Dear colleagues,

Please find the latest newsletter below. With this newsletter, I would like to draw special attention to the search for a new vice president and new steering group members.

Newsletter November 2022

1. EPH 2022 in Berlin
2. Change in Presidency
3. Search for new Vice President and Steering Group members
4. Minutes Join-the-Network meeting
5. Planning for EPH 2023 in Dublin

1. EPH 2022 in Berlin

It was great to see so many of you in Berlin at EPH 2022 nearly three years after our last in-person meeting. Because of all your contributions, we had an interesting SGMH-related program that included two workshops organized by our section. A special thanks to Dr. David Doyle and Dr. Richard Ma for initiating and co-organizing these workshops and to all who were able to present their work.

2. Change in Presidency

After nearly seven years of leading the section, Dr. Bränström stepped down as president. Dr. Bränström’s leadership led to the creation of the SGMH section and resulted in a rapid expansion of its membership over the last few years, up to almost 1200 members to date. The section is very grateful for all the work by Dr. Bränström over the last 7 years; first as section initiator, later as its founding president. Dr. Van der Star was selected and appointed as the new section president.

3. Search for new Vice President and Steering Group members

With the change in presidency, there is a vacancy for a new vice president and a few new steering group members. The aim is to form a group of diverse researchers/professionals in terms of identities and age, who represent various countries across the continent, and who cover a wide array of SGM-related topics and expertise. Early-career researchers/professionals are highly encouraged to apply. These are all volunteer positions and no remuneration is available. The role of vice president includes various tasks that can range from managing all section communications, organizing and initiating section activities/conference workshops, organizing and participating in steering group meetings, assisting with network meetings, all in close collaboration with the section president, and, when needed, replacing the president for meetings in Utrecht/Brussels or elsewhere. The vice president will also receive an annual waiver for the EPH Conference fee. The role of steering group member focuses on assisting in developing a new strategic plan for the section, in setting new section priorities, in setting up new partnerships, and in initiating and organizing section activities/conference workshops. The steering group typically meets 2 to 3 times a year. If you are interested in either of these roles, please send an email to the section president Dr. Van der Star (avanderstar@sdsu.edu / arjan.van.der.star@ki.se) that includes a short statement on motivation, a brief description of your area of research/expertise, and an updated CV, before December 16. A decision will likely be made around mid-January.

4. Minutes Join-the-Network meeting

Find here the minutes of the Join-the-Network (JTN) meeting held at the EPH Conference in Berlin in early November: Minutes JtN 2022. 

5. Planning for EPH 2023 in Dublin

During the JTN meeting, several new topics were suggested for workshops at the upcoming EPH conference in Dublin next year. These included 1) SOGI status and neurodiversity and 2) Best practices around integrating SGM-specific services and general healthcare services. We are looking for additional topics for possible new workshops for Dublin and new ideas are welcomed. In case you have other ideas and/or if you could possibly contribute to such a workshop, please reach out to the section president Dr. Van der Star (avanderstar@sdsu.edu / arjan.van.der.star@ki.se). Early next year, a broader call for abstracts will be circulated for any research/work related to SGM health as well as abstracts that focus on an updated short list of topics/priorities.

Best regards,

Arjan van der Star
EUPHA-SGMH

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