Newswise — The Genetics Society of America (GSA) biennial meeting, “GENETICS 2010: Model Organisms to Human Biology,” June 12-15, 2010, at the Sheraton Boston, Massachusetts, will bring together investigators who study genetic models in organisms such as flies, yeast, fungi, mice and other non-human organisms, with researchers in human genetics. Discussions will include the impact of basic research on the study of human diseases with sessions on stem cells, cancer as a genetic disease and models of disease (see below).

Representatives of the media are cordially invited to attend the scientific keynotes, plenary and poster sessions. Eligible media will receive complimentary registration (see below). Media may register at http://www.mohb.org/2010/pages/media.shtml.

For hotel registration, please go to the meeting site at www.mohb.org.

I. SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM – For the complete program and Schedule of Events, see http://www.mohb.org/2010/pages/schedule.shtml .

Keynote Speakers: Saturday, June 12, 2010: 2009 Nobel Laureate, Carol Greider, PhD, The Johns Hopkins University Sunday, June 13, 2010: 2008 Lasker Award winner, Gary Ruvkun, PhD, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General HospitalMonday, June 14, 2010: National Institute of General Medical Sciences Director, Jeremy Berg, PhD, National Institutes of Health

Plenary Sessions:Invited Plenary Scientific Sessions will offer the opportunity to learn about the latest research in the fields listed below. Sessions include the invited speakers listed below and others to be selected from among the submitted abstracts. Co-chairs of each session are the first two names listed.

• Session 1: Personal Genomicso Chuck Langley, PhD, Univ of California, Daviso David Altshuler, MD, PhD, Harvard Medical School, Mass General Hospitalo Leonid Kruglyak, PhD, Lewis-Sigler Institute, Princeton Univo Carlos Bustamante, PhD, Cornell Univ

• Session 2: Sex and Gene Expressiono Barbara Meyer, PhD, Univ of California, Berkeleyo Melissa Hines, PhD, Univ of Cambridge, United Kingdomo David Page, PhD, Whitehead Institute, MITo Eric Vilain, MD, PhD, Univ of California, Berkeley

• Session 3: Models of Diseaseo Susan Lindquist, PhD, Whitehead Institute, MITo Rick Lifton, PhD, Yale Univ School of Medicineo Eric Olson, PhD, Univ of Texas SW Med Ctr at Dallaso Phil Hieter, PhD, Univ of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

• Session 4: Cancer as a Genetic Disease o Angelika Amon, PhD, MITo Phil Beachy, PhD, Stanford Univ School of Medicineo Kathryn Anderson, PhD, Sloan-Kettering Instituteo Richard Kolodner, PhD, Univ of California, San Diego and Ludgwig Institute

• Session 5: Neurogenetics: From Synapses to Senescenceo Barry Ganetzky, PhD, Univ of Wisconsin, Madisono Pamela Sklar, PhD, Harvard Medical School and Mass General Hospitalo Li-Huei Tsai, PhD, MITo Erik Jorgensen, PhD, Univ of Utah

• Session 6: Modern Approaches to Pathogenesis and Infectious Diseaseo Gerry Fink, PhD, Whitehead Institute, MITo Joe DeRisi, PhD, Univ of California, San Franciscoo John Mekalanos, PhD, Harvard Medical Schoolo Peter Palese, PhD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine

• Session 7: Stem Cells: The Genetics of Commitmento Minx Fuller, PhD, Stanford Univo George Daley, PhD, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospitalo Anjana Rao, PhD, Harvard Medical Schoolo Joanna Wysocka, PhD, Stanford Univ School of Medicine

• Session 8: Organismal Architecture and Developmental Disabilitieso Olivier Pourquie, PhD, Stowers Institute for Medical Researcho Matt Warman, MD, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospitalo Denis Duboule, PhD, Univ of Geneva and School of Life Sciences, Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerlando Nicholas Katsanis, PhD, Johns Hopkins Univ School of Medicine

• Session 9: Analyzing Genomeso Barbara Wold, PhD, CalTecho Joe Ecker, PhD, The Salk Instituteo Rich Young, PhD, Whitehead Institute, MITo Stuart Kim, PhD, Stanford Univ

II. MEDIA PARTICIPATION

Media Eligibility:

The GENETICS 2010: Model Organisms to Human Biology Meeting is open to media representatives, including those from bona fide print, broadcast, radio, and online venues, and freelance writers on a verifiable assignment from an established news source. In addition to completing the online registration form, freelancers must send the GSA Public Relations and Communications Office a confirmation of assignment letter from their editor on the news organization’s letterhead.

Complimentary meeting registration will be available to members of the media who provide appropriate press credentials and identification.• All scientific sessions at The GENETICS 2010: Model Organisms to Human Biology Meeting are open to registered members of the media. o Registered journalists must wear/display their GSA press badge at all times while onsite at the meeting. o Exchanging, loaning or borrowing of the GSA press badge is strictly prohibited. • Camera crews filming in onsite meeting areas must make prior arrangements with the GSA Public Relations and Communications Office.o Filming inside the scientific sessions is prohibited unless special permission has been granted by the GSA Public Relations and Communications Office. o Filming inside the exhibit area is prohibited unless prior arrangements have been made through the GSA Public Relations and Communications Office. • GSA reserves the right to bar from this and future meetings any journalist who deliberately promotes the viewpoint of one company or institution, or who attempts to solicit manuscripts, advertising, or subscriptions from registrants or exhibitors.

GSA does not issue media credentials to the following: any publication’s advertising, marketing, public relations or sales representatives; publishers, editors or reporters from exhibiting companies; “in-house” newsletters or promotional publications staff; public relations representatives of exhibitors or educational institutions; writers creating analyses or reports sold as a commodity to customers; financial analysts; medical education companies; or other individuals who are not actually reporting on the content of The GENETICS 2010: Model Organisms to Human Biology Meeting. NOTE: Bloggers or reporters who are plenary or poster presenters must register for the meeting at http://www.mohb.org/2010/pages/registration.shtml.

ABOUT THE GENETICS SOCIETY OF AMERICAFounded in 1931, the Genetics Society of America (GSA) is the professional membership organization for geneticists and science educators. Its more than 4,000 members work to advance knowledge in the basic mechanisms of inheritance, from the molecular to the population level. The GSA is dedicated to promoting research in genetics and to facilitating communication among geneticists worldwide through The Genetics Society of America Conferences including the biennial conference on Model Organisms to Human Biology, an interdisciplinary meeting on current and cutting edge topics in genetics research, and annual and biennial meetings that focus on the genetics of particular organisms such as Drosophila (fruit flies), yeast, C. elegans (worms) and others. GSA publishes GENETICS, the leading journal in the field. For more information about GSA, please visit www.genetics-gsa.org.