SER-SPC President’s Message – June 2026

Greetings,

It is finally here — the 2026 Society for Epidemiologic Research (SER) Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, June 23–26, 2026. It is hard to believe how quickly this past year has gone by. I still remember the excitement of last year’s meeting, and now we are preparing to gather once again as a community of students, postdoctoral scholars, early-career investigators, mentors, colleagues, and friends. I’m truly looking forward to reconnecting with many of you in Phoenix, hearing about innovative work, welcoming new members into the SER community, and continuing the conversations, collaborations, and friendships that make SER so special.

The Student & Postdoctoral Committee is especially excited about the many opportunities for trainees and early-career members to connect throughout the conference. I encourage you to participate in SPC events including the SER Fun Run-Walk, Breakfast with the Experts, Speed Mentor Networking, the SPC Career Panel, SPC Business Meeting, and the SPC Social Event. These events are designed to foster mentorship, professional development, community-building, and meaningful conversations in both formal and informal spaces.

As this conference also marks the close of another SPC year, I want to personally thank the incredible SPC Leadership Team for their time, leadership, creativity, and commitment to supporting our student and postdoctoral community. Thank you to Xuexin Yu and Meghan Buxton, SPC Education Co-Chairs; Ariadne Rivera-Aguirre, SPC Internal Affairs Chair; Meghana Shamsunder, SPC Diversity and Inclusion Chair,  Amy Zheng and Jessica Beetch, SPC Media Co-Chairs; Gina Nam and Anlan Cao, SPC Program Co-Chairs for all of your support and contributions throughout the year. Your work has helped strengthen SPC and create meaningful opportunities for connection, learning, and engagement across our community.

I also want to share my excitement for the future leadership of SPC and congratulate Tendai Gwanzura as the next SPC President. I’m encouraged by the possibilities ahead for the continued growth of SPC under new leadership and all that this community will continue to accomplish in the year ahead.

Safe travels to those attending, and thank you all for continuing to make SER a thoughtful, collaborative, and welcoming community. I look forward to seeing many of you soon in Phoenix.

With optimism and hope,