Project Summary
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Assessing Quality in Neurobehavioral Research
The Organization for Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS) and Developmental
Neurotoxicology Society (DNTS) will be having a joint meeting with The Teratology Society
(TS), and from June 27-July 1, 2020. Presentations at the annual DNTS/TS/OTIS meeting
focuses on effects of exposures to drugs and negative environmental conditions - especially
exposure that occurs early in life - on the brain and behavior. The mission of OTIS is to support
and contribute to worldwide initiatives for teratology education and research by empowering
women, health care professionals and the public with accurate, current, and evidence-based
information about the effects of exposures during pregnancy or while breastfeeding with the
goal of enabling informed decision-making, reducing the risks of preventable birth defects, and
facilitating professional development and communication. The mission of DNTS is to better
understand, through animal and human studies, the developmental origins of nervous system
diseases and prevent their occurrence. The joint meeting provides an opportunity for the
societies to network, collaborate, provide professional development and training opportunities to
members, and learn new ways in which to translate bench science to application and vice versa.
As part of the 2020 conference programming, OTIS and DNTS will hold a symposium entitled
“The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Assessing Quality in Neurobehavioral Research”. The
objective of this symposium is to bring together developmental neuroscientists,
neurotoxicologists, psychologists, toxicologists, epidemiologists, teratologists, teratogen
information specialists, medical geneticists, physicians and genetic councilors from academia,
industry, and government for a unique training opportunity to develop skills in translational
science and communication. Attendees will learn from four qualified speakers about quality,
challenges and limitations, and the interpretation of research methods and results. In addition,
attendees will have opportunity to work together on a case study to practice and develop skills
for the purposes of translating research to practice. Ample time will be allotted for discussion at
the end of the symposium in order to allow participants to ask questions and integrate
information. Thus, this symposium will provide both researchers and practitioners with
opportunities for learning and skill development related to the conduct of research studies,
interpretation of research results, and communication of scientific insights.