Dear DRS Members and Friends

Dear DRS Members and Friends,

I hope this message finds you all well and having a wonderful summer!  I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your hard work so far this year, and to share some DRS news.

Dysphagia Awareness Month
We want to thank you for embarking on the mission with the Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) to spread dysphagia awareness by participating in the activities that have occurred over the month of June. I would like to particularly thank Dr. Catriona Steele and the rest of the committee that organized the Dash for Dysphagia.  This event, originally called the “Run for Research” was rebranded to better represent more ways of engaging in physical fitness activities.  Thanks to all of you, we raised approximately $13,000 for the society!

DRSIE Fall Conference
The Dysphagia Research Society Institute for Education (DRSIE) is hosting the annual DRSIE Fall Conference again this year (September 14-15, 2023).  This event is an exciting blend of state-of-the-science from leading experts along with career mentoring for the next generation of scientists in our field.  This year, the conference focuses on Cerebral Palsy and Head and Neck Cancer. The deadline for applications from early career clinicians and scientists has been extended to July 10, 2023.  Click here for details.

2023 Monthly Continuing Education Webinars
July 27, 2023 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Central (Chicago) Time. 
Speakers: Heather M. Starmer, MA CCC-SLP; BCS-S and Kate Hutcheson, PhD
Topic: Lymphedema and the swallow in head and neck cancer survivorship
Click here to register.

Save the Date!
The DRS Annual Meeting will be held March 12-15, 2024 at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan, Puerto Rico (details will be posted here). The program committee, chaired by Drs. Mark Nicosia and Samantha Shune, is putting together an excellent preconference and conference program.   Please keep an eye out for the call for abstracts, which will open later this summer.

In Memoriam
We recently learned of the passing of Dr. Nick Diamant, a DRS past-president and beloved scholar, colleague, and mentor by many in the DRS community.  Please see this link for a tribute to Dr. Diamant.

Respectfully yours,

Mark Nicosia
2023-2024 DRS President