cab ride costs ~$30.00 from the airport to Midtown for one or two persons. The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MARTA) operates Atlanta’s local public transportation system. Arriving air travelers should follow the Ground Transportation signs to MARTA. MARTA's airport station is attached to the airport, right off baggage claim. Follow the signs, they are plentiful. One way fares are only $2.00 (http://www.itsmarta.com/fares-passes.aspx) and within 20 minutes, you can be to the Midtown N4 Station. The hotel is one street from the N4 station. DELTA passengers have the added convenience of having ticketing counters available in or just outside the Airport MARTA Station.

Hotel driving instructions can be found at the hotels and website for your use. http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Hotels/Atlanta-Hotel/LocationInfo/Directions.aspx

Getting to and from the AVMA meeting at the convention center is quick and easy using MARTA or a taxi (~$8).

Meeting posters
The meeting poster is attached here in 11” x 7” format for you to print and proudly display in your office, institution or company. Limited numbers of hard copies in various formats are available upon. For more info email the Program Chair.

Presentation Guidelines
Each presentation will be given a 15 minute time slot. Plan to deliver your presentation in 12-13 minutes to allow time for questions. Please remember to summarize and repeat questions before responding so that the audience can clearly hear and understand.

Audiovisual Support
Electronic presentations on commonly-used portable media (memory stick/USB JumpDrive, CD, 3.5” floppy) must be used. AAVP will provide equipment in each meeting room for projected computer presentations; there is no need to bring a personal laptop. Files must be placed on the computer prior to the start of your session. Sessions include several successive papers, so please plan to arrive before the entire session begins and not just before your presentation.
PowerPoint is the only software supported for electronic presentations. Other programs must be requested and justified at time of abstract submission and will only be made available at the discretion of the Program Chair. Slide (2 X 2) and overhead projectors are NOT available.

The 2010 program continues with many of the previous approaches and a few new twists which we believe will enhance an already fun, effective veterinary parasitology meeting.

Immediately following the President’s address Saturday afternoon, the plenary session will open with a symposium on invasive parasites. Three world renowned researchers will share with us their insights in how exotic ticks are entering the US (Dr. Michael Burridge), the status of the Texas cattle fever tick control program ( Dr. Perez de Leon) and the latest on the multi-state Babesia / Theileria outbreak in horses (Dr. Don Knowles).
On Sunday morning, presentations by the AAVP-Intervet/SP and AAVP-CAPC award winners will open the student paper session. All veterinary parasitology students are encouraged to present their research in what many consider to be one of the most important sessions of the meeting.
Monday morning the Education Committee is organizing a special session to share with the membership some of the outcomes from the 2010 AAVP Education Symposium and our involvement with the AVMA NAVMEC (North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium).
And finally we will have the President’s Symposium on Tuesday morning entitled “Helminth resistance in cattle – what do we know?”. Drs. Richard Martin, Roger Prichard and Louis Gasbarre have already agreed to explore with us the molecular mechanism of resistance and its current status in the US cattle population.

Throughout the meeting there will of course be plenty of opportunities for you to share and to learn about results of research from a variety of veterinary parasitology laboratories. We will also continue the popular session dedicated to interesting cases. And of course, there are the outstanding social events! Merial and Bayer have already agreed to sponsor the Saturday and Sunday evening socials and we are actively pursuing sponsorship for Monday night and the daily coffee breaks. A preliminary schedule of events is listed below.

Saturday, 7/31
8:00 AM - 1:00 PM: AAVP Executive Board/Committee Chairs Meeting
12:00 PM – 6:00 PM: On-site Registration
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Welcome and Opening Session
7:00 PM– 9:00 PM: Merial Welcoming Reception

Sunday, 8/1
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM: On-site Registration
8:00 AM – 10:30 PM: Student Presentations
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Concurrent Oral Paper Sessions
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM: AAVP Graduate Student/Post-Doc Luncheon/Mixer
1:30 PM – 3:45 PM: Concurrent Oral Paper Sessions
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Concurrent Oral Paper Sessions
7:00 – 9:00 PM: Bayer Social Event

