Both the registration and poster submission deadlines have now passed for the 3rd Reproductive Aging Conference. However, if you are still interested in joining us, please email Rosie to enquire. Enquiries will be considered on a case by case basis and are dependent upon on hotel availability and hotel rates at the time of enquiry.

Aging in the gonad dramatically affects aging in somatic tissues, yet we know little about the mechanisms regulating healthy aging in reproductive organs, nor how this crosstalk is achieved. The Reproductive Aging Conference focuses on understanding mechanisms that regulate aging in reproductive tissues and their relationship to overall organismal healthspan and longevity. To our knowledge, this is the only international meeting dedicated entirely to the topic of reproductive aging. 

The goal of the Reproductive Aging Conference is to showcase research and stimulate collaborations that bridge the disciplines of reproductive biology and aging research to help define new paradigms to accelerate progress. We provide a forum for coalescing the field and fostering discussion of concepts and presentation of research at the forefront of discovery related to aging in the reproductive system and its connection to aging in the rest of the body. 

Reproductive aging research encompasses multiple facets of cell biology and physiology: identification of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that regulate aging in reproductive organs that facilitate overall healthspan and longevity; mechanisms of germ cell and niche aging and how these might regulate systemic aging; and developing new models to study these interactions. The intersection of these historically separate research areas, the basic biology of aging and aging in the reproductive tract, have begun to merge around common molecular principles. Invited speakers include established as well as outstanding early career scientists selected for the quality of their science and ability to stimulate debate. 

Session Themes

• Poster and oral presentations will examine reproductive aging in male and female systems at the molecular, cellular and organismal level, including its molecular drivers, and the effects of genetic and environmental factors on relevant cellular/system properties, geroscience and therapeutic strategies, and interactions across diverse model systems ranging from worms to humans.

• This unique conference will bring together scientists tackling this problem from fundamental to clinical angles to brainstorm creative ways to build and strengthen the field; including a workshop covering emerging technologies, panel discussions from leaders in biotech, and a brainstorming session designed to build infrastructure and community by discussing areas for improvement, collaboration, and advocacy.

Student & Postdoc Offer

Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for students and postdocs! Fully paying ‘single’ or ‘shared’ registrants can bring one student or postdoc for only $999. Both registration packages include; accommodation for the 01, 02, 03 May 2024 (on a shared basis for students/postdocs) and an all-inclusive food and beverage package for the conference period. Once registered, please contact Rosie Johnson to obtain a special registration link for your student/postdoc.

Confimed Speakers

Ewa Bomba-Warczak (Northwestern University)
EXCEPTIONAL LONGEVITY OF MAMMALIAN OVARIAN AND OOCYTE MACROMOLECULES THROUGHOUT THE REPRODUCTIVE LIFESPAN
Miguel Brieno-Enriquez (University of Pittsburgh)
LESSONS FROM THE NAKED MOLE-RAT OVARY:  THE STROMAL MICROENVIRONMENT
Elise Courtois (The Jackson Laboratory)
LOCAL AND SYSTEMIC IMPACT OF ENDOMETRIOSIS: INSIGHTS FROM SINGLE CELL AND SPATIAL OMICS ANALYSIS
Pauliina Damdimopoulou (Karolinska Institutet)
REPRODUCTION IN A CHEMICALLY ALTERED ENVIRONMENT
Francesca Duncan (Northwestern University)
OVARIAN FIBROSIS AS A MARKER AND THERAPEUTIC TARGET FOR REPRODUCTIVE AGING
Richard Freiman (Brown University)
EXCESSIVE FETAL OOCYTE ATTRITION AND ACCELERATED OVARIAN AGING
Jennifer Garrison (Buck Institute for Research on Aging)
BIOACTIVE PEPTIDES AS REGULATORS OF REPRODUCTIVE AGING 
Vadim Gladyshev (Harvard University)
QUANTIFYING BIOLOGICAL AGE IN THE CONTEXT OF REPRODUCTION
Karla Hutt (Monash University)
UNRAVELLING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE LOCAL IMMUNE ENVIRONMENT TO OVARIAN AGING
Rong Li (National University of Singapore)
REJUVENATION OF AGED OOCYTE IN YOUNG FOLLICULAR ENVIRONMENT
Daisy Robinton (Oviva)
TARGETING THE AMH/AMHR2 AXIS TO IMPROVE FERTILITY OUTCOMES AND PREVENT OVARIAN DECLINE
Nanette Santoro (University of Colorado)
THE MENOPAUSE TRANSITION: SHIFTING SCIENTIFIC PARADIGMS
Ariella Shikanov (University of Michigan)
FUNCTIONAL AND TUNABLE BIOMIMETICS FOR RESTORATION OF OVARIAN ENDOCRINE FUNCTION
Yousin Suh (Columbia University)
OVARIAN AGING: A TARGET FOR GEROPROTECTION IN WOMEN

Target Audience

The audience for this conference includes academic scientists and clinicians, spanning career stages from undergraduate students to tenured professionals, all with multidisciplinary backgrounds, to share unpublished research, review new and emerging technologies and therapeutics, and discuss future challenges and opportunities in the field. By inviting diverse speakers and participants, and including perspectives from a variety of different locations and disciplines, we will ensure the conference results in a robust scientific forum that explores the multifaceted nature of this corner of the biology of aging.

Educational Need

This conference was developed based on the recognition that there exists a genuine need in the field for a conference solely devoted to research on the topic of aging in reproductive systems and its relation to aging in the rest of the body. As the only international conference solely focused on reproductive longevity research, the RAC fills a significant unmet need in the field to provide a forum for researchers to present their work, network, and build collaborations around the topic of reproductive aging. The conference encourages scientists to share data, ideas, and projects in different ways; fosters collaborations and dialogue that go beyond traditional models; and trains the next generation of leaders in the field. 

Funding for this conference was made possible, in part by 1R13AG082490-02 from NIA.  The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention by trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.