International Symposium on Canine and Feline Reproduction

ISCFR 2012 - EVSSAR 2012

Regular Professional and Student Registration Rates are available through June 15.

Please register early. There is no on-site registration payment.

The Seventh Quadrennial ISCFR
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON CANINE AND FELINE REPRODUCTION
In a Joint Meeting with the

15th EVSSAR Congress
(European Veterinary Society for Small Animal Reproduction)

And as a Satellite Meeting to ICAR
(International Congress on Animal Reproduction, July 31- Aug 2, Vancouver, BC)

Note: Attendance may be limited, depending on early indications of interest in attending and the resulting contracting of meeting space and facilities. Please indicate your interest as early as possible. To indicate an interest in attending or participating, or for inclusion on the "ISCFR-EVSSAR 2012" mailing list, please submit your information

via the ONLINE FORM

Note: the on-line form works with Internet Explorer on Windows OS, with Firefox on all platforms tested, and with Safari on most but not all iMac units; if Safari on iMac does not manage your entries properly, please use Firefox or submit your information by email.

Whistler, B.C., is a short 2h, 80 mile ride north of Vancouver and best known as the Alpine and Nordic event site of the recent Winter Olympics. It is also a major summer resort destination, offering the famed Peak-to-Peak Gondola between Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains, alpine meadow hiking, boreal walking trails, mountain biking, valley trail biking, ATV off-roading, jeep off-road trips, zip-line adventures, golf, boating, canoeing & kayaking, fishing, and bear viewing. In July, "days" are 15h long with sunset at 9 pm.

In July Whistler typically has lots of sunshine, with the average daytime high temperature in Whistler in July about 27 °C (80 °F). It's cooler both at night (11 °C or 52 °F) and at the top of the mountain.

Nearly three days of Plenary Sessions, parallel Research Report Sessions, Roundtable Discussions and Poster Presentation Sessions, beginning with mounting of posters and Welcome Ceremony and Opening Session Thursday Evening. The Symposium will close on Sunday in time for delegates to take charter busses to Vancouver at 3pm and in time to attend the ICAR welcome reception. See QUICK GUIDE to the Preliminary Program of lectures and social events.
TOPICS: Canid, felid and comparative carnivore reproduction; ovarian cycle regulation and contraception; pregnancy biology and management; parturition and perinatology; ovary, oocytes, embryo, testis, and sperm morphology, physiology, culture and cryopreservation; andrology; clinical management, breeding technologies, AI, and cloning; new reproductive technologies; reproductive and mammary disease and management; endangered, exotic and zoo species reproduction; dog and cat models of human reproductive disease. See QUICK GUIDE to the Preliminary Program of lectures and social events.

Delegates can expect to have the opportunity to socialize over drinks and posters on Thursday evening, attend a Poster Highlights Reception on Friday evening, Symposium Banquet on Saturday evening, and an optional patio lunch on Sunday after the Closing and Awards Ceremony. For those arriving early, consider a ride to the peak of Whistler mountain, a mountain-top walk and lunch with colleagues, and the "peak-to-peak" gondola experience before dinner and mounting of posters. See QUICK GUIDE to the Preliminary Program of lectures and social events.

The Westin Whistler Resort in the heart of Whistler Village is located steps away from the base of the Whistler Mountain gondola and the main access to the Peak to Peak Gondola and summit restaurant. All rooms have kitchenette facilities for in-room meals. It is a very short walk to over 20 village restaurants, two grocery stores, and a pharmacy. Hotel facilities include restaurants, lounge, internet, gym, spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The address is 4090 Whistler Way, Whistler, V0N 1B4 Canada. Phone: (604) 905-5000. It is a Starwood hotel.

