Conservation Genomics at the Population Level

Population level analysis of complete genomes is becoming a reality for many species. This new conference will address the different challenges and applications of population-level conservation genomics. Sessions will focus on detecting adaptation and deleterious variation in populations, and linking genetic variation to phenotypic variation. New technologies for data collection and application of genomic insights for biodiversity conservation will be explored. The likely impact of genomic approaches on conservation efforts over the next decade will be discussed.

This meeting will bring together scientists addressing the challenges and opportunities arising from the rapid development of population-level conservation genomics. As the methods discussed will be cutting-edge, those interested in population and evolutionary genomics in other communities may benefit learning and applying similar techniques to their own research.

The programme will also include short oral presentations selected from abstracts, lightning talks, posters, discussion sessions and networking opportunities for a highly interactive meeting.

This conference will be a hybrid meeting – with onsite or virtual attendance.

The conference will run from 12:50 GMT on Wednesday 30 November 2022 until 13:00 on Friday 2 December 2022.

Discussions will focus on a variety of exciting topics, including:

• Application of conservation genomics to threatened species
• Detecting adaptation in populations
• Application of eDNA approaches
• Linking genotypes to phenotypes for conservation
• Detecting and understanding the effects of deleterious variation
• Translating research into conservation efforts (panel discussion)

Scientific programme committee

Federica Di Palma
Genome British Columbia, Canada

Klaus-Peter Koepfli
Smithsonian's National Zoo, USA

Beth Shapiro
University of California Santa Cruz, USA

Dario Riccardo Valenzano
Leibniz Institute on Aging, Germany

Keynote Speakers

Eduardo Eizirik
Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Carolyn Hogg
University of Sydney, Australia

Confirmed Speakers

Ian Barnes – National History Museum, UK
Marta de Barba – University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
Kristy Deiner – ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Federica Di Palma (Virtual) – Genome British Columbia, Canada
Laura Epp – Universität Konstanz, Germany
Laurent Excoffier – University of Bern, Switzerland
Lukas Keller – University of Zurich, Switzerland
Klaus-Peter Koepfli – Smithsonian’s National Zoo, USA
Kirk Lohmueller – University of California Los Angeles, USA
Josephine Pemberton – University of Edinburgh, UK
Bruce Whitelaw – University of Edinburgh, UK

Organisers - Wellcome Connecting Science

Jemma Hume – Conference Organiser
Jane Murphy – Scientific Programme Officer

Registration deadline: 1 November (in person) | 22 November 2022 (virtual)

Deadlines close at 23.59 GMT.

The in-person registration fee includes:

• Full access to scientific programme: oral and poster presentations, and networking on campus
• Access to the online conference portal to network with online participants
• Meals (lunch and dinner) and refreshments during the conference. Breakfast will be provided for delegates who have booked onsite accommodation.
• Recordings of the live-stream sessions, which will be available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends

Virtual registration fee includes:

• Access to the virtual event portal (Log in details will be emailed a few days before the event starts)
• Live-stream sessions, including posters and online networking channels
• Recordings of the live-stream sessions, available ‘on-demand’ for four weeks after the event ends.

* To promote more inclusive scientific discussions with international colleagues at our conferences, delegates based in Lower and Middle-Income Countries can register for free (see list of countries here).

Payments: Please note that payment can only be made with Mastercard or Visa credit cards.

Accommodation

Booked accommodation is for the nights of 30 Nov and 1 Dec 2022.
Please note: there is limited onsite accommodation and this will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis; therefore, early registration is recommended. If you wish to book campus accommodation either side of the conference dates, please contact the Hinxton Hall Conference Centre directly.

Accommodation services phishing scam – please be vigilant. More information.

Travel visas

Citizens of many countries can travel to the UK for a course without needing a visa.
Please check the UK government website for visitor information
https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor. 

Confirmed attendees requiring a letter to support a visa application should contact the conference organiser.

Bursaries

Bursary deadline: 4 October 2022

A limited number of registration bursaries are available to attend this conference in person (up to 50% of the registration fee). Priority will be given to PhD students submitting abstracts who are facing financial barriers.

To apply, please complete your event registration and bursary application before the bursary deadline. The following documents will need to be provided as part of the bursary application:

• Abstract (to be submitted during the registration process)
• A short CV
• A justification letter explaining how you will benefit from attending the conference and indicating financial need.

If you have already registered for the conference you are still welcome to apply for a bursary, please contact the conference organiser.

Additional funding opportunities
Visit our support page for information on financial support, including carer grants to help delegates with the costs of caring for children or dependent family members while attending a course or a conference.

Abstract deadline: October 2022

We welcome abstracts from all areas relevant to the main themes of the meeting, for both oral and poster presentations. Several oral presentations will be chosen from the abstracts submitted.  Abstracts will only be considered from registered delegates and must be submitted by the deadline.

To encourage networking and exchange of ideas, preference will be given to oral presentations that will be given in-person. If you intend to present in person if your abstract is selected, we recommend registering for in person attendance. Please see here if you wish to switch registration to virtual at a later date.

Please use our online abstract submission system and follow the instructions given to ensure your abstract is submitted correctly.

If you have already completed your registration and subsequently wish to submit an abstract, or wish to submit a second abstract, please follow these instructions.

The scientific programme committee will assess your abstract after the deadline has passed and you will be notified whether you have been selected to present an oral or poster presentation.

Poster boards onsite will accommodate 118 cm high by 84 cm wide (A0-portrait) of printed material. Accepted abstracts will appear in the conference programme book; poster board numbers will be allocated at the conference.