Current Agenda

Hybrid Conference

GARD26 will be a hybrid conference, with the opportunity to participate in-person or online. Online participants will be able to present their research as an oral presentation and participate in asking questions via the OnAir portal using Zoom. A link for connecting will be shared by email with virtual participants prior to the conference.

Oral Presentation and Poster Instructions

Please see this PDF for full instructions. In brief,

Poster Instructions:

Posters should not exceed the size of 4-feet (length) x 3-feet (height).

Posters should include the following sections:

1. Title, Authors, and Affiliations
2. Clear indication of lead author (e.g., Grayfer*, L).
3. Introduction/Objectives (kept short)
4. Methods with Visual Aids
5. Results (graphs preferred), Conclusions, and Implications
6. Appropriate References and any Acknowledgements

Please hang posters at the UT Conference Center (outside of meeting room) by 1:30 pm on Monday, June 8th. Pushpins will be provided to hang posters. The poster session is 6:00-­8:00pm on Monday, June 8th and corresponds with the welcome social.

Oral Presentation Instructions:

• In-person:
• Create using and saved in PowerPoint format.
• Upload to the laptop in the meeting room at least 30 minutes prior to the start of your session.
• Name your presentation file with Date, Time (24-hour clock), and Surname (e.g., 8June_845_McDonnell; 11June_1520 _Vonhoff).
• Virtual:
• Must create a recording of their presentation in .mp4 format and upload to this Google Drive BEFORE June 4th.
• Online presenters are expected to present their seminars in real time (by screen sharing). The uploaded recording will only be used in case of technical difficulties. All online presenters are expected to be available after their presentation to answer any questions.
• Timing Rules:
• 5-min: Presenters should plan on 4­:30 minutes; no time will be allowed for questions. Moderators will indicate to the presenters when 3 and 4 minutes have elapsed.
• 15-min: Presenters should plan to allocate 12-13 minutes to their presentations and leave 2-3 minutes for questions. Moderators will indicate to the presenters when 10 and 13 minutes have elapsed.

Program Overview

Download Abstract Book PDF

8 June:

• Session 1: Emerging fungal diseases in amphibians and reptiles: spread, impacts, and long-term dynamics. Moderator = Lisa Barrow
• Session 2: Amphibian trade, biosecurity, and disease risk. Moderator = Matt Gray
• Session 3: Amphibian immune defenses and host–pathogen interactions in emerging infectious diseases. Moderator = Louise Rollins-Smith
• Session 4: Emerging wildlife pathogens in herpetofauna. Moderator = Oz Ossiboff
• Poster Session and Welcome Social: 6-8:00 pm

9 June:

• Session 5: Wildlife disease dynamics and conservation in changing environments. Moderator = Brian Gratwicke
• Session 6: Climate-driven amphibian disease ecology. Moderator = Michel Ohmer
• Session 7: Biomarkers of health and disease in reptiles and amphibians. Moderator = Lori Neuman-Lee
• Session 8: Amphibian immunology across development and disease. Moderator = Andrea Vu.
• Zoo Knoxville Field Trip: 5-7:30 pm
• Trivia Night: 8:00 pm (conference center)

10 June:

• · Session 9: Host–pathogen dynamics in wildlife disease. Moderator = Francesco Origgi
• · Session 10: Wildlife trade and cross-species pathogen transmission. Moderator = Jesse Brunner
• · Workshops: 1:30-3:30 pm
• · Session 11: Environmental drivers and intervention strategies in wildlife disease. Moderator = Amy Ellison
• Salamander Field Trip: 6-11:30 pm

11 June:

• Session 12: Parasites and emerging infections in reptile and amphibian populations. Moderator = Rodrigo Megia-Palma
• Session 13: Thermal ecology and emerging pathogens in herpetofauna. Moderator = Melissa Hernandez Povedo
• Session 14: Microbiomes and host defenses in amphibian and reptile disease. Moderator = Kieran Bates
• Mentorship Program: 4-6:00 pm
• Banquet, Awards, and Silent Auction: 6-8:00 pm

12 June:

• Field Trips

Program-At-Glance