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Forward2026 Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-USA (DSMIG-USA) Annual Symposium
Overview
Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-USA (DSMIG-USA) Annual Symposium provides an interdisciplinary forum for sharing of knowledge and experiences related to the clinical care of children and adults with Down syndrome, clinical research related to Down syndrome, and the development of Down syndrome clinics. The intended audience is DSMIG-USA members and other health professionals working caring for people with Down syndrome including physicians, research scientists, nurses/nurse-practitioners, Down syndrome clinic coordinators, psychologists, dietitians, occupational and physical therapists, speech-language pathologists, social workers and genetic counselors. Residents and trainees are welcome.
Jointly Provided by
- The Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-USA (DSMIG-USA®)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP)
Donate
DSMIG-USA is committed to its mission to support healthcare professionals who serve individuals with Down syndrome. Your donation vitally helps our unique mission to bring health providers together to improve the medical care of all people with Down syndrome and can assist future Annual Symposium attendees in covering some or all of the cost of their registration fees. To make a donation, please visit https://www.dsmig-usa.org/donate (opens in a new window).
Intended Audience
This activity is intended for dieticians, genetic counselors, nurses, advance practice nurses, physical therapists, physicians, physician assistants, psychologists, social workers, students, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists.
Learning Objectives
As a result of participation in this educational activity, members of the healthcare team will:
- Identify best practice management strategies for individuals who have Down syndrome and their caregivers
- Recognize and discuss trends in care for people with Down syndrome with interdisciplinary colleagues
- Formulate best practice care plans with interdisciplinary colleagues to incorporate into practice
Elements of Competence
This continuing education (CE) activity has been designed to change learner competence and focuses on the following competencies:
- Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)/NURSING: Medical knowledge, Patient care and procedural skills, Practice-based learning and improvement
- National Academy of Medicine (NAM)/NURSING COMPETENCIES: Provide patient/person-centered care, Employ evidence-based practice
- Interprofessional Education Collaborative Competencies: Roles/responsibilities, Communication, Teams and teamwork
Agenda
Thursday, July 23, 2026
Time | Activity/Topics/Speakers |
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Medical Curriculum Workgroup |
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. | Dietician Workgroup |
11:00 a.m. - 12:50 p.m. | Adolescent/Adult Workgroup George Capone, MD |
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Therapy Workgroup |
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Clinic Support Committee |
1:10 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | DS-ASD Workgroup Lina Patel, PsyD; Noemi Spinazzi, MD |
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Down Syndrome Project ECHO: Behavioral Challenges Moderator: Brian Chicoine, MD As a result of participation in this activity, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
|
5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Member meeting |
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. | Welcome reception |
Friday, July 24, 2026
Time | Activity/Topics/Speakers |
8:00 a.m. - 8:10 a.m. | Welcome and Announcements |
8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. | Evaluation and management of obstructive sleep apnea in children with Trisomy 21 Akinyemi Ajayi, MD |
9:20 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. | Cerebral/Cortical Visual Impairment in Down syndrome: Translating Current Research into Clinical Practice and Creating Momentum Towards Broader Awareness Moderator: Elizabeth Boatwright, MD As a result of participation in this activity, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
|
10:30 a.m. - 11:15 a.m. | Nutritional Implications of GLP-1 Agonist-Supported Weight Loss in Down Syndrome Dominica Nichols, PhD, RD, LDN As a result of participation in this activity, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
|
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | Medical and Surgical Management of Obesity in Down syndrome Moderator: Dominica Nichols, PhD, RD, LDN As a result of participation in this activity, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
|
1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Long Term Outcomes for Patients with Congenital Heart disease repair and Down Syndrome Zahid Amin, MD As a result of participation in this activity, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
|
2:35 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. | Lightening Round: (1) International Summit on Physical Fitness in Down syndrome - Summary and Recommendations (2) Vaccine safety and efficacy in individuals with Down syndrome Nicolas M. Oreskovic, MD, MPH, BA As a result of participation in this activity, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
|
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | NIH INCLUDE Project: Community-Engaged Research to Advance Clinical Care Across the Lifespan Melissa Parisi, MD, PhD |
4:05 p.m. – 4:35 p.m. | T21 Online Clinic: An Interdisciplinary Virtual Model Expanding Access to Comprehensive Care Across the Lifespan Lidia Gómez Puente, MD As a result of participation in this activity, members of the healthcare team will be able to:
|
4:40 p.m. – 5:40 p.m. | Practice Changing Articles - Update in the Medical Literature Peter Bulova, MD |
More information on lodging will be provided as it becomes available.
