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GRIN2B FAMILY & RESEARCH WEEKEND 2026

Registration is now open for our GRIN2B Family & Research Weekend

July 17-19, 2026 in Bethesda, MD

Register and join us for a weekend of empowerment, education, fun and friendship. The conference will provide attendees with:

  • A Researcher-only meeting to review the landscape of all current GRIN2B research;
  • The latest GRIN2B diagnosis, treatment and research information from the world’s leading GRIN2B clinicians and scientists;
  • The opportunity to meet other families and individuals with GRIN2B and make life-long connections;
  • Networking opportunities and Q&A sessions to foster new relationships and collaborations with clinicians, researchers and service providers;
  • Opportunities to enroll in the GRIN Variant Patient Registry, Simons Searchlight Registry and Biobanking Program;
  • Genetic counseling appointments available to help families understand their child’s specific variant;
  • A better understanding of the role that GRIN2B Foundation plays in supporting families and accelerating research for GRIN2B-related disorders;
  • A professionally staffed childcare room for children (ages 0-17) and adults with GRIN2B on Saturday and Sunday; and
  • A Dinner Reception for all attendees on Friday night.


We hope to see you there! If you cannot attend in person, stay tuned for more details about joining virtually.

Families of related GRI-gene disorders are welcome to attend as well!

Venue

Bethesda Marriott, 5151 Pooks Hill Rd, Bethesda, MD 20814

Book here by June 25th – https://bit.ly/BethesdaMarriott-GRIN2B

Rates are quoted exclusive of any applicable taxes and hotel service fees.

  • King or Queen Room:  $159/night 

The special room rate will be available until June 25th or until the group block is sold out, whichever comes first.

Registration

Please register every person in your party attending on the following link by June 26th. This includes all adults, caregivers, children and individuals with GRIN2B. 

REGISTER HERE

Speakers and sponsors should contact liz.marfia-ash@grin2b.com for specific registration information.

Early Bird Rates are good through April 1st!

Family Registrations:

  • Adult Family Member/Caregiver Registration (Early Bird rate by April 1st) – $165 
  • Adult Family Member/Caregiver Registration (after April 2nd) – $215 per adult 
  • Children, 17 and under – Free
  • Individuals with a GRIN2B diagnosis – Free
  • Participation in Childcare Room on Sat, July 18th & Sun, July 19th – $150 per individual

Medical and Industry Professionals Registration: 

  • Students or Post-Doc (from academic institutions) – $140 Early Bird / $190
  • Professionals (medical field professionals & academic researchers) – $215 Early Bird / $265
  • Industry (Representatives of for-profit companies) – $265 Early Bird / $315

Travel Scholarship 

Deadline to Apply: May 15th, 2026

A limited number of travel scholarships are available to assist GRIN2B families with travel-related expenses. To be considered for the scholarship, please complete the following steps:

  1. Register for the Conference.
  2. Complete our Travel Scholarship Application and send proof of your child’s diagnosis to aubrey.schrock@grin2b.com. Please confirm with Aubrey that you have enrolled in our GRIN2B Foundation Family Registry (http://grin2b.com/register).
  3. Attend the Family Weekend.
  4. Complete a Post-event survey & provide a testimonial about the event.

If all of the above conditions are met, we will mail a check to you approximately 1 month post event. Scholarship amounts will be $500 per US-based families and $650 for International based families.

Additional Travel Support for Families

You may also be eligible to receive travel support from The National Organization for Rare Disorder’s Education Support Program. Please see their flier

Travel Support for Researchers

Uplifting Athletes has a program to assist with travel expenses for rare disease researchers and doctoral students with an interest in the rare disease field. Applicants must reside in the United States or Canada and meet specific requirements. Learn more here.

Conference Agenda

Overview:

FRIDAY July 17th:

For Researchers: Researcher Roundtable Meeting (Breakfast and lunch provided)

For Families:
Optional events: blood draws, research opportunities and genetic counseling appointments.
Registration, Afternoon Family Presentations

PM – Dinner for Families & Researchers

SATURDAY July 18th:

Breakfast and lunch provided
Researcher & Family Support Presentations
All day childcare provided by Jovie Childcare
Optional events: research opportunities and genetic counseling appointments.

