GIS in Public Health Call for Presentations
Call for Presentations
URISA’s GIS in Public Health Conference
May 20-23, 2007
New Orleans, Louisiana
Abstract Submissions Due: October 20, 2006
URISA is now accepting abstract submissions for its inaugural GIS in Public Health Conference, taking place in New Orleans, May 20-23, 2007.
We invite you to share your knowledge and ideas with your colleagues and peers. You are encouraged to submit an abstract for consideration by the Conference Program Committee. The Committee will organize an educational program based upon the abstracts submitted through this Call for Presentations. All abstract submissions, received by October 20, 2006, will be reviewed and considered for this comprehensive educational program.
The Program Committee encourages you to submit abstracts in one or more of the following general categories (examples of topics within each category are included). The committee invites examples of GIS and spatial analysis in these various areas, including case studies, empirical analysis, etc.
Hazard Preparedness, Emergency Response, and Disease Surveillance
· Bioterrorism and agroterrorism issues
· Spatial statistics and disease clusters
· Interagency cooperation and data sharing
· Data standards and interoperability
· Hurricane response and Katrina
Environmental Health
· Lead in soil and houses
· Brownfields
· Water quality, septic systems and wells
· Underground storage tank facilities
· Landfills
· Radiation and nuclear power
· Beach monitoring
· Environmental public health tracking
· Environmental justice
Infectious & Food-Borne Disease Outbreaks
· West Nile virus
· Lyme Disease
· Leptospirosis
· Salmonella and E coli
· Outbreak epidemiology and response
· Other emerging infectious diseases
· International issues
Urban Health
· Asthma
· Urban air quality
· Obesity and urban spaces
· Health and the built environment
Social Factors in Health
· Census demographics
· Aging
· Health disparities and race
· Gender issues and health
Chronic Disease
· Cancer
· Aging population issues
· Disabilities
· Prion diseases
· Nervous system disorders, e.g. MS and ALS
· Injuries prevention
Maternal and Child Health
· Infant and child mortality
· Birth outcomes
· Access to social services
· WIC and other social programs
· Immunizations
· Early intervention
· Domestic violence
Public Policy and Health Advocacy
· Community involvement
· Legal issues
· Planning and health
· Public participation GIS
· Data confidentiality and privacy
· Health impact assessment
Models, Methods and Spatial Data Infrastructure
· Models of disease transmission and spread
· Environmental exposure assessment
· Survey-based data (NHIS, BRFSS, PRAMS)
· Clinical and diagnostic data
· GIS implementation in public health
· Geocoding
· Public health linkages in the broader geospatial world
Selection Criteria
The following items must be explicitly addressed for an abstract submission to be considered:
- Basic Theme: Is the presentation about a project, a system application activity, a methodology, or the evaluation of a technology? Does it address the technical, policy or organizational aspect of the subject?
- Value of the Subject: The presentation’s scope and originality must be of interest to a significant number of expected conference attendees. Your proposal should indicate which audience segment would be most interested in your presentation and what will be learned from the presentation.
Please note:
- Presentations that market specific products and services will not be accepted, nor are presentations of this nature acceptable at the conference. Case studies should be presented by the sponsoring organization, not by vendors.
- All abstract submissions are due on or before October 20, 2006.
- If accepted, expect to provide a full paper for publication in the Conference Proceedings no later than June 18, 2007. (The Proceedings will be distributed after the conference)
- All accepted presenters must register at the regular conference registration fee.
Presentation Format—Three presentation formats will be considered:
Single presentation – Each presenter is allotted 20 minutes, plus 10 minutes for questions. Presentations of this type will be scheduled with two other presentations to form a cohesive session of 90 minutes in length.
Complete session – comprised of three individual presentations, SUBMITTED TOGETHER, with a common theme. A complete session is 90 minutes in length.
Panel - A 90 minute presentation which encourages interaction and discussion between the panelists and the audience. Panel presentations should include at least three panelists all speaking on different aspects of a particular topic.
Presenter’s Calendar
Abstract Submissions Due: October 20, 2006
Acceptance Notification: December 1, 2006
Conference: May 20-23, 2007
Paper/Presentation Due for Conference Proceedings CD: June 18, 2007
Conference Committee
CHAIR- Joan N. Gardner
GIS Core Research Facility
University of Massachusetts - Boston
ASSOCIATE CHAIR - Marilyn Ruiz
GIS and Spatial Analysis
University of Illinois - Pathobiology
Alex Charleston
Centers for Disease Control
Environmental Public Health Tracking - Atlanta, GA
Ellen K. Cromley, PhD
Institute for Community Research - Hartford, CT
James B. Holt, M.P.A., Ph.D.
Emerging Investigations and Analytic Methods Branch
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Atlanta, GA
Uriel Kitron
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Illinois - Urbana, IL
Wansoo Im, MURP, PhD
Vertices LLC - New Brunswick, NJ
Nicholas F Jones MBChB MPH
Office of Informatics and Information Resource Management
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Centers for Disease Control - Atlanta, GA
Carl Kinkade, MCRP
GIS Consultant to the National Center for Public Health Informatics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Atlanta, GA
Russell S. Kirby, PhD, MS, FACE
Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health
University of Alabama at Birmingham
C. Virginia Lee, MD, MPH, MA
Geospatial Research, Analysis, & Services Program, DHS, ATSDR - Atlanta, GA
John B Malone, DVM, PhD
School of Veterinary Medicine
Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge, LA
Dr. Alan Melnick
Oregon Health Sciences University and Clackamas County Health Officer – Portland, OR
Leah M. Vaughan, M.D., M.P.H. - San Francisco, CA
For budgeting purposes —
Conference Location: Marriott New Orleans at the Convention Center
Conference Hotel Rate: $160 single / $180 double
Early Registration Rates: URISA Member: $295; Nonmember: $395
Preconference Workshops: Member Rate $195; Nonmember Rate: $245
Note: All accepted presenters must register and pay the regular conference registration fee. Acceptance as a presenter does not register you for the conference — registration fees are required.
The conference program & registration form will be available by the end of this year.
Information about exhibiting and sponsorships in support of this conference will be available in November.