The Oral Immunology/Microbiology Research Group (OIMRG) was founded as a means of promoting collegial interaction and collaboration among researchers interested in the immunology and microbiology of the oral cavity, particularly as related to oral diseases. Formed in response to a general perception that large meetings such as the IADR/ASM General Sessions do not provide a forum suitable for intimate discourse and collaboration, the OIMRG is currently comprised of 178 investigators representing forty-eight universities, research centers, and commercial organizations in the U.S. and abroad. Once each year, the group convenes for an annual meeting that consists of three scientific sessions, each focusing upon a distinct area of oral immunology and microbiology. It is primarily through the annual meeting that the objectives of the OIMRG are achieved. These objectives include the following: 1) to foster interaction and collaboration among scientists interested in oral immunology and microbiology, 2) to promote information exchange and collaboration between academicians and their colleagues in the private sector who are engaged in basic and clinical studies pertaining to oral health and disease, and 3) to provide a forum through which new investigators entering the field can begin to network with more established investigators, thereby obtaining high quality mentoring and career advice and establish contact with representatives of federal and non-federal agencies, which may be potential sources of funding for future studies. The annual meeting is named in honor of the late Mark Wilson, founder of the OIMRG. The meetings take place over a weekend and run from 8 AM ? 1 PM Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, leaving afternoons free for professional development and establishing research collaborations through one-on-one and/or small group informal discussions. Participants are encouraged to bring their families; therefore, the afternoons are also available for planned group and individual informal activities for participants? families to get to know one another and enjoy the venue and surrounding area together. The group gathers on Friday night for a welcome reception, breakfast is served prior to each morning session and a banquet is held on Sunday evening with an open mic for general discussions regarding the meeting and welcoming new participants to the group. The next meeting will take place February 5-8, 2021. The organizers are currently in contract negotiations with the Margaritaville Hotel in Hollywood, FL for hosting the meeting.
The annual meeting of the Oral Immunology/Microbiology Research Group, aka the Mark Wilson Conference, provides a forum through which investigators in the field of oral health research can gather to discuss the most current results and future directions of their research. The meeting is intentionally structured in an orderly yet invitingly informal format to encourage open and roundtable-like discussions among oral immunology and microbiology investigators. This meeting structure promotes new scientific collaborations and innovative and leading edge avenues of discovery that have the potential to make a positive impact on diagnoses and therapies for diseases of the oral cavity and related diseases in other parts of the body.
