2008 Meeting Information

AGENDA

• Conference Schedule, rev. 4/10/08
• Spine Trauma Symposium Agenda (Saturday), rev. 2/20/08
• State-of-the-Art Symposium Agenda (Saturday), rev. 3/19/08
• Precourse (Thursday)

If you wish to be notified of schedule changes, please enter your email address:

ASIA 2008 ANNUAL SCIENTIFIC MEETING TO BE HELD IN SUNNY CALIFORNIA

You are invited to join us from June 19-22nd

HOTEL:

Welcome to the Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa, a picture perfect jewel nestled between San Diego-Coronado Bay and the sparkling Pacific on Crown Island in the seaside community of Coronado, California. All guestrooms have water views, including views of the marina, the Pacific Ocean, the San Diego-Coronado Bay or the San Diego skyline. There are 5 restaurants and lounges, numerous shops, an 80-slip private marina, 3 lighted tennis courts, 3 heated swimming pools, and a state-of-the-art spa and fitness center. The resort is 15 minutes from the San Diego Airport, and downtown San Diego. It is only four miles from downtown Coronado.

Make your reservations by calling the hotel directly at 619-424-4000, or toll free at 1-800-815-6397. You may also register online at: www.loewshotels.com. Please indicate at that time if you will require accessible accommodations. The cut-off date to make your reservations and receive the conference room rate is May 18, 2008. After this date, reservations will be accepted on a space available basis and the conference rate is NOT guaranteed.

Conference Rate:
Single: $215
Double: $225

These rates will be honored for three days prior to three days after the ASIA meeting (from Sunday night, June 15th, through Tuesday night, June 24th). So take advantage of summer vacation, bring the family, and plan to enjoy some leisure time in Southern California before and/or after this year’s ASIA meeting.

AIR TRAVEL:

San Diego is serviced frequently by several major airlines. The airport is conveniently located in the heart of the city, and is in close proximity to all major attractions.

TRANSPORTATION TO THE HOTEL:

The Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa is a short drive over the Coronado Bay Bridge from San Diego. Taxi transport is reasonably priced. Shuttle transportation is available through "Cloud 9 Shuttle." Cars can be rented by the day or for longer periods at the resort, should you need your own transportation for sightseeing.

ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION:

• Loews provides complimentary shuttle bus services to downtown Coronado, downtown San Diego, Seaport Village, and Fashion Valley Mall.
• Bus service is available between Loews and Coronado/downtown San Diego.
• Water taxi service is available to Glorietta Bay and the Coronado Ferry Landing, as well as to Seaport Village and San Diego’s Broadway Pier.

WHAT TO DO IN SAN DIEGO:

If you are not familiar with the San Diego area, you are in for a treat.

A few of its best known sights are:

• San Diego Zoo
• Sea World
• Legoland
• Old Town
• Seaport Village
• San Diego Wild Animal Park
• Balboa Park
• Padres Baseball

Shopping includes:

• Horton Plaza
• Gaslamp District/Downtown San Diego
• FashionValley/Mission Valley
• LaJolla

SELL LECTURESHIP 2008

The G. Heiner Sell Lectureship was established in 1982, to honor the memory of ASIA president-elect G. Heiner Sell, M.D. who died the previous year. Previous lecturers are:

1982 J. Paul Thomas
1983 R. Edward Carter, M.D.
1984 Albert J. Aguayo, M.D.
1985 P. Hunter Peckham, Ph.D.
1986 John Doyle
1987 Edward J. McGuire, M.D.
1988 Bernard Towers, M.D.
1989 David C. Viano, Ph.D.
1990 Martin E. Schwab, Ph.D.
1991 V. Reggie Edgerton, Ph.D.
1992 John F. Ditunno, Jr., M.D.
1993 Robert R. Menter, M.D.
1994 Paul J. Reier, Ph.D.
1995 William C. deGroat, Ph.D.
1996 Charles H. Tator, M.D., Ph.D.
1997 O. Lars Olson, M.D.
1998 Giles S. Brindley, M.D.
1999 Ake Seiger, M.D., Ph.D.
2000 Susan J. Harkema, Ph.D.
2001 Mary B. Bunge, Ph.D.
2002 Michal Schwartz, Ph.D.
2003 Barbara S. Bregman, Ph.D.
2004 Gale G. Whiteneck, Ph.D.
2005 Claire E. Hulsebosch, Ph.D.
2006 Volker Dietz, M.D.
2007 Arthur Prochazka, Ph.D.

