The 11th Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting (MAMPM) will be held February 7-9, 2021 at Wintergreen Resort and Conference Center near Charlottesville, Virginia. The purpose of the biannual MAMPM is to foster communication and collaboration among scientists engaged in microbial pathogenesis research in the Mid-Atlantic Region (North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, The District of Columbia, West Virginia, and Delaware). Numerous NIH/NIAID-funded investigators studying the virulence mechanisms of pathogens of importance to human health are located in this geographic region and have participated in multiple MAMPMs. All previous ten meetings have been held at Wintergreen Resort Conference Center, which features a central location, excellent facilities, and a professional conference staff. MAMPMs attract scientists from both within and outside the Mid-Atlantic region; the 10th MAMPM in 2019 featured 201 attendees from 8 states and the District of Columbia and achieved maximum registration for the first time. One of MAMPM's key goals is to provide students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty with the opportunity to present their work to a knowledgeable audience, focused in this discipline, in a collegial yet scientifically rigorous environment. MAMPM is a formative experience for young scientists' professional development and remains one of the most appealing, and positively evaluated, aspects of this conference. MAMPM 2021 will consist of four sessions over three days. The schedule is arranged by the MAMPM Organizing Committee, comprised of the current, future, and two past conference chairs. Each session will feature an invited keynote speaker and talks by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and a limited number of principal investigators, selected from the submitted abstracts by the Scientific Program Committee. Drs. Tod Merkel (FDA), Virginia Miller (UNC), Deb Hogan (Dartmouth), and Randall Singer (U Minnesota) have agreed to be the MAMPM 2021 Keynote Speakers. Two highly attended and interactive poster sessions will be provided to allow the opportunity for all participants to present and discuss their work face-to-face. MAMPM 2021 will be publicized through advertisements in professional publications, social media posts, and direct mailings (physical and email) to relevant departments at academic institutions, government and private laboratories within the region and to members of the local American Society for Microbiology branches that serve this region. A dedicated website (http://mampm.org/) publicizes the meeting and provides the necessary information and forms required for registration. MAMPM remains committed to ensuring a balanced representation of women, underrepresented minorities, and persons of disability in the leadership, conference participants, and speakers, including keynote speakers. To this end, two Diversity Ambassadors will again be recruited to facilitate participation from historically underrepresented populations. MAMPM 2021 will feature an event that is open to all conference attendees, focused on career transition points, and featuring discussion leaders and panelists to highlight and emphasize the diversity of the field of microbial pathogenesis.
The purpose of the eleventh biennial Mid-Atlantic Microbial Pathogenesis Meeting (MAMPM) in February 2021 is to foster communication and collaboration between scientists engaged in research focused on disease- causing microbes in this geographic region. The goal of the organizers is to assemble a high-quality scientific program to attract outstanding principal investigators along with their undergraduates, laboratory technicians, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty. Many of the meeting's anticipated participants are in the Mid-Atlantic region and direct NIH-sponsored research programs studying the pathogenesis of bacterial diseases. This meeting will provide an opportunity for junior scientists to present their work to a knowledgeable audience in a supportive and collegial environment. MAMPM 2021 will promote a diverse attendee and speaker portfolio by advertising the conference to institutions with historically underrepresented populations, prioritizing diversity in the selection of speakers, and hosting a panel discussion on career transition points to highlight and emphasize the diversity of the field. MAMPM 2021 is an exceptional opportunity for junior scientists to enhance their scientific and professional development.
