I hope your summer has been enjoyable and relaxing, and that you and your family, friends, and colleagues have been free from harm during these months of international conflict.

We are excited about our 2007 meeting plans, and I am very appreciative of the creativity and work of the Program Committee, who have created an exciting 34th Annual Scientific meeting, to be held in Portland, Oregon.

The Program Committee members who have created the 2007 meeting are: David Baram MD, Linda Chaudron MD, Jane Harrison-Hohner RNP, RN, Meg O'Reilly MD, MPH, Deborah Rich PhD, Julie Rosenberg MD, Jonathan Schaffir MD, and Jillian Romm RN, LCSW.

As we approach our February meeting, stay tuned for email notices about the meeting, requests for abstracts, and opportunities to plan you stay in Portland. The full program will be on the website soon. Link to www.NASPOG.org , for meeting announcements, abstract submission guidelines and meeting updates.

The 2007 meeting will reflect the changes we’ve made in response to your suggestions at last year’s membership meeting in Hawaii. We have condensed the meeting to 2 full (VERY full!) days, with presentations beginning Friday morning, and the meeting ending Saturday evening. And we have added a Sunday opportunity – a wine country tour!

Jillian Romm President

On Friday February 9, 2007 we will host symposia on the Treatment of Perinatal Mood Disorders, Adolescent Health: Gynecology and Sexuality, and the Steiner Symposium – selected award- winning scientific abstracts of students and trainees. Our luncheon "entertainment" will be a Debate: Cesarean Section on Maternal Demand. In the afternoon we will have several Breakout Sessions, including Meth: the Oregon Experience, IPT training, and Stress, Sex Hormones and the Brain. In the evening we will have dinner at Portland City Grill, with stunning views of Portland’s river, bridges and cityscape – all while enjoying the 2007 Weinberg Lecture – this year presented by Dr. Kathryn Zerbe.

Saturday February 10th will begin with a symposium about Pregnancy Termination Procedures & Patient Decision-Making, followed by a Genital Pain: Evaluation and Treatment, and Psychosexual Impact & Counseling Strategies. After our Business Luncheon & Membership Meeting, we will have a presentation about Oregon’s unique Intercultural Psychiatric Program for Somali Women, and our annual NASPOG Presents! Symposium of members’ abstracts. We conclude the meeting with a Poster Session followed by Dinner & Presidential Address.

On Sunday, we have a special offering: A Wine Country Tour, with wine tasting and lunch at one of Oregon’s best vineyards. Please consider adding a day of fun, relaxation, and wine enjoying, to your Portland visit.

The small conference hotel ( www.marriottportland.com) is located in downtown Portland, within comfortable walking distance to shopping, museums and fabulous restaurants. Within Portland city limits is the largest urban park in North America, with gardens, running trails, arboretum and the Portland Zoo. Everything is easily accessible, thanks to Portland’s user-friendly public transportation.

Due to NASPOG’s position in the scientific and academic community and the activities and scholarship of our members, we were invited to support the Amicus Brief on behalf of Andrea Yates. This effort was successful, and in July 2006 her conviction was overturned by reason of insanity. This decision was heralded as a landmark decision that shows the public's dramatically increased understanding of mental illness and particularly postpartum depression. After the ruling, one of her lawyers, George Parnham, wiped away tears and later called the verdict a “watershed event in the treatment of mental illness.”

And watch for updates, changes, and a new look! Alison Shea, our Naspog Council’s Member-in- Training, has worked with Teresa Gamble, from eMirror Solutions (Teresa does our newsletters and conference emailing), to create a new Naspog website. We will be phasing the changes in over the next several months – click and have a look! Thank you Alison, for dragging us into the 21st Century digital world! And to Teresa, for your creativity and incredibly fast turnaround time.