The 2008 G. Heiner Sell Lectureship will be presented by Mark Tuszynski, M.D., Ph.D. Dr. Tuszynski is on the faculty of the Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego. The lecture will be presented on Saturday, June 21, 2008, during the Annual Awards Breakfast Session (7:00-8:30 AM).

AWARDS

Various awards will be presented at ASIA 2008:

• The Erica Nader Award, partnered by Viscogliosi Brothers, LLC
• The Synthes Resident Research Award, partnered by Synthes Spine
• The Best Published Paper 2007 by an ASIA Member
• Best Paper Awards (3)
• Best Poster Awards (3)
• The Apple Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

ASIA established its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1986. Designed to acknowledge a career of outstanding contributions to the field of spinal cord injury medicine, the award has been presented to 18 worthy individuals in the past 21 years.

They are:

1987 John M. Young, M.D.
1990 A. Estin Comarr, M.D.
1991 R. Edward Carter, M.D.
1992 Albin T. Jousse, M.D.
1993 Samuel L. Stover, M.D.
1994 J. Paul Thomas
1996 Alain Rossier, M.D.
1997 David F. Apple, Jr., M.D.
1998 Paul R. Meyer, Jr., M.D., M.M.
1999 Theodore M. Cole, M.D.
2000 John F. Ditunno, Jr., M.D.
2001 Henry B. Betts, M.D.
2002 Kristjan T. Ragnarsson, M.D.
2003 Jerome M. Cotler, M.D.
2005 William H. Donovan, M.D.
2006 Hans L. Frankel, M.D.
2007 Robert L. Waters, M.D. & Gale G. Whiteneck, Ph.D.

The 2008 ASIA Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to J. Darrell Shea, M.D. of Orlando, Florida. Dr. Shea, an orthopedic surgeon, was a founder of ASIA and served the association in many capacities during his career, culminating in a term as its 5th president (1985-1987). A hallmark of Dr. Shea’s contribution to the field of spinal cord injury was the establishment of the ASIA initiative for standards of care. His work was a precursor of the subsequent development of the "International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury" with which ASIA has been closely identified for three decades.

EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

The 34th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Spinal Injury Association will provide participants with scientific papers, posters, Instructional Courses and Symposia that will present the results of current research on the evaluation, treatment, and long term follow-up of individuals with spinal cord injuries. It is the objective of the educational program that all presentations be on emerging topics, presented clearly and objectively. The Program Committee selects the annual program based on attendee evaluations of previous programs, suggestions solicited from the membership, and the committee’s knowledge of the most recent developments in the field.

This program is designed for physicians, psychologists, researchers, nurses, therapists, counselors, case managers, administrators and others who work in or have interest in rehabilitation medicine with specialized emphasis on spinal cord injury research and care delivery.

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

For the 2008 Annual Meeting, CMEs will be available. The annual meeting is being co-partnered by ASIA and AAOS, and physician attendees will be eligible to receive approximately 22 AMA Category I continuing medical education credits.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint partnership of the American Academy of Othopaedic Surgeons and the American Spinal Injury Association.

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons is accredited by the ACCME to partner continuing medical education for physicians.

The American Academy of Othopaedic Surgeons designates this continuing medication education activity as meeting the criteria for Category 1 credit of the Physician's Recognition Award of the American Medical Association. Each physician should claim only those hours of credit that he/she actually spent in the activity.

DISCLOSURE POLICY

The authors of all papers presented at this meeting, orally or through the use of posters, have been queried regarding their or their department’s reception of any item, payment, or service valued in excess of $500.00 from a commercial or other party related directly or indirectly to the subject of the presentation.

It is the policy of the American Spinal Injury Association to make these types of relationships known to the audience at the annual meeting, and toward that end, all authors who responded to the above statement affirmatively will be so identified.

ASIA PROGRAM COMMITTEE