Venue - Westin Whistler Resort (click here)

Summertime in Whistler, BC, Canada (click here)

Whistler Village is 125 km (80 mi) North of the gateway city of Vancouver, British Columbia. Vancouver itself a major tourist destination, is the third largest city in Canada, and the venue for ICAR-2012 immediately following ISCFR. Whistler is a scenic 2h ride by car or bus from downtown Vancouver or from Vancouver Intl. Airport (YVR) which has direct flight connections from many hubs.
BY CAR: From Vancouver, downtown or airport, take Rte 99 north approx 125 - 135 km (90 mi-100 mi) to Whistler Village, and turn right onto Village Gate Blvd and then right on Whistler Way for 0.5 km past RBC bank, the Westin is on the left at 4090 Whistler Way. Parking close-in at Whistler costs $16 per day for overnight parking. Parking at the hotel is typically $25 per day plus tax.
BY BUS: Regular commercial transportation from Vancouver Airport to Whistler includes coach service by Pacific Coach (SkyLynx route summer schedule) for $63 each way, $113 round trip, plus 12% tax. One way from downtown (Whistler Express) is $54 plus 12% tax. They are offering a 28% discount ($45.20, from airport, one way) when using the discount code ISCFR12. Greyhound bus service is $25 plus tax, one way, downtown to Whistler. Please see REGISTRATION SECTION below for charter bus return from Whistler to downtown Vancouver or airport on Sunday July 29 for $35, if pre-paid with registration.
BY TRAIN: The 3.5 hr Sea-to-Sky scenic train runs between Vancouver North and Whistler at fares of $145 one way plus tax that include breakfast or Afternoon Tea. Daily except Tue. & Wed. Sunday train from Whistler to Vancouver leaves at 3 pm arrives at 7 pm.
BY AIR: Commercial floatplane flights are also available between Vancouver harbor and Whistler. (~ $190).

BY AIR: Airport code, YVR. Vancouver International Airport has direct flights from major hubs including the following. In CANADA: Victoria, Winnipeg, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal. In USA and MEXICO: Seattle, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Denver, M-St Paul, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, New York, Newark, and Mexico City. TRANS-ATLANTIC: London, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam. TRANS-PACIFIC: Tokyo, Hong Kong, Beijing. Seoul, Shanghai, and Sydney. From SOUTH AMERICA, one-stop flights are via Toronto.
BY AUTOMOBILE: Vancouver is a 2.5 hr, 225 km drive from Seattle, WA in the USA.

Travel into Canada requires visas for citizens of Mexico and of most countries in Central and South America, Asia and Africa, and typically not for citizens of Western European countries, British Territories and Dependencies, USA, Japan and South Korea. Letters of Invitations. If you require a letter of invitation to support visa applications, please write to Dr. Michelle Kutzler: michelle.kutzler@oregonstate.edu. See section on Letters of Invitation below.

If you require a formal ISCFR letter of invitation to facilitate university requests and/or to support visa applications, please write to Dr. Michelle Kutzler, with the subjects heading ISCFR letter of invitation request, and state your full name, brief address for letter salutation, symposium status (delegate, presenter, student), and for presenters, the title of the abstract. The address is: michelle.kutzler@oregonstate.edu

Pacific Northwest scenic-circuit, touristic car and passenger ferries in the region include, in WASHINGTON, Seattle to Bremerton, WA; Anacortes, WA to Sidney/Victoria BC; Port Angeles, WA to Victoria, BC; and, in BRITISH COLUMBIA, Victoria to Vancouver.
In Washington
At Port Angeles
In British Columbia

Driving distances include the following. Seattle to Mt. Rainier 150 mi; Seattle to Hurricane Ridge, Olympic Peninsula, 102 mi, 2h including ferry; Hurricane Ridge/ Port Angeles Ferry to Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC 25 mi, 1h15 min; Seattle, via San Juan Islands Ferry, to Victoria 110 mi, 3h20 min; Seattle to Vancouver, 225 km, 2h30 min. As a driving-vacation destination the Coastal Pacific Northwest offers much of the following in a circuit that can easily be accomplished in a 2-3 days circuit. Downtown Seattle, Mt Rainier, the Olympic Peninsula/Olympic National Park, and San Juan Islands in Washington State. And, in British Columbia, Canada, there are Victoria the Provincial Capitol city on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, downtown Vancouver and Whistler, with Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains the sites of much of the recent Winter Olympic Games. For more information, go to: Wikipedia and Google Map.

