It is my pleasure to serve as the ACSM topical representative for Immunology, Genetics, and Endocrinology. The 2022 ACSM Annual Meeting will feature several outstanding sessions on the interactions between hormones, immunology and genetics with exercise and disease across the lifespan. There are three sessions that I think will be of particular interest to conference attendees. The first is a highlighted symposium entitled, “Genetics of Musculoskeletal Disease.” This important session is scheduled for June 1st (Wednesday) from 9:30 -11:30 a.m. The symposium will be chaired by Vanessa Sherk, Ph.D., and features three exceptional speakers who are making their debut at the ACSM Annual Meeting: Cheryl Ackert-Bicknell, Ph.D., Struan Grant, Ph.D., and Charles Farber, Ph.D. This session will discuss recently discovered genetic targets related to rare and common muscle and bone diseases that are also influenced by exercise (e.g., osteoporosis), and will provide important insights into some of the experimental approaches used to study these areas. 

The second symposium I would like to highlight is entitled, “The Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance- Addressing the Sex and Gender Gaps in Sports Performance Research.” This session is scheduled for June 3rd (Friday) from 9:30 -11:30 a.m., will be Chaired by Kathryn Ackerman, M.D., FACSM, and features four outstanding presenters: Louise Burke, Ph.D., FACSM; Kirsty Elliot-Sale, Ph.D.; Trent Stellingwerff, Ph.D., FACSM; and Emily Kraus, M.D. Topics will include guidelines for assessing effects of the menstrual cycle on performance, considerations for studying exercise in pregnancy, best practices for undertaking nutrition research in female athletes, important sports science questions for the menopausal athlete and unique approaches to dissemination of findings to the broader community. 

The final symposium that I would like to highlight is entitled, “HERITAGE Family Study at 25: Summary of Training Effects on Fitness, Reproducibility, Genomics and Molecular Transducers,” and features four experts related to the HERITAGE study. The session is scheduled for June 3th (Saturday) from 9:00-11:00 a.m. Speakers include, Mark Sarzynski, Ph.D., FACSM; Jacob Barber, Ph.D; Sujoy Ghosh, Ph.D; Jeremy Robbins, M.D. The goal of this symposium is to summarize some of the findings of HERITAGE and their potential implications for cardiometabolic health and cardiorespiratory fitness. 

In addition to these sessions there will a Tutorial Session on “Keeping Pace with Advances in Exercise Genetics” on June 2nd (Thursday), at 10:40 a.m., a thematic poster session on “Rodent Studies Combining Immunotherapy and Exercise to Treat Cancer” on June 2nd (Thursday), at 3:45 p.m., oral sessions “Genetic Regulators and Responses to Exercise” on June 1st (Wednesday), at 3:15 p.m. and “Immune and Inflammation and Exercise” on June 3rd(Friday), at 1:30 p.m. and poster sessions spread throughout the week.  

Learn more about additional sessions in Immunology, Genetics and Endocrinology and the many other sessions that will be presented at the 2022 ACSM Annual Meeting. 

Registration Info 

Vanessa Sherk, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She is the ACSM Annual Meeting Program Committee topical rep for immunology, genetics and endocrinology.