For any questions, please contact Emilie at [email protected].
Planners and Presenters
Name | Role | Title/Affiliation |
| Lina Patel, PsyD | Planning Committee Member, Faculty | Professor | Department of Psychiatry | University of Colorado School of Medicine |
| Noemi Spinazzi, MD | Planning Committee Member, Faculty | Director - Down Syndrome Center of Excellence at Children's Specialized Hospital |
| Sari Bar, MD, Physician | Planning Committee Member | Physician |
| Nicole Baumer, MD, Med | Planning Committee Member | Physician and Family Member |
| Gabriela Eguiarte, MD | Planning Committee Member | Physician |
| Amy Lyle, MSSW | Planning Committee Member | Social Worker |
| Stacy McConkey, MD | Planning Committee Member | Physician |
| Andrew McCormick, MD | Planning Committee Member | Physician |
| Meghan O'Neill, MD | Planning Committee Member | Physician |
| Emilie Perkins | Planning Committee Member | Activity Coordinator |
| Moya Peterson, PhD, RN | Planning Committee Member | Nurse Practitioner |
| Dannah Raz, MD | Planning Committee Member | Physician |
| Martha Walter, PhD | Planning Committee Member | Psychologist |
| Katherine Frank, PhD, OTR/L | Planning Committee Co-Chair, Faculty | Senior Occupational therapist, Adult Down Syndrome Center Advocate Medical Group |
| Maria A. Stanley, MD | Planning Committee Co-Chair | Physician |
| Akinyemi Ajayi, MD | Faculty | President, The Children’s Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists |
| Rudaina Banihani, MD | Faculty | Neonatologist & Developmental Behavioural Pediatrician; Medical Director, Neonatal Follow Up Clinic |
| Elizabeth Boatwright, MD | Faculty | Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, independent practice, Co-chair DSMIG DS+CVI Workgroup |
| Peter Bulova, MD | Faculty | Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center |
| George Capone, MD | Faculty | Director, Down Syndrome Clinic and Research Center Kennedy Krieger Institute |
| Melinda Chang, MD | Faculty | Attending Physician Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology, Keck School of Medicine of USC |
| Brian Chicoine, MD | Faculty | Medical Director, Advocate Medical Group, Adult Down Syndrome Center |
| Shannon Frizzell, MS, RDN, LDN | Faculty | Registered Dietitian Adult Down Syndrome Center of Western PA |
| Lidia Gómez Puente, MD | Faculty | Pediatrician, Co-founder & President, Red Down México |
| Gena Heidary, MD, PhD | Faculty | Ophthalmologist, Department of Ophthalmology; Director, Neuro-Ophthalmology Service, Director, Pediatric Ophthalmology Fellowship Program Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School |
| Jim Hudson, M.A., CFRE | Faculty | Executive Director |
| Gabriel Couto Keever, MA | Faculty | Gestalt Psychotherapist, T21 Online Clinic Mexico, Red Down México |
| Bernard Khor, MD, PhD | Faculty | Associate Member, Benaroya Research Institute |
| Asef Mahmud, MD | Faculty | Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, AdventHealth Medical Group |
| Kristie Marble | Faculty | Pediatric hospital medicine physician, Children's Mercy Hospital |
| Helen Milligan, PT, MPT | Faculty | Physical Therapist, Trisomy 21 Program, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia |
| María José Delgado Montemayor, MD | Faculty | Pediatrician & Clinical Coordinator, T21 Online Clinic,Red Down México |
| Dominica Nichols, PhD, RD, LDN | Faculty | Clinical Dietitian, Massachusetts General Hospital Down Syndrome Program |
| Alejandra Ochoa, MD | Faculty | Pediatrician, T21 Online Clinic Mexico, Red Down México |
| Nicolas M. Oreskovic, MD, MPH, BA | Faculty | Physician Scientist, Associate Professor of Pediatrics |
| Lauren Ptomey, PhD, RD, LD | Faculty | Associate Professor, Physical Activity & Weight Management Director of the Brain Health in Down Syndrome Program |
| Vibha Singhal, MD, MPH, DABOM | Faculty | Pediatric Endocrinology and Obesity Medicine Director, Obesity Medicine, Pediatrics Associate Professor (P), Pediatrics UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital |
| Kishore Vellody, MD | Faculty | Professor of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Shelly Verma, DO | Faculty | Advocate Medical Group, Adult Down Syndrome Center |
| Matthew Zussman, MD | Faculty | Pediatric Cardiologist, Advent Health Research Institute |
| James Eberhard, MFA | Accreditation Specialist | Cont. Edu. Program Mgr., Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership, UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health |
| Melissa Parisi, M.D., Ph.D. | Faculty | Eunice Kennedy Shriver Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center |
