Congress 2001 is the first North American

joint meeting sponsored by four major

epidemiology organizations. The Congress will

bring together a larger number of

epidemiologists than any meeting before, giving

the profession an opportunity to take stock of

past achievements, identify its current

strengths and weaknesses, and prioritize future

challenges, especially regarding what needs to

be accomplished during the next decade for

epidemiology to thrive.

The Congress will preserve many unique

features of each organization's own meeting

traditions while allowing for discussion and

reflection of issues common to all

epidemiologists at plenary sessions.

Perspectives from experts in specific fields will

be disseminated through the Congress

2001 website to stimulate focused discussions

before and during the meeting. Other features

of the Congress include highlighted poster

sessions with awards, breakfast roundtables,

special symposia and lectures.

Since epidemiologists value numeracy, it is

appropriate that we welcome the new

millennium in the correct year, 2001. We

welcome your support and participation.