Conference attendance is vital for clinicians, academic scholars, and scientists because it fosters professional growth, builds networks, and helps keep them at the forefront of medical knowledge and innovation. Members of the Department of Pediatrics are active participants in conferences — locally, statewide, nationally, and internationally. Their work helps build our department’s professional reputation and helps create opportunities to form collaborations, mentorships, and partnerships that can lead to new projects.
In recent months, members from our Divisions of Genetics and Metabolism; Endocrinology and Diabetes; and Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology attended conferences near and far. They presented their scholarly work, shared their knowledge, and represented our department professionally and academically.
Wisconsin Genetics Exchange
On October 20, the Wisconsin Genetic Counselors Association (WGCA) held its annual Wisconsin Genetics Exchange at the Health Sciences Learning Center on the UW–Madison campus. The day-long event hosted genetics counselors from across the state and featured talks from several members of the Division of Genetics and Metabolism.
Kim Keppler-Noreuil, MD, professor, presented her talk, “Role of Epigenetics in Recurrent Constellations of Embryonic Malformations (RCEM).” April Hall, PhD, MS, CGC, assistant professor and associate director of research for the Master of Genetic Counselor Studies program, presented her talk, “Advancing Rare Disease Diagnostics: Insights from the UW Undiagnosed Disease Program.” A panel talk, “Neonatal Care: From Prenatal to Postnatal, How Not to Get Lost in the Shuffle,” was hosted by Laura Birkeland, MS, CGC, assistant professor and program director for the Master of Genetic Counselor Studies program, and featured panelists Brooklynne Watkins, PA, physician assistant, and Kate Watkin, MS, CGC, genetic counselor. The day ended with “Diagnostic Dilemmas,” moderated by Elizabeth Petty, MD, professor and senior associate dean for academic affairs. Cases were presented by Pankaj Prasun, MBBS, associate professor; Jen Suarez, NP, nurse practitioner; Elizabeth Kellom, MS, CGC, genetic counselor; and Brooklynne Watkins, PA.
Conference of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes
Elizabeth Mann, MD, assistant professor, and M. Tracy Bekx, MD, professor, both in the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, attended the 51st Annual Conference of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), November 5–8 in Montreal, Canada.
Bekx presented her oral presentation, “Get READDY at School: Collaborating with School Nurses for Diabetes Transition Success,” which examined the Readiness of Emerging Adults with Diabetes Diagnosed in Youth (READDY) assessment survey. Mann presented two posters: “Factors that Shape the Shared Decision-making Involved in Recommending Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) Systems for Pediatric People with Type 1 Diabetes (PwT1D): A Qualitative Analysis” and “Benchmarking Non-insulin Medication Use and HbA1c Outcomes across Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes Centers.”
Symposium of the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum
Anne Marie Singh, MD, professor and interim division chief, and James (Jim) Gern, MD, professor and the department’s vice chair of research, both from the Division of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, attended the 34th Biennial Symposium of the Collegium Internationale Allergologicum (CIA) from October 27 to 31 in Dubrovnik, Croatia. This gathering brings together the world’s leading basic and translational scientists, clinical immunologists, and allergists to advance the understanding and treatment of immune-based disorders.
Singh presented her oral abstract, “Farm Exposure is Associated with Human Milk Immune Profile and Microbiota,” and Gern presented his poster, “The Children’s Allergy and Asthma Data Repository (CADRE).”