Policy on Faculty and Sponsor Disclosure
It is the policy of the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) to identify, mitigate and disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies* held by the speakers/presenters, authors, planners, and other persons who may influence the content of this accredited continuing education (CE). In addition, speakers, presenters and authors must disclose any planned discussion of unlabeled/unapproved uses of drugs or devices during their presentation. or this accredited continuing education activity all relevant financial relationships have been mitigated and detailed disclosures are listed below.
Name | Role | Relevant Financial Relationships Disclosed | Discussion of Unlabeled/Unapproved Uses of Drugs/Devices in Presentation? |
| Lina Patel, PsyD | Planning Committee Member, Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Noemi Spinazzi, MD | Planning Committee Member, Faculty | Ionis Pharmaceuticals (Independent Contractor - Data And Safety Monitoring) | No |
| Sari Bar, MD, Physician | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Nicole Baumer, MD, Med | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Gabriela Eguiarte, MD | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Amy Lyle, MSSW | Planning Committee Member | Pfizer (Grant / Contract), teraimmune (Independent Contractor - Consultant) | No |
| Stacy McConkey, MD | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Andrew McCormick, MD | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Meghan O'Neill, MD | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Emilie Perkins | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Moya Peterson, PhD, RN | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Dannah Raz, MD | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Martha Walter, PhD | Planning Committee Member | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Katherine Frank, PhD, OTR/L | Planning Committee Co-Chair, Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Maria A. Stanley, MD | Planning Committee Co-Chair | Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. (Independent Contractor - Other) | No |
| Akinyemi Ajayi, MD | Faculty | ||
| Rudaina Banihani, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Elizabeth Boatwright, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Peter Bulova, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| George Capone, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Melinda Chang, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Brian Chicoine, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Shannon Frizzell, MS, RDN, LDN | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Lidia Gómez Puente, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Gena Heidary, MD, PhD | Faculty | Day One Biopharmaceuticals (Independent Contractor - Consultant), Textbook (Other IP) | No |
| Jim Hudson, M.A., CFRE | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Gabriel Couto Keever, MA | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Bernard Khor, MD, PhD | Faculty | Pfizer (Grant / Contract), teraimmune (Independent Contractor - Consultant) | No |
| Asef Mahmud, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Kristie Marble | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Helen Milligan, PT, MPT | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| María José Delgado Montemayor, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Dominica Nichols, PhD, RD, LDN | Faculty | Abbott Laboratories (Stock) | No |
| Alejandra Ochoa, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | Yes |
| Nicolas M. Oreskovic, MD, MPH, BA | Faculty | ROM Technologies, Inc (Stock Option) | No |
| Lauren Ptomey, PhD, RD, LD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Vibha Singhal, MD, MPH, DABOM | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | Yes |
| Kishore Vellody, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Shelly Verma, DO | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Matthew Zussman, MD | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| James Eberhard, MFA | Accreditation Specialist | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
| Melissa Parisi, M.D., Ph.D. | Faculty | No relevant relationships with ineligible companies to disclose | No |
*Ineligible companies are those whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by, or on, patients. The ACCME does not consider providers of clinical services directly to patients to be ineligible companies.
