University of Tennessee Conference Center 
Knoxville, TN, USA











Purpose and Goal

Extinction rates of herpetofauna are 60X greater than background extinction rates, and 2 – 4X greater than other vertebrate groups. A primary cause of herpetofauna population declines and species extinctions is emerging infectious diseases. Snake fungal disease, pond turtle shell disease, ranaviral disease and chytridiomycosis are a few of the diseases contributing to local, regional and global die-off events. Although the pathogens and hosts involved in herpetofauna epizootics are diverse, commonalities in factors contributing to disease emergence exist. Humans frequently play a role in amphibian and reptile disease emergence, through the unintentional translocation of pathogens in trade or affecting environmental conditions that influence likelihood of host infection. The future of disease management in herpetofaunal communities will depend on a holistic approach to managing habitat, hosts, and a myriad of factors that impact pathogen transmission. Understanding commonalities among herpetofaunal disease systems is key toward developing robust management strategies that foster resiliency to pathogen invasion.

The goal of the GARD 2022 is to bring together scientists from across the globe to discuss various amphibian and reptile diseases, organize facilitated discussions on the similarities and differences among host-pathogen systems, and identify disease management strategies that can be used to ensure the conservation of herpetofauna species for generations to come!


The 2024 GARD CONFERENCE will be in MALAYSIA, 5-9 AUG 2024. For more information, please visit: https://2024wch10.com.

Important Dates

Call for Workshop Proposals: January  17
Call for Abstracts: February 1
Workshop Proposal Deadline: March 1
Abstract Submission Deadline: March 25
Travel Grant Application Deadline: May 13 
Early Bird Registration: April 4 - May 27
End of Regular In-Person Registration: July 1
Conference Hotel Reservation Deadline:July1
End of Online Registration: July 


New EID Article on GARD22

Meeting Composition


  • In-Person Attendance
  • Online Attendance 
  • Field Trips & Wet Labs





  • Facilitated Discussions
  • Workshops





  • Keynotes
  • Research Presentations
  • Poster Presentations

2022 Conference Hosts




     

          
     

2022 Conference Sponsors


Platinum Level (≥$10,000 USD)

    


Gold Level ($5,000-9,999 USD)





     





     



     


Silver Level ($2,500-4,999 USD)








Bronze Level (<$2,500 USD)














Individual Donors

Josh Hall, Tennessee, USA


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FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT, CONTACT MATT GRAY, MGRAY11@UTK.EDU