About AbSciCon 2022
Discover Atlanta
Atlanta has many strengths including its diversity of people, commerce, and strong academic presence. The city has been long viewed as a place where scientific academia, technology, and collaborative innovation thrive. Atlanta also received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign, noting its non-discrimination laws in city employment, trans-inclusive healthcare benefits and inclusivity in the workplace among the LGBTQ community.
When the meeting organizers chose Atlanta and announced the location at AbSciCon 2019, a primary reason for choosing the city is the strength of the astrobiology community, including the programs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the home university of many of the conveners of the meeting.
As a meeting city, Atlanta is ranked 4th in the top 50 meeting cities and has accessibility second to none including a wealth of affordable domestic and international flights as well as AMTRAK options. The meeting location we’ve selected is walkable to many restaurants and venues, eliminating the need for bus shuttles. Inexpensive and convenient MARTA subway service is available between the airport and the conference venue.
Meeting Location
AbSciCon will be at the Hilton Atlanta Downtown, located at 255 Courtland Street NE. The Hilton is in the heart of Atlanta with easy access to local attractions and the MARTA rapid transit. Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a 12-minute drive.
MARTA from Airport to Hilton Atlanta
The MARTA has a train station at Hartfield-Jackson Airport and provides and easy trip into downtown Atlanta. Take the gold line (towards Doraville) or the red line (towards North Springs) and exit at Peachtree Center Station. The Hilton Atlanta is just a few blocks away.
Recommendation from AbSciCon Chairs
The AbSciCon meeting chairs have compiled a list of their favorite things to do and see in Atlanta.
Dine
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349 Decatur St SE Unit A1 · In Pencil Factory Flats
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123 Luckie St NW #108
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57 Forsyth St NW Suite 63 · In the Healey Building
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262 Edgewood Ave NE
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30 North Avenue NE
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Old Lady Gang Southern Cuisine
177 Peters St SW
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810 M.L.K. Jr Dr SW
What to See
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
100 Ivan Allan Jr. Blvd
*tickets are required
225 Baker Street NW
*tickets are required
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park
450 Auburn Avenue, NE
#AbSciCon22 Process from Start to Atlanta (and online everywhere)
#AbSciCon22 is a well-orchestrated event with deadlines that are set in advance to ensure everyone – from presenters to attendees to the AbSciCon Scientific Organizing Committee – is able to create a fantastic meeting.
But what happens once you submit your proposal and/or abstract?
Important Dates
July 2021
Session Proposals Open
September 2021
Mid-September 2021
November 2021
Abstracts submissions open
January 2022
Mid-January 2022
March 2022
Scientific program released
May 2022
15 - 20 May 2022- Join Us in Atlanta
Roster
General Chair
Martha Grover
Georgia Institute of Technology
Local Organizing Chair
Jennifer Glass
Georgia Institute of Technology
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Chair
Science Chair
Frank Rosenzweig
Georgia Institute of Technology
Alternative and agnostic biosignatures
Emmanuelle Javaux
University of Liege
Shawn Domagal-Goldman
NASA
Characterizing habitable zone exoplanets
Gongjie Li
Georgia Institute of Technology
Christopher Reinhard
Georgia Institute of Technology
Shawn Domagal-Goldman
NASA
Energy sources and metabolic pathways in the environment
Sarah Maurer
Central Connecticut State University
Evidence for early life on Earth
Emmanuelle Javaux
University of Liege
Evolution and diversification of life: OoL to LUCA to Eukaryogenesis
Emmanuelle Javaux
University of Liege
Frank Rosenzweig
Georgia Institute of Technology
Missions to Mars: Life detection and habitability
James Wray
Georgia Institute of Technology
Yasuhito Sekine
ELSI, Tokyo Institute of Technology
Ocean worlds near and far
Laurie Barge
Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Caltech
Yasuhito Sekine
ELSI, Tokyo Institute of Technology
James Wray
Georgia Institute of Technology
Philosophy, history, education and community development
Frank Rosenzweig
Georgia Institute of Technology
Laurie Barge
Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Caltech
Shawn Domagal-Goldman
NASA
Emmanuelle Javaux
University of Liege
Gongjie Li
Georgia Institute of Technology
Sarah Maurer
Central Connecticut State University
Rebecca Rapf
Trinity University
Christopher Reinhard
Georgia Institute of Technology
Yasuhito Sekine
ELSI, Tokyo Institute of Technology
James Wray
Georgia Institute of Technology
Star-planetary system interactions and habitability
Gongjie Li
Georgia Institute of Technology
Rebecca Rapf
Trinity University
Subsurface habitability and life
Christopher Reinhard
Georgia Institute of Technology
Transitions from prebiotic chemistry to biology
Laurie Barge
Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ Caltech
Rebecca Rapf
Trinity University
Sarah Maurer
Central Connecticut State University
Understanding early Earth environments
Christopher Reinhard
Georgia Institute of Technology
Shawn Domagal-Goldman
NASA