Whale watching, coastal kayaking, scenic highways and mountain vistas, Indigenous Peoples history, culture and art museums, Pacific salmon, bear sightings, celebrations and artifacts of Pacific maritime exploration and gold mining.
ZOOLOGICAL PARKS: Point Defiance Zoological Park, Tacoma, WA outside Seattle; Northwest Trek near Mt Rainier; Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle; Wolf Haven, Olympia/Tenino, WA; Olympic Game Farm, Sequin, WA.; Greater Vancouver Zoo, Aldergrove, B.C.

Delegates will stay at the venue hotel, Westin Whistler Resort, at negotiated rates discounted 35% from regular rates and available from 3 days before until 3 days after the meeting. The available discounted hotel suites have rates listed exclusive of the 14.2% harmonized sales tax (HST), per night, single or double occupancy. Junior Queen Suite (1-room, two queen beds) for $165; Studio Junior Suite (1 room, one queen bed, one queen sofa bed in sitting area) for $175, Studio Junior Suite Mountain View for $185, One Bedroom Suite Standard (2 rooms, one queen bed, one queen sofa in sitting area, separate eating area) for $195, One Bedroom Suite Mountain View for $205. Inquire with hotel about two bedroom suites. Having additional adults in suites involves a $30 per extra adult surcharge and sharing of a bed; extra beds are not available. For delegates sharing suites, the queen sofas can be permanently set up as beds. Junior Suites are large, approx. 400 sq. ft. (37 sq. m). All suites have refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, stove and oven. See hotel Guest Room pages. See the WESTIN WHISTLER ACCOMMODATIONS AND RESERVATIONS INFORMATION PAGE for more details, and the hotel contact information for booking online or by phone, fax or email.
ROOM SHARING. All one and two room suites have a maximum of two beds. Delegates travelling alone interested in sharing a suite with another delegate can use the online Registry for Delegates Interested in Sharing Accommodations. A third adult sharing is at an extra cost per night. See hotel registration information above.

See the ISCFR 2012 - EVSSAR 2012 REGISTRATION AND TRANSPORTATION page for information on registration costs and transportation options (including a SPECIAL VERY EARLY REGISTRATION rate of $349 Professional/$195 Student). All delegate registrations include the Abstract Book, the Thursday dessert reception, the Friday Welcome & Poster Reception, and the Saturday Banquet. Alter the close of the early bird registration period, standard registration rates are $399 for Professionals, academics, non-student presenters, postdocs, sponsor representatives, clinicians and other practitioners, and $225 for students. Rates are higher for late registration. All registrations include $25 towards the cost of the Proceedings publication by Reproduction in Domestic Animals. Please make note of deadlines for early bird vs. regular vs. late registration fees, differences in processing fees that may apply, costs of optional events, the Sunday charter bus option, and any required exchange rate calculations for bank drafts in British pounds and euros. It is best to prepare payment, make arrangements for payment, or actually make or send payment before completing the online form. DETAILS AND TABLE OF REGISTRATION FEES.

Whistler village has within a 2-10 minute walk from the hotel over 20 restaurants. Kitchen features in all rooms allow for meal preparation. There are two grocery stores near by. The Westin Resort has a gourmet restaurant and lounge and offers a breakfast buffet.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Byong C. Lee, Seoul, South Korea Angela Hughes, Portland, OR, USA Gregory Dissen, Beaverton, OR, USA Camilla Vanucchi, Sao Paulo, Brazil Karine Reynaud, Alfort, Paris, France Sabine Schaefer-Somi, Vienna, Austria Cristina Gobello, La Plata, Argentina Alain Fontbonne, Alfort, Paris, France Martha Gomez, New Orleans, LA, USA Michela Beccaglia, Milan, Italy Anne-Rose Guenzel-Apel, Hannover, Germany Vicki Meyers-Wallen, Ithaca, NY, USA Emmanuel Fontaine, Paris, France Tom Rijsselaere, Ghent, Belgium Jan Mol, Utrecht, the Netherlands