Accreditation and Credit Designation Statements
Accreditation Logos | Accreditation Statements |
 | In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by the University of Wisconsin–Madison Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) and the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-USA. The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team. |
American Medical Association (AMA) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. | |
 | American Board of Pediatrics (Maintenance of Certification-MOC) Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the learner to earn up to 7.5 MOC points in the American Board of Pediatrics' (ABP) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit learner completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABP MOC credit. By completing the requirements for this activity, the learner gives UW-Madison ICEP permission to share completion data with the ACCME and the certifying board(s). MOC credit is only available for the symposium on Friday, July 24. |
 | American Board of Internal Medicine (Maintenance of Certification-MOC) Successful completion of this CME activity, which includes participation in the evaluation component, enables the participant to earn up to 7.5 MOC points in the American Board of Internal Medicine's (ABIM) Maintenance of Certification (MOC) program. It is the CME activity provider's responsibility to submit participant completion information to ACCME for the purpose of granting ABIM MOC credit. By completing the requirements for this activity, the learner gives UW-Madison ICEP permission to share completion data with the ACCME and the certifying board(s). MOC credit is only available for the symposium on Friday, July 24. |
 | American Psychological Association (APA) Continuing Education (CE) credits for psychologists are provided through the co-sponsorship of the American Psychological Association (APA) Office of Continuing Education in Psychology (CEP). The APA CEP Office maintains responsibility for the content of the programs. |
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) As a Jointly Accredited Organization, the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. Social workers completing this course receive 12.0 general, live continuing education credits. | |
American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.0 ANCC contact hours. | |
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) The University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP, as a member of the University Professional & Continuing Education Association (UPCEA), authorizes this program for 1.2 CEUs or 12.0 hours. |
Available Credit
- 7.50 MOC: ABIM Medical Knowledge Points (Part II)
- 7.50 MOC: ABP Lifelong Learning Points (Part II)
- 12.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
- 12.00 ANCC Contact Hours
- 12.00 APA CE Credits
- 12.00 University of Wisconsin–Madison Continuing Education Hours
- 12.00 Approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
How to Register
- Select any additional options and click "Add to cart."
- Click "Checkout" and follow the prompts to complete your order.
- Before checkout, you will have the option to add a coupon code(s) to reduce the cost to the prices below. Refunds will not be given for the difference in price if applicable coupons are not used during registration.
- Be sure to make note of (or highlight and right-click>copy) the correct coupon code before you click "Add to cart" so you can add/paste it in the Coupon Code field.
- Once added, click "Apply coupon"
Registration for this activity can only be completed through the ICEP Learning Portal. Attendee registrations made through any other sites cannot be honored. UW-Madison ICEP is not able to refund fees paid through unaffiliated registration sites, such as eMedEvents.com, MedConfWorld.com, EventEgg.com, and 10times.com. Please report any unauthorized websites or solicitations for registrations to [email protected].
Symposium Fees
Group Discount:
$25 off per registration when two or more register from the same organization! Request Group Discount. This coupon code is only eligible with member and non-member rates (it cannot be used with the student/trainee rate).
Early Bird Fees: Use Coupon Code 2026DEB on or before May 31, 2026.
- Members of DSMIG-USA® in good standing: $350
- Non-members: $450
- Students/trainees: $199
After May 31, 2025:
- Members of DSMIG-USA® in good standing: $375
- Non-members: $475
- Students/trainees: $199
On-Site/Day-of Registration Fee:
$475 (for everyone)
Thursday Workgroups:
$30 each
Gratis Registration For:
- Scholarship Recipients
- Rising Star Scholarships
- Non-Member Speakers
Contact Emilie Perkins ([email protected]) regarding gratis registration.
Cancellation and Refund Policy
Requests for cancellation must be submitted in writing to [email protected]. Cancellation requests received at least 96 hours prior to the symposium will allow a full refund except for the nonrefundable processing fee of $50. No refunds will be made for cancellations received less than 96 hours prior to the activity start date.
Accessibility
We value inclusion and access for all participants and are pleased to provide reasonable accommodation for this event. Please contact [email protected] as soon as you can to make a reasonable accommodation request.
For Further Information
For symposium information email Emilie Perkins at [email protected]. For registration assistance, email [email protected].
Program Changes
Emergency situations occasionally occur and may necessitate topic or speaker changes. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and the University of Wisconsin–Madison ICEP reserve the right to alter or substitute a topic or speaker without prior notification.