2025 PRS Annual Meeting

Sept 12-14, 2025 | Colorado Springs, CO

Sept 12-14, 2025 | Colorado Springs, CO

The Perinatal Research Society’s 55th Annual Meeting is headed for the beautiful Rocky Mountains.  On September 12-14, 2025, with majestic Pike’s Peak in the background, PRS members, guests and invited speakers will gather in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to discuss the most current scientific findings in perinatal research.  Located 90 minutes south of Denver, “the Springs” – as locals like to say – sits on a mesa 6,000 feet above sea level. Mark your calendar and plan to attend.

distant view of mountain with snow covered peaks
Pike’s Peak: Joel Tonyan

A visit to  Colorado Springs will inspire perinatal investigators at all stages of their careers with mountain peaks visible from throughout the city.  It is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, Glen Eyrie Castle, Garden of the Gods National Landmark, Royal Gorge Bridge, The Broadmoor Manitou & Pikes Peak Cog Railway and a number of museums, including the ProRodeo Hall of Fame & Museum of the American Cowboy.

Colorado Spring’s beautiful Cheyenne Mountain Resort will host the PRS 55th three-day annual meeting and offers attendees a wide range of activities without leaving the grounds.  The amenities include a golf course, indoor and outdoor pools, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, pickleball courts, private lake with boat access, basketball and a spa.

Plan to attend the PRS 55th anniversary meeting as this intentionally smaller society provides an opportunity for participants to listen to internationally recognized speakers present their research, as well as a chance for early career scientists to meet senior investigators and time to connect with old and new friends.  With all that Colorado Springs has to offer, you might even want to pack your hiking shoes, golf clubs, tennis racquet or pickleball paddle and come a day early or extend your trip.  See you September 12 – 14, 2025!  Registration opens in Spring 2025.

rock formation jutting out of the landscape in a forest
Garden of the Gods
stone castle surrounded by trees
Glen Eyrie Castle: Dano Sanchez
modern building architecture with blue sky and clouds
US Air Force Academy Colorado Springs, CO

Traveling to Colorado Springs:

There are flights directly into Colorado Springs Airport (COS) or a second option is through Denver airport (DEN) and driving 90 minutes south.

A Brief History:

Before it became known as Colorado Springs, the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho nations (among others) gathered at the base of Pike’s Peak near what is now called Garden of the Gods National Landmark. In 1806 American explorer Zebulon Pike was credited with the discovery of Pike’s Peak.

Colorado Springs was later founded in 1871 by Gen. William J Palmer. He and Dr. William Bell were the founding principles of the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad whose initial route  ran from Denver to Colorado Springs.  At first named the Fountain Colony, the city was renamed Colorado Springs by 1879 due to the hot springs located nearby.  Palmer’s vision for creating this high-altitude city included bringing tuberculosis sufferers to stay at his Antler’s Hotel to enjoy the health benefits of the mineral springs.

Gold was discovered on a slope of Pike’s Peak in 1890, which attracted thousands to the area.

By 1900, Colorado Springs was called “America’s Playground.”  It was a popular destination for both vacationers and those seeking health benefits.

The city is also home to numerous important military installments.  Beginning in the 1940s with the U.S Army’s Camp Carson, the U.S. Air Force Academy was built in the 1950s.  These were followed later by the U.S. Space Command, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) and also includes two U.S. bases: U.S. Air Force’s Peterson Air Force Base and Schriever Space Force Base.

For more history, visit: https://www.visitcos.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/

valley view of the resort surrounded by trees
Cheyenne Mountain Resort

Welcome from the President

Greetings!

The Council and I want to welcome PRS members, guests and speakers to the upcoming 54th Annual Meeting of the Perinatal Research Society as we look forward to gathering in Providence, Rhode Island, September 13 – 15.

The theme for the 2024 meeting is “Environmental Influences on Perinatal Health and Disease.” Our invited speakers will bring a wide array of outstanding presentations that will provide insight on factors in our environment that impact maternal, fetal, and newborn well-being. Pregnancy represents a window of particular susceptibility due to the complexity of the biological processes required for fetal development.

Our speakers will highlight factors from chemical exposures to non-chemical stressors such as low socio-economic status and climate change, which also intensify health disparities. I hope the combination of epidemiological, translational, and mechanistic presentations will be highly stimulating, and in keeping with the mission of PRS will generate new ideas and collaborations for both established and early career investigators.

PRS President
Irina Buhimschi, MD
PRS President

The opening speaker for the Friday evening session is the PRS Liley Lecture award winner, Judy Aschner, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Director, Center for Discovery and Innovation, Hackensack Meridian Health. Her presentation titled, “Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes: A Focus on the Most Vulnerable” will set the tone for our weekend.

Since the inception of PRS, more than 50 years ago, our goals have included encouraging discussions of important scientific advances in perinatal research by featuring nationally renown speakers who provide insights on current developments in the field. In doing so, we also hope to give early career investigators the opportunity to meet with senior members and hopefully leave with new ideas for their research and find potential new collaborators. We will also set aside time to reunite with old friends and make new friends over our three days in Providence.

In addition, we want to welcome our early career researchers as they attend the pre-meeting Young Investigators Grant Writing workshop and are guided by PRS senior investigators in shaping their grant proposals. We look forward to the hearing them share their novel research proposals at the meeting.

As for our 2024 location, Providence, Rhode Island blends the historic charm of a New England town with a revitalized city center. It is home to Brown University with Newport’s Mansions and Cliff Walk nearby. The seafood and Italian cuisine are noteworthy and you can find a wide variety of places for interesting walks including the “Mile of History,” numerous city parks, and along the three downtown rivers.

We look forward to seeing you in Rhode Island in September as we take a deeper look at how environmental factors can influence perinatology. If you have any questions, please email PRS at staff@perinatalresearchsociety.org.

Irina Buhimschi, MD

PRS President

News & Updates

• Registration is Currently Closed. Email staff@perinatalresearchsociety.org if you have specific circumstances.

PRS Pre-Meeting NIH-Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition Young Investigator Grant Writing Workshop, SEPT 11 – 13, 2024

In addition, PRS NIH-Reckitt/Mead Johnson Nutrition Young Investigator Workshop is a two-day pre-meeting, September 11-13, 2024 with successful applicants also attending the Annual meeting, September 13-15. The workshop utilizes immersive, active-writing, and active-oral presentation design, with one-on-one feedback from NIH-funded faculty-mentors drawn from the PRS membership. Applications for the program are due May 31. See the Young Investigator Program page for more information.

advisor discussing grant proposal writing with young investigator
young investigator talking at workshop

2024 PRS Annual Meeting Speakers

SpeakerInstitute
Lauren Aleksunes, PhD, PharmDRutgers University
Judy Aschner, MDHackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Valene Garr Barry, PhDWashington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Mercedes Bravo, PhDDuke University
Sean M Cullen, MD, PhDWeill Cornell Medical College
Rahul D’Mello, MD, PhDOregon Health & Science University
Laura Goetzl, MD, MPHUniversity of Texas Health Science
Thaddeus Schug, PhDNational Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Kartik Shankar, PhDUniversity of Colorado
Almudena Veiga-Lopes, DVM, PhDUniversity of Illinois
Andrew Wolfe, PhDNational Institutes of Health, Center for Scientific Review
Blair Wylie, MD, MPHColumbia University
Lindsay Zhou, MDMonash University