Willam Swanson, Cincinnati, USA Cheryl Asa, St Louis, MO, USA Gaia Cecilia Luvoni, Milan, Italy Ragnvi Hagman, Uppsala, Sweden Wojciech Nizanski, Wroklaw, Poland Nucharin Songsasen, Front Royal, USA Donald Schlafer, Ithaca, NY, USA Earle Pope, New Orleans, LA, USA Katarina Jewgenow, Berlin, Germany Wenche Farstad, Oslo, Norway Mariusz Kowalewski, Zurich, Switzerland Bruce Murphy, St-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada Alex Travis, Ithaca, NY, USA Gary England, Nottingham, UK

OVER 200 RESEARCH REPORTS INCLUDING FROM THE FOLLOWING PRESENTERS.
FOR MORE, SEE THE LISTING OF SCIENTIFIC REPORTS AND POSTERS.

Giulio Aiudi, Bari, Italy Bruce Christensen, Ames, IA USA Carlos Gradil, Amherst, MA, USA Jeffrey De Gier, Utrecht, Nederlands Luzbel De La Sota, La Plata, Argentina Christelle Navarro, Carros, France Monica De Los Reyes, Santiago, Chile Martin Dehnhard, Berlin, Germany Cathy Gartley, Guelph ON, Canada Isabelle Cunha, Campos, RJ, Brazil Magda Wanke, Buenos Aires, Argentina Martha Gomez, Cincinnati, OH USA Frank Göritz, Berlin, Germany Thomas Hildebrandt, Berlin, Germany Cheri Johnson, East Lansing, MI, USA Marion Koivisto, Araçatuba, Brazil Bodil Strom-Holst, Uppsala, Sweden Steven Metcalfe, Applecross, WA, Australia Stefano Romagnoli, Padova, Italy

Maria Alejandra Stornelli, La Plata, Argentina Maria Denise Lopes, Botucatu, Brazil Marcelo Luz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil Sylvie Chastant, Toulouse, France Michelle Kutzler, Corvallis, OR, USA Lucia MD de Silva, Forteleza, Brazil Fabiana Souza, Franca, SP, Brazil Autumn Davidson, Santa Rosa, CA, USA Pierre Comizzoli, Washington DC, USA Catharina Linde-Forsberg, Uppsala, Sweden Patrick Concannon, Ithaca, NY, USA Almuth Einspanier, Leipzig, Germany Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Merida, Mexico Erika C. S. Oliveira, Recife, Brazil Marco Russo, Naples, Italy Bruce Eilts, Baton Rouge, LA, USA Sudson Sirivaidyapong, Bangkok, Thailand Silvia Blaschzik, Leipzig, Germany

Eva Axner, Uppsala, Sweden Patrick Concannon, Ithaca, USA Autumn Davidson, Davis, USA Jeffrey De Gier, Utrecht, Netherlands Gary England, Nottingham, England Sandra Goericke-Pesch, Giessen, Germany Angelika von Heimendahl, Cambridge, England Angela Hughes, Portland, USA Pete Irons, Onderstepoort, South Africa Katarina Jewgenow, Berlin, Germany

Michelle Kutzler, Corvallis, USA Marcelo Luz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil Steven Metcalfe, Perth, Australia Vicki Meyers-Wallen, Ithaca, USA Rosa Paramo, Mexico City, Mexico Karin Reynaud, Paris, France Sabine Schaefer-Somi, Vienna, Austria Donald Schlafer, Ithaca, USA Julianna Thuroczy, Budapest, Hungary Camila Vanucchi, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Joerg Aurich, Vienna, Austria Michaela Beccaglia, Milan, Italy Beate Braun, Berlin, Germany Samuel Buff, Lyon, France Pierre Commizzoli, Washington, DC, USA Patrick Concannon, Ithaca, USA Isabel Cunha, Campos dos Goytacazes RJ, Brazil Bruce Eilts, Baton Rouge, USA Gary England, Nottingham, UK Wenche Farstad, Oslo, Norway Cristina Gobello, La Plata, Argentina Martha Gomez, New Orleans, USA Anne Rose Guenzel-Apel, Hannover, Germany Bernd Hoffmann, Hannover, Germany Mariuz Kowalewski, Zurich, Switzerland Michelle Kutzler, Corvallis, USA Catharina Linde-Forsberg, Uppsala, Sweden

