Alexandria, VA, USA – On Saturday, the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) Board of Directors confirmed that the 2026 IADR/AADOCR/CADR General Session & Exhibition will be held as planned and in person in San Diego, California, on March 25-28.
A discussion was spurred by the concern that some IADR members may be unable to obtain a visa to travel to the United States, while others may choose not to in protest of recent U.S. political decisions and actions. The Board considered all-virtual and hybrid meeting options, and while IADR and its divisions carried out such meetings in 2020-22, the high technology costs and unsatisfactory delegate feedback make these options less attractive. Thus, the Board confirmed that the 2026 General Session will take place in person, with an added component to record portions of the meeting for later viewing for those members unable to attend.
The success of the recently concluded 2025 IADR General Session in Barcelona, Spain factored heavily into the Board’s decision. “The Barcelona meeting made clear how important it is to have the IADR General Session as an annual touchpoint for the dental, oral, and craniofacial research community,” said IADR President Pamela Yelick. “Science is global, and we urge the U.S. Administration to expedite visas for scientific exchange,” added IADR CEO Christopher Fox.
The session proposal and abstract submission site will open on July 14, 2025, with session proposals due by September 29 and abstract submissions due by October 22. IADR looks forward to welcoming the global dental, oral, and craniofacial research community to San Diego in March 2026.
About IADR
The International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to drive dental, oral, and craniofacial research for health and well-being worldwide. IADR represents the individual scientists, clinician-scientists, dental professionals, and students based in academic, government, non-profit, and private-sector institutions who share our mission. Learn more at www.iadr.org.
