Michael D. Griswold Symposium on Reproductive Health
The Griswold Symposium (formerly the Center for Reproductive Biology Retreat) explores scientific contributions in the fields of female and male reproduction, endocrinology, reproductive disorders, and cancer biology.
Registration includes
- Thursday & Friday lunches
- Thursday dinner & social (includes two beverages)
- Event T-shirt
- Lodging Thursday night is included for center members & trainees (non-members reserve & pay for their own lodging.) Are you interested in becoming a center member?
Registration deadline – 11:59 p.m. PST April 5
Location
- Veterinary and Biomedical Research Building and the Biotechnology Life Sciences Building
1815 Ferdinand’s Ln, Pullman, WA 99163
Speakers
Masahito Ikawa
Osaka University
Dr. Ikawa received his Ph.D. from Osaka University in 1997. After working as JSPS postdoctoral fellow and a Research Associate at Genome Information Research Center in Osaka University, he spent 2 years at The Salk Institute in the USA as a Research Associate. After returning to Osaka University in 2002, he became an Associate Professor in 2004 and was appointed to the current position in 2012. He was awarded JSPS Prize in 2013. His lifework is to study mammalian reproductive systems using genetically engineered mice.
Jodi Flaws
Professor, Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaigne
The main focus of my laboratory is to determine the environmental factors that affect the female reproductive system. Specifically, the research in my laboratory is designed to address the following major questions: (1) Which genes and hormones regulate the normal development and function of the ovary? (2) What are the effects of environmental toxicants on the development and function of the ovary? (3) What are the mechanisms that underlie the effects of reproductive toxicants on the ovary? (4) Are environmental exposures associated with reproductive abnormalities in women?
Aleksander Rajkovic
Professor, University of California San Francisco
Aleksandar Rajkovic is a Professor of Pathology and Obstetrics/Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences. He is a Stuart Lindsay Distinguished Professor in Experimental Pathology I. He serves as the UCSF Chief Genomics Officer and is the Medical Director and Chief of the Center for Genetic and Genomic Medicine (CGGM) that organizes, coordinates and oversees Clinical Genetics and Genomics Services across the entire UCSF Health System. He also serves as the Director of the Genomic Medicine Initiative.
Pablo Ross
Chief Scientific Officer, STgenetics
As CSO, Dr. Ross leads the Research and Development (R&D) Technical Team, which specializes in animal genetics, genomics, male and female reproduction, flow cytometry, and product development. He maintains a strong tie to academia as a Professor in the Department of Animal Science at the University of California, Davis, where he previously served as Vice Chair. He frequently represents STgenetics at global forums, such as the Animal AgTech Summit, discussing topics like methane inhibitors and sustainable livestock production.
Symposium agenda
The agenda will be posted as soon as it is finalized.
Abstracts
Submission deadline
- 11:59 p.m. PST Sunday, April 5
- The organizing committee welcomes abstracts reporting new basic, clinical, and/or translational research findings concerning development, disease, and reproduction. Please adhere to all rules for the submission and format of abstracts.
- Please submit a Word document to Laila Bensaud at laila.bensaud@wsu.edu.
- There is no strict word limit (~500 recommended) as long as the authors, affiliation, abstract, and funding sources all fit onto a single page. Please use Times New Roman, 12 pt font for all text, include 1-inch margins, and please underline the presenting author. If you would like a sample abstract, please reach out to Laila Bensaud at laila.bensaud@wsu.edu.
- Each abstract submission will receive an email confirmation.
Meeting attendance
- Submission of an abstract constitutes an agreement that the presenting author will attend the meeting to present the oral and/or poster. The presenting author must register for the meeting before or at the time of abstract submission. If the presenting author has not registered by the abstract deadline (11:59 p.m. PST Sunday, April 5, 2026), the abstract may be withdrawn. Undergraduate trainees may submit a written request to present a poster only.
Content
- Abstracts must be written in clear, concise, and grammatically correct American English. Abstracts should contain the following: statement of specific objectives, unless given by the title; brief statement of methods if pertinent; summary of results; and statement of conclusions.
Withdrawal
- If an abstract must be withdrawn, a written notice of withdrawal must be received via email. This notice must state all authors are in agreement that the abstract must be withdrawn. All authors will receive a written confirmation of the withdrawal by email.
Disclosure of affiliations
- Each author must disclose any financial, personal, or professional relationships with other people or organizations that could reasonably be perceived as conflicts of interest or as potentially influencing or biasing their work. Author(s) disclosure(s) must appear on the oral abstract presentation slides or poster presentation board.
- All trainees (students and post-doctoral fellows) are encouraged to present their research at the meeting.
- More information regarding format and length of talks will be determined soon.
- Times will be strictly enforced.
- Poster dimensions are limited to 4-by-6 feet (poster cannot be wider than 4 feet) and will be presented May 14. Mounting clips will be provided in the session hall.
The WSU Center for Reproductive Biology Retreat was renamed in 2025 to become the Michael D. Griswold Symposium on Reproductive Health in honor of Regents Professor Michael Griswold’s long and distinguished career.