Gaia Cecilia Luvoni, Milan, Italy Jan Mol, Utrecht, Nederlands Bruce Murphy, St Hyacinthe, Canada Wojciech Nizanski, Wroclaw, Poland Johann Nothling, Pretoria, South Africa Auke Okkens, Utrecht, Nederlands Tom Rijsselaere, Ghent, Belgium Sudson Sirivaidyapong, Bangkok,Thailand Nucharin Songsasen, Washington, DC, USA Hasan Besim Sontas, Istanbul, Turkey María Alejandra Stornelli, La Plata, Argentina Bodil Ström Holst, Uppsala, Sweden Hiroshi Suzuki, Obihiro, Japan William Swanson, Cincinnati, USA Maria Magda Wanke, Buenos Aires, Argentina Patrick Wright, Melbourne, Australia

ISCFR - 2012 International Organizing Committee

Michelle Kutzler, Oregon State Univ., USA
John Verstegen, MiniTub North America & Univ. Wisconsin, USA
Gary England, University of Nottingham, UK
Patrick Concannon, Cornell Univ. and International Veterinary Information Service, USA

"EVSSAR-15, North America 2012" Ad Hoc Congress Planning Committee

Wojciech Nizanski, Wroclaw, POL Tom Rijsselaere, Ghent, BEL Xavier Levy, L’Isle-Jourdain, FRA G. Cecilia Luvoni, Milan, ITA

Sabine Schaefer-Somi, Vienna, AUT Alain Fontbonne, Alfort-Paris, FRA Angelika von Heimendahl, Cambridge, UK Susi Arnold, Zurich, SUI

"ISCFR-Whistler 2012" - North American Symposium Planning Committee

Cheryl Asa, St Louis, MO Vicki Meyers-Wallen, Ithaca, NY Pierre Comizzoli, Washington, DC Cathy Gartley, Guelph, ON Bruce Eilts, Baton Rouge, LA Rosa Paramo, Mexico City Alex Travis, Ithaca, NY

Karen Goodrowe, Tacoma, WA Barbara Durrant, San Diego, CA Bruce Murphy, Ste Hyacinthe, QUE Carlos Gradil, Amherst, MA Michelle Kutzler, Corvallis, OR John Verstegen, Verona, WI Patrick Concannon, Ithaca, NY

EVSSAR Executive Board 2011 & 2012

Wojciech Nizanski, POL, President Susi Arnold, SUI, Treasurer Tom Rijsselaere, BEL, Secretary Michela Beccaglia, ITA, Editor

Xavier Levy, FRA Vibeke Rootwelt, NOR Catherine Lefevre, BEL Ragnvi Hagman, SWE

ISCFR-EVSSAR 2012 Program Committee

Pierre Comizzoli, Smithsonian Institutes (co-chair) Michelle Kutzler, Oregon State University (co-chair) Tom Rijsselaere, EVSSAR Board, Ghent University Barbara Durrant, San Diego Zoological Society Bruce Murphy, Univ. of Montreal, FMV, CRRA

Alex Travis, Cornell University, CVM Cathy Gartley, OVC, Univ. of Guelph Xavier Levy, CRECS, L'Isle-Jourdain, France Cecilia Luvoni, University of Milan Patrick Concannon, IVIS, ISCFR IOC

Editorial Committee

Gary England, Nottingham, UK, Chairman

Feel free to forward and distribute this announcement to fellow researchers, veterinarians and trainees.