Midwest Population Genetics · 2026 · University of Chicago

MIDWEST
POP
GEN

Dates
August 21–22, 2026
Location
University of Chicago · KCBD 1103
Registration
Free · Now Open
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A MEETING FOR THE MIDWEST POPGEN COMMUNITY

Midwest Population Genetics is an annual, trainee-oriented workshop uniting researchers working across population genetics, evolutionary genomics, and statistical methods. The 2026 edition will be hosted by the Department of Ecology & Evolution and the Department of Human Genetics at the University of Chicago.

The meeting is free to attend and features contributed talks, a poster session, and plenty of time to hang out and talk science. Students and postdocs are especially encouraged to present — with awards for best student and postdoc talk and poster.

Serving the Midwest popgen community since 2014.

Dates
AUG
21-22
Friday – Saturday
Cost
FREE
No registration fee
Venue
KCBD
1103
UChicago · Hyde Park
Talk length
15 min
+ awards for best talk & poster

JOIN US IN CHICAGO

Registration is free and open to anyone. To present a talk or poster, submit a title and abstract during registration. Talks are 15 minutes and will be selected to balance topic, career stage, and approach. If demand exceeds talk slots, applicants may be invited to present a poster instead.

REGISTER & SUBMIT AN ABSTRACT

The registration form — including abstract submission for talks and posters now open. Abstract deadline for oral presentation consideration is May 29th. Final schedule announced by June 26th!

Abstract deadline
May 29, 2026
Talk notification
June 26, 2026
Registration closes
TBA or when capacity reached
Registration form  →

TALKS, POSTERS & MORE

The full schedule will be posted once talk selection is complete. The meeting spans two days with contributed talks, a poster session, and a Friday evening social at Promontory Point in Hyde Park.

🎤

Contributed Talks

15-minute talks selected from submitted abstracts, with an eye toward balance across topic, career stage, and approach.

📋

Poster Session

Open to all registered attendees. Awards for best student and postdoc talk and poster.

Invited Speakers

Invited speaker lineup coming soon. tba

🔥

Friday BBQ Social

Join us Friday evening at Promontory Point in Hyde Park for a lakeside BBQ dinner, starting at 5 pm.

GETTING HERE & GETTING SETTLED

The meeting will be held in KCBD 1103 on the University of Chicago campus in Hyde Park, on Chicago's South Side.

Venue
Knapp Center for Biomedical Discovery (KCBD), Room 1103 · University of Chicago · 900 E 57th St, Chicago, IL 60637
Food
Coffee will be available during breaks throughout the meeting.
Friday: Dinner provided at the BBQ social from 5 pm onward at Promontory Point.
Saturday: Breakfast served 8:30–9:00 am; lunch provided 12:15–2:00 pm; snacks during breaks. Dinner on your own.
By train
The Metra Electric Line is a convenient option from downtown Chicago — arrive at 55th–56th–57th St (~25 min from Millennium Station).
From O'Hare
CTA Blue Line to Jackson, then transfer south via bus/metra to Hyde Park (~1.5-2 hr). Rideshare ~40 min.
From Midway
CTA Orange Line to Roosevelt → bus or rideshare to Hyde Park (~35 min).
Parking
Campus parking is available but not free of charge. See the UChicago parking page for locations and current rates.
Lodging
Chicago has a wide range of accommodation options. A few convenient choices in Hyde Park include the Quad Club, The Study, The Sophy, and Hyatt Place Chicago-South/University Medical Center. You can also browse options on Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Airbnb. Questions? Just email us.

LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Reach out with any questions.

Julia Kreiner
Assistant Professor · Ecology & Evolution
kreiner@uchicago.edu
Jeremy Berg
Assistant Professor · Human Genetics
jjberg@uchicago.edu