Updated May 10, 2023.
Please check back here frequently for updates.
GSA is committed to providing a safe environment for conference attendees, staff, exhibitors, vendors, and others on-site at our meetings. To help minimize risks and promote a safe environment at the in-person conference, some Health & Safety policies have been adapted or added to reflect current best practices.
Health and Safety Policies
Broadly, GSA asks all attendees to act responsibly to protect their own health and that of other attendees. GSA may implement safety measures as needed. GSA will meet or exceed all local government health policies and venue requirements. We will share updates via this webpage and conference emails.
By registering for the conference, you agree to all terms and conditions set forth by GSA.
Additional Safety Information
If you experience any symptoms before picking up your conference badge or develop symptoms at any time while on-site, do not enter the conference space.
If you test positive for COVID-19 during the event, please:
If you registered to attend the meeting in person but you no longer feel comfortable or are unable to attend, you may change your registration to virtual attendance. There is no fee to change your registration from in-person to online attendance or vice versa. To make this change, please notify gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org. You can request this change at any time. However, so that we may plan accordingly, we would appreciate changes to be requested no later than January 3, 2024. GSA will issue a refund for the price difference between in-person registration and virtual registration at the time of your change request. Alternatively, you may choose to donate your refund to help fund registration for participants from low- and middle-income countries. If you have been selected for an oral or poster presentation, please contact GSA Conferences (gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org) to discuss virtual presentation options.
If you registered for virtual attendance but would like to attend the meeting in person, you may change your registration to in-person attendance. To make this change, please notify gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org. You can request this change at any time. However, so that we may plan accordingly, we would appreciate changes to be requested no later than January 3, 2024. You will be charged the price difference between virtual registration and in-person registration at the time of your change request. If you have been selected for an oral or poster presentation, please contact GSA Conferences (gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org) to discuss an in-person presentation.
Conference Registration Cancellations
Cancellation requests received by January 3, 2024 are fully refundable and will not incur a cancellation fee. All cancellations received between January 4, 2024 and February 1, 2024, will incur a $50 cancellation fee. Cancellations received on February 2, 2024 or later will not be eligible for a refund.
(Canceling your meeting registration does not cancel your hotel or other travel plans. Please see below for additional information.)
Conference Registration Refunds
To receive a refund, please submit your cancellation request to gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org with the word “Refund” in the subject line. If you cancel your registration on or after February 2, 2024, you will not be eligible to receive a refund. For questions, please contact gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org.
Cancellation requests received:
There is no fee to change your registration from in-person to online attendance or vice versa. Please note that GSA Conferences (gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org) must receive registration change requests no later than January 3, 2024.
Hotel Cancellation
Hotel cancellations should be made directly with the hotel.
Airline and Train Cancellations
We highly encourage you to check directly with your airline and/or rail carrier for information on cancellations.
Presentation Cancellation
If you are scheduled to present in an oral or poster session, please contact GSA Conferences (gsaconferences@genetics-gsa.org) with the subject “Presenter Cancellation” in addition to sending in your cancellation notice.
This Code of Conduct covers in-person conferences, online conferences, and other online events hosted by GSA. GSA conferences include keynote presentations, concurrent sessions, live poster Q&A, workshops, and Q&A via Zoom chat.
The Genetics Society of America Conferences foster an international community of geneticists and provide an opportunity to discuss scientific advances and form new collaborations.
GSA values your attendance and wants to make your experience productive and inspiring by fostering an open exchange of ideas in a professional setting. Our Code of Conduct was established to communicate a transparent set of standards and guidelines for acceptable behavior at GSA Conferences and to provide a positive, safe, and welcoming environment for all attendees, vendors, volunteers, and staff.
All conference participants (regardless of their role) are expected to follow the Code of Conduct while attending any portion of the conference, including but not limited to keynote presentations, concurrent sessions, live poster Q&A sessions, and workshops. Because there is also a virtual nature to the conference, our Code of Conduct extends to communications related to the meeting and its attendees, presenters, exhibitors, sponsors, staff, and vendors. These types of communications include Zoom chat, Zoom Q&A window, live poster Q&A, email, social media, and texts.
Unacceptable Behaviors
Unacceptable behaviors include, but are not limited to:
Taking action or making a report
To confidentially report a Code of Conduct violation or to file a complaint, including a complaint about a GSA volunteer or GSA staff member, please visit genetics-gsa.ethicspoint.com. To contact our Ethics Committee directly, please email E. Jane Hubbard, Chair, at jane.hubbard@nyulangone.org. GSA staff is available to assist participants in making a report. Please email Tracey DePellegrin, GSA Executive Director, at tracey.depellegrin@genetics-gsa.org.
Consequences of non-compliance
Anyone asked by GSA staff, Organizer, Session Chair, Workshop Leader, Moderator, Presenter, or Zoom representative to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately. Retaliation toward GSA or toward someone reporting an incident or after experiencing any of the following consequences will not be tolerated and may result in additional sanctions.
The consequences of non-compliance with GSA’s Code of Conduct may include:
Attendees are permitted to live tweet during presentations unless the speaker explicitly opts out by stating so at the start of their talk. Taking or sharing photos, videos, or reproductions of posters is not permitted unless you have the presenter’s consent. By attending a GSA conference, you grant GSA the right to use your name and likeness for use in GSA educational, news, or promotional materials. All keynote, award, plenary, and platform sessions will be recorded and available for on-demand viewing for a limited time to registered attendees.
When you view poster materials at the conference, whether in person or via the Conference App, remember that posters are typically works in progress. Please do not cite or reproduce any part of the posters without the presenter’s permission.
GSA is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion to create greater opportunity for any individual to fulfill their scientific potential, irrespective of their background, gender, or circumstances. This diversity leads to innovation by attracting the widest possible talent to the community and fostering a greater diversity of ideas, approaches, and perspectives. The Organizing Committee aims to select speakers and session chairs that represent the breadth and diversity of the discipline and conference participants. GSA especially encourages the Committee to select excellent speakers from groups traditionally underrepresented in science.
To create processes by which equity, accessibility, and inclusion are foregrounded at each step of conference planning alongside scientific content, education, and professional development, GSA’s Equity and Inclusion Committee has prepared a Vision for Inclusive Conferences. This document serves to normalize and cultivate inclusion across all GSA conferences and to provide a foundational level of information from which to work.