COVID-19 UPDATE AS OF APRIL 2, 2020:
In-Person Meeting Cancelled- We are going virtual!

In response to the rapidly changing circumstances associated with the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), the ISBD has made the decision to transition its annual in-person conference to a virtual experience.

In coming to this decision, the ISBD leadership carefully weighed the risks to attendees and their families, colleagues, and patients. As a Society devoted to the well-being of those with bipolar disorder, the organization feels strongly that ISBD must continue to fulfill its mission in the face of COVID-19.

Our annual conference provides an essential forum for the exchange of the latest information and ideas in the field and we need to ensure that we maintain this important function of our Society. A virtual conference will provide an exciting means of sharing knowledge and communicating and collaborating with colleagues from around the world. We need to be flexible while acknowledging this global health issue.

Please know this has been an incredibly difficult decision for us as we all look forward to our annual conference to see friends, both long-tenured and new.

Our annual conference is also important because ISBD is a not-for-profit organization that depends heavily on this meeting to sustain its financial well-being. Like other professional organizations that hold conferences, ISBD has made up-front investments to plan and execute the conference. The circumstances associated with COVID- 19 are changing daily and because the conference is now just 10 weeks away, cancelling the in-person conference has consequences not just for attendees, presenters, and exhibitors but for the Society as well.

The International Society for Bipolar Disorders was created in response to the need for further awareness, education, and research on this severe mental illness.  The Society is growing in membership with an elected board representing 15 countries and over 700 members representing nearly 60 countries.

ISBD is a major source for emerging research and clinical data on bipolar disorders and is the only bipolar-focused, research-oriented Society working to bring this data to patients, families, and mental health professionals working on the front lines of bipolar care.

The Society currently offers several educational programs, including the Samuel Gershon Awards for Junior Investigators for best original research manuscripts, online training opportunities for young clinicians, and a mentorship program. In addition to its work to support bipolar education among trainees, fellows and young investigators, the ISBD is also moving the field forward through the development of task forces in the areas of child and adolescent bipolar disorder, transcultural needs, staging, women’s health and bipolar disorder in older adults.

Reasons to Attend ISBD 2020