Welcome! We invite you to join us for the ninth Add Health Users Conference to be held on July 22-23, 2010 on the campus of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland.  The conference is being co-sponsored by the Office of Behavior and Social Sciences Research, NIH; the Office of Research on Women’s Health, NIH; the Add Health Study at the Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch/Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH.

The principal goal of the conference is to give researchers who are working with data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) an opportunity to share research goals, experiences, and results.  It will also provide an opportunity for those interested in working with the data to learn how they are currently being used by others.

Abstract Submission

On-line abstract submission is now closed.  The deadline for submitting an abstract was March 15, 2010.  To view the original Call for Papers issued on January 19, 2010, please click here.

Conference Agenda

The conference program will feature 55 presentations by investigators who are conducting research on the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults using Add Health data.  In addition, several methodology sessions will be offered providing in-depth information on the Add Health study design and the unique biomarker, genetic, geographic, and relationship data available from the study.

To view the conference agenda, please click here.

Registration

On-line conference registration is now closed.  Those who have not yet registered but plan to attend the conference can register on-site on the first day of the conference.  On-site registration will begin at 8:00 am on Thursday, July 22 at the Natcher Conference Center on the campus of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.  The registration table will be located just outside of the main auditorium.  For directions to the Natcher Conference Center, please click here.  There is no charge to register or to attend the conference.  However, all conference participants, including presenters and moderators, are required to register before attending any sessions.

Accommodations and Shuttle Service

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Doubletree Hotel Bethesda located at 8120 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland.  The conference rate is $170/night (plus 13% tax).  This rate is competitive for the Bethesda area and is lower than the rate you would get if you made an independent reservation.  You can book on-line using the link above and the group code “UNC” or by phone at 1-800-222-8733.  If you call, please be sure to mention the 2010 Add Health conference to receive the discounted rate.   Please note that the discounted rate will only be guaranteed through Monday, June 28.  After this date, room pricing will be at the discretion of the hotel management.

Free shuttle service will be provided between the Doubletree Hotel Bethesda and the NIH conference center each day.  Expedited NIH security checks are provided for shuttle riders.  Thus, participants usually find it most convenient to stay at the conference hotel.  However, if you would like a list of alternative hotels in the area, please send an e-mail to Suzanne Hallquist (suzanne_hallquist@unc.edu).

Airport Information

There are three airports that serve the Washington, D.C. area: Reagan National (DCA), Dulles (IAD), and Baltimore-Washington (BWI).  We recommend that you fly into DCA.  It is the closest airport to the Doubletree Hotel Bethesda and the NIH conference site.  You can ride the city’s subway system (called the “Metro”) directly from DCA to Bethesda.