About Our Annual Events

Every Fall since 1994, the Huntington Study Group (HSG) has hosted an annual, internationally recognized forum for training and education of Huntington’s disease (HD) researchers, and to share new research findings and treatments to the worldwide community, plus much more!

This multi-day event generally includes two days of plenary and breakout sessions (Thursday and Friday) geared towards researchers, clinicians, and industry, which focus on science and research. The final day (Saturday) is set aside for our healthcare provider education program (CME4HD™) and our exciting FAMILY DAY symposium that provides the HD community with a chance to hear from HD experts and advocates. In 2019, a pre-conference training day on Wednesday was added to the in-person event exclusively for HSG clinical research Investigators and Coordinators. In 2020, the HSG annual meeting was completely virtual for the first time with a highly interactive platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstracts

The Huntington Study Group’s renowned annual event brings together the world’s leading Huntington’s disease (HD) researchers, health care providers, industry representatives, and members of the HD community. As part of our annual meeting, the Peter Como HD Research Symposium provides an opportunity for researchers to share abstracts of their efforts to help improve the lives for people impacted by Huntington’s disease. The symposium, which began in 2007, focuses on clinical HD research by presenting valuable findings and information to event attendees through poster sessions and platform presentations. The symposium was later renamed after Dr. Como, who played a key role in the founding of both the HSG and the Symposium.

Our annual meeting hosts multiple poster viewing sessions and platform presentations throughout the event. The window to submit an abstract of the annual meeting typically opens about 5 months prior to the event, and closes no later than 2 months before the meeting. Abstracts and Platform presenters are reviewed and selected by the HSG Publications Committee. Selected authors will be expected to attend the event and are asked to stand with their poster during the viewing sessions to interact with attendees.

Due to space constraints or available scholarships, the number of abstracts selected may be limited. Eligible abstracts may include data that have been presented previously, but should still be of public, as well as scientific, interest. Authors must disclose relationships with funding sources and manufacturers of commercial products discussed in the abstract. All accepted abstracts will be published in a popular medical journal.

A limited number of Platform presenters are selected from the selected abstracts and provide a platform presentation. These presenters may receive travel and lodging support and complimentary registration to attend the annual meeting. Selected abstract authors generally receive one night of hotel lodging and complimentary registration to attend the annual meeting.

CME4HD™ – Accredited Learning

Our annual meetings have been a venue for attendees to add to their knowledge with CME4HD. HSG has provided unique opportunities to take continuing medical education courses in-person, specifically designed for HD, with the goal to have many health care professionals trained so that families can more easily find HD care in their own communities. Courses have taught healthcare professionals, including social workers, nurses, neurologists and others how to care for and manage individuals with Huntington’s disease (HD).


HSG FAMILY DAY

Focused on families, HSG Family Day is a FREE, full-day event on Saturday of the annual meeting. Family Day covers HD advocacy, caregiving, and research. Attendees have an opportunity to ask leading HD experts their questions. Highlights have included keynote presentations by a leading voice or key figure in the HD community, a panel of community members discussing their experience participating in HD trials, and information for families new to, or experienced with HD.

ALL ARE WELCOME! This is a wonderful and inclusive event for individuals with HD, families and friends impacted by HD (including youth), caregivers, and healthcare providers. This event is FREE and open to the public, but registration is strongly encouraged to help provide an accurate headcount for planning.

Scholarships

While the availability and number of scholarships changes from year to year, the HSG has historically provided many scholarship opportunities that help support travel, lodging, and annual meeting registration, including:

  • NEW MEMBER SCHOLARSHIP AWARD is for new HSG members in the past year to attend the annual meeting.
  • SHOULSON SCHOLAR award recognizes outstanding research investigators who are new to HD, have participated in HD research and wish to pursue a career in HD. Includes recognition at the conference.
  • PETER COMO SCHOLARSHIP, named in memory of one of HSG’s founders and biggest supporters, is for a professional in the mental health field to attend the HSG annual meeting. Includes recognition at the conference.
  • COORDINATOR SCHOLARSHIP is for any HSG Coordinator or Acting Coordinator unable to attend the annual meeting due to lack of funding.
  • HSG CME4HD SCHOLARSHIP is for any student, fellow, clinician, or healthcare provider pursuing additional HD training and experience, to attend the in-person CME4HD training program at the annual meeting.

Meeting Sponsorship

Planning, organizing, and hosting the annual meeting is a massive effort. Work on the next year’s meeting begins even before the conclusion of the current year’s meeting! The HSG firmly believes that the best way to push HD research forward is through face-to-face collaboration among researches, scientists, industry, advocacy, and the HD community. To do this, the HSG seeks to provide the most cost-effective experience for the largest possible number of attendees.

The annual meeting is an ideal venue for your organization to be featured or build positive brand recognition within the Huntington’s disease field. As a not-for-profit, the HSG relies primarily on the generosity of sponsorships and other support opportunities to cover the costs of making the annual meeting possible. Having your support for our annual meeting truly makes a difference in the value to the HD community and for your organization.

If your organization is interested in supporting the HSG annual meeting as:

  • A SPONSOR of the event; or
  • An EXHIBITOR at the event

Please contact HSG by email info@hsglimited.org or call 800-487-7671.

Meeting Code of Conduct

All attendees at the HSG annual meeting must adhere to the code of conduct policy. Please read the Annual Meeting Code of Conduct.

Past HSG Annual Meetings

Visit our archived pages from past annual meetings.