Monday, 8/2
8:00 AM – 12:00 PM: On-site Registration
8:00 AM – 9:00 PM: AAVP Education session
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Concurrent Oral Paper Sessions
1:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Concurrent Oral Paper Sessions
3:30 PM – 5:30 PM: AAVP Business Meeting/Presidential Address/Awards
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM: Open Social Event

Tuesday, 8/3
9:00 AM – 12:00 AM: AAVP President’s Symposium

1. Use the “Begin New Submission” link at the bottom of the page to access the 4 Step submission process
2. Complete the Title step
   1. You will be required to select whether you are a student or not.
      1. If you are a student select whether you want to participate in the student competition or not
      2. If you are not a student you will be required to select a topic (the final allocation of abstracts to sections will occur once all abstracts have been received)
   2. Enter the title of your abstract
   3. Author step
      1. All authors are required to provide the following:
         1. First Name, Middle Initial and Last Name
         2. Institutional Affiliations (Department, College/University or Company)
         3. City and State/Province
         4. Presenting author
   4. Abstract Submission (Upload)
      1. Abstracts may not contain tables
      2. Abstract body is to be 300 Words or less
      3. Do not include the title or author block information in the abstract.
      4. Click the "Type/Paste" button and copy your abstract into the text box. If you have created your abstract in a MS Word document, save the file as an HTML file by going to "File > Save As > and in the "Save As Type" select html. You can then browse and upload the HTML file.
   5. Confirmation, once you have entered all required information into your submission, you will be able to confirm the submission
      1. Review the summary to make sure all information was entered correctly
      2. A confirmation e-mail will be sent to you, and the subsequent authors, so that you know your submission was received. It will have the link to your submission. Use this link to make any edits to your submission.
   6. Applying for a student travel grant
      1. You have submitted an abstract above
      2. You meet all the criteria and have matching funds up to $500
      3. Complete the 3 forms
         1. Young Investigator Travel Grant Application Form
         2. Verification of Student Status Form
         3. One page letter of support from an AAVP member
      4. Upload your application by
         1. Click on the “Upload” link in the left navigation of the submission screen
         2. Browse your PC and find the “Travel Grant Application”, double click or highlight and click “open”.
         3. Click “upload”
         4. Repeat browse & upload step for your “Student Status” form and “Support Letter”

Applicants must be a full-time graduate/undergraduate/DVM student enrolled in an accredited institution of higher learning or a post-doc who is within 5 years of their terminal degree (MS, PhD, or DVM).

Only a student/post-doc presenting a paper (abstract) at the annual meeting of the AAVP is eligible.

The applicant must be a member of AAVP at the time of application. Membership applications may be submitted with the Young Investigator Travel Grant application.

Funds must be applied to travel to the AAVP meeting held during the year of application.
The applicant must be sponsored by an active, full member of the AAVP. The sponsor’s signature is required on the application.

A YITG will be awarded only when funds equal to the amount requested from the AAVP are available from another source(s) for support of the applicant’s travel. The source(s) of matching funds and the signature of the person authorized to commit funds are required.

The total amount of funds requested by an applicant in a single year will be matched by the AAVP up to a maximum of $500.00.

An estimate of the total cost of travel to and from the AAVP meeting must be provided.

The total number of awards each year will depend on the availability of funds, number of applicants, and location of the meeting.

The completed Young Investigator Travel Grant Application Form with all necessary signatures, the Verification of Student Status form, and the one page letter of support from the AAVP member sponsoring the student/post-doc, should be obtained and submitted via the Annual Meeting web page.

Selection of awardees from applicants fulfilling all of the above-mentioned requirements will be judged primarily on two criteria: (1) the written and apparent scientific quality of the abstract; and (2) the one-page supporting letter explaining and documenting the significance of the research to be reported by the student/Post-doc and indicating why the student/post-doc is deserving of this award.

AAVP Verification of Student Status.doc

Young Investigator Travel Grant Application Form.doc

AAVP Student Presentation Award Checklist

All abstract submissions must be completed no later than 10 May 2010