The 8th Annual Molecular Psychiatry Meeting taking place September 24 -26, 2020 in Maui has been cancelled.

In response to the rapidly changing circumstances associated with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Molecular Psychiatry Association’s Organizing Board  has made the decision to cancel the 8th Annual Meeting scheduled to take place September 24 – 26, 2020 in Maui, Hawaii. In doing so, the Board carefully weighed the risks to attendees and their families, colleagues, and patients. MPA feels strongly that cancelling the conference is the responsible action to take. The health and safety of the attendees are its top priority.

Conference attendees come from around the world. The threat of spreading COVID-19 is real and it is critical that we each do as much as possible to prevent this from occurring. Thus, the decision is consistent with many attendees’ professional and personal deliberations.

Please know this has been an incredibly difficult decision for the Organizing Board. MPA is a not-for-profit organization that depends heavily on its annual conference to sustain its financial well-being. Cancelling the conference has consequences not just for attendees and presenters but for MPA as well. Nevertheless, MPA remains committed to its mission to promote research and communication of research findings that may lead to a better understanding of the molecular basis of psychiatric disorders.

All researchers interested in learning about molecular approaches to enhance understanding of psychiatric disease are invited to attend this open meeting. Sessions will include neurobiology, genetics, biomarkers, brain expression, neural stem cells and model organisms. A poster session will also be held.