The annual American Epilepsy Society is just around the corner. AES2020 is slated for December 4-8 and will be a virtual event for epilepsy professionals across academia, clinical practice, industry and advocacy. Some rare epilepsy organizations have years of navigating this multi-day meeting, while others may be newbies. Plus COVID has transformed the 2020 meeting altogether which will be 100% virtual. Some tips and tricks follow. Are you an experienced AES navigator? Please share your tips in the comments too.
FREE CONTENT AVAILABLE FOR PATIENTS & PROFESSIONALS DURING AES
Three sessions are available FREE to the public and you can promote to your patients/caregivers and researchers/clinicians as well. Each of these are available via AES Facebook Livestream. No registration is required.
REGISTERING FOR AES
Registration is still open. Patient advocacy groups qualify for the advocate rate which is either $250 for AES members and $275 for nonmembers. Registration gives you access to all programs, posters and networking. The deadline to exhibit is Friday if you are inclined. Nonprofit booths are $400.
FOR REGISTERED MEMBERS
a. Search the program to identify topics of Interest. You can view the Program At-A-Glance day by day here to identify topics of interest. You can also view the program broken down by presentation type e.g. SIGS, lectures etc. here. You can search the full program by key words here. Recommend searching the program by your disease or gene, as well key interventions or comorbidities of interest to see if there are programs planned accordingly.
b. Check out Abstracts (Posters) on Topics of Interest to Network. Beginning 11/23, you can search the posters by topics of interest, e.g. type in your disease/gene name, type in comorbidities of concern etc. to see if anyone is presenting on topics of interest. This is a great way to meet investigators in your areas of interest and expand your network. Be sure to also check out posters by REN members including Monika Jones (12/7 9 AM Speech & Congition After Hemispherectomy), Ilene Miller (12/6 @ 5:45 PM ET on Rare Epilepsy Landscape). Any other Rares with abstracts? List them in the comments!
c. Drop by virtual booths of exhibitors including PAGs and industry. You can see a list of exhibitors here. Say hello to REN member exhibitors including: CACNA1A, CURE, Dravet, EF, Hope for ULD, LGS, PCDH19, Syngap Research, Brain Recovery. List online is regularly updated and may be incomplete.
ADDITIONAL OUTREACH FOR REN MEMBERS
If you have not completed your REN membership application or your introductory blog here – now is the time to do so to ensure your disease and org are exposed to AES members via the REN slides preceding the Hoyer Lecture and any other opportunities.
Happy virtual AESing! Are you an experienced AES navigator? Please share your tips in the comments too.
By Ilene Miller, REN Vol Director