ABMR Annual Meeting 2026 & 2027

About This Grant

Project Summary/Abstract The Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research (ABMR) is guided by its mission to advance the field of behavioral medicine by creating and disseminating knowledge, cultivating discourse, and inspiring change that culminates in better health for all. ABMR Fellows are distinguished mid-level and senior scientists, including MDs and PhDs, elected by their peers for contributions to behavioral medicine research. Our mission primarily is accomplished through the annual scientific meeting that brings together our diverse membership and invited thought leaders to share the latest scientific advances, exchange cutting-edge ideas, and provide stimulating and engaging discussions in an informal but rigorously scientific atmosphere. ABMR Fellows lead extensive NIH-supported programs of research that integrate biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences to support healthy gaining and reduce chronic disease burden across the lifespan. Our Fellows focus on revealing biolobehavioral mechanisms of aging that underlie leading causes of death and disability (e.g., heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes) and developing and implementing effective interventions to maintain health and reduce the burden of age-related chronic conditions. In 2021, we added an early-stage investigators (ESI) program to the ABMR annual meeting, specifically to foster career development and leadership skills of promising behavioral medicine scholars with their first K- or R-level award from NIH. This R13 conference grant will support the planned 2026 and 2027 Annual Scientific Meetings, including participation of invited Keynote Speakers each year and our 10 ESI Program Fellows per year. The 2026 meeting will be held June 24-27, 2026, at The Stonewall Resort in Roanoke, WV; the 2027 meeting will be held June 25-28, 2025 in SeaTac, WA. Our R13 has 3 Aims. Aim 1 is to disseminate recommendations for implementing the behavioral medicine evidence base to promote healthy aging and reduce chronic disease burden. The meetings will specifically focus on: 1) the clinical trials enterprise; 2) AI; and 3) evidence-based prevention and patient care delivery models, each as concerns the behavioral factors associated with healthy aging, digital/mHealth, precision behavioral medicine interventions, and methods to ‘kick start’ health promotion as a life-long practice. With support through the R13, both meetings will feature Keynote Speakers who are thought leaders on these issues but from adjacent fields. For Aims 2 and 3, we will support 10 up-and-coming ESIs each year through the ABMR ESI Fellowship Award, providing a leadership workshop, mentorship and career development training focused on strategies for sustaining and strengthening independence and leadership. This R13 enables ABMR to nurture the success of the next generation of behavioral medicine researchers and leaders, which aligns with NIH’s Next Generation Researchers Initiative, and enables ABMR to advance the field of behavioral medicine as it has since its inception almost 50 years ago.