SUNDAY July 19th:

Breakfast provided
Morning childcare provided by Jovie Childcare
AM – Family Support presentations
PM – Family Outing

Topics will include: GRIN2B 101, Research Presentations, Clinical Trial and Center of Excellence Updates, The Sibling Perspective, Transition to Adulthood, Advocacy 101 and Parent Support Topics

For those that can’t attend in person, we will livestream the sessions to our YouTube channel. More details to follow.

Additional Information

Research Opportunities

Patient Registry enrollment:  The teams from Simons Searchlight and University of Colorado will be present to assist families in enrolling in each of their respective patient registries.

Biorepository samples:  During select conference hours, we will have a separate room with a phlebotomist on hand to collect blood samples from GRIN2B patients to be stored in our biorepository.

Biogene Study:  Our 2019 Grant Recipient, Dr. Caitlin Hudac, will be conducting her EEG studies as part of her BioGene project. We will provide more information on how to participate closer to the date.

Genetic counseling appointments will be available throughout the weekend.

Childcare 

GRIN2B Foundation is pleased to offer childcare by Jovie Childcare (Jovie). Jovie will provide childcare for children ages 0-17 and adults with GRIN2B during the conference on Saturday, July 18th from 7:30-6 and Sunday, July 19th from 7:30-12. 

There is a fee of $150 per child, regardless of how many total hours each individual will attend childcare. 

Should you choose to not use the childcare, we ask that you use your best judgement on bringing your children into the sessions. If you feel they will be a distraction, it’s helpful if you can bring another childcare provider or sit towards the back of the room. 

For sessions on Friday afternoon, there will be no formal childcare and children will be welcome to attend, though we do ask that you stay towards the back of the room to minimize distractions. 

Jovie performs industry-leading recruitment, reference verification, background screening, and vetting for each sitter offered a position on our team. They require ongoing training and professional development. In addition to providing quality childcare, Jovie sitters and management team prioritize excellent communication and client service.

Sitter training includes:

  • CPR & First Aid Certification
  • Mandated Reporter (Abuse & Neglect) Training
  • Newborn–School Age Care Training
  • Special Needs Care Training
  • Annual hands-on professional development training

All Jovie Childcare providers will attend a special training and orientation prior to the event. Staff is briefed on the planned schedule of activities, children attending, the overall conference group, and emergency procedures specific to each event location.

Care will be provided according to or exceeding the following ratios:

  • Children with special needs: 2:1 ratio
  • 3 months – 2 years: 2:1 ratio
  • 3 years – 5 years: 4:1 ratio
  • 6 years – 17 years: 6:1 ratio

Approximately, two weeks before the Family Weekend, we will contact you with more specifics about participating in the childcare program. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact Elissa Bustillo: elissa.bustillo@grin2b.com

Solicitation Policy

GRIN2B Foundation has a no-solicitation policy covering all of our conferences and expositions. We do not allow solicitation at our events by any attendees or unauthorized parties without prior written permission to the GRIN2B Foundation. This policy includes, but is not limited to the following unauthorized activities:

Prohibited Activities:

  •  Unauthorized receptions & parties (including off-site events)
  •  Unauthorized exhibits, mobile exhibits & hospitality suites
  •  Unauthorized membership recruitment activities
  •  Unauthorized promotion of non-GRIN2B Foundation events
  •  Unauthorized research recruiting
  •  Unwelcome advances toward event participants or the GRIN2B Foundation Board Members
  •  Unauthorized on-site distribution of printed or electronic materials including literature, signs, flyers, invitations, tickets, forms, etc. (except business cards)
  •  Any person and/or organization found to be violating this policy may be expelled from the event. No Refunds.
  •  Egregious and/or multiple violations of this policy may result in disqualification from future events at the discretion of the GRIN2B Foundation.

Audio/Visual Waiver

GRIN2B Foundation intends to take photographs and videos of the Conference events for use in GRIN2B Foundation news and promotional materials in print, electronic, and other media, including the GRIN2B Foundation website, email distribution lists, and social media accounts. By participating in the Conference, you grant the GRIN2B Foundation the right to use any image, photograph, voice, or likeness, without limitation, in its news, promotional materials, and publicity efforts. 

Event Sponsorship 

We expect this event will be our most exciting and impactful one yet. The expenses to put on a biennial conference/meetup are significant. If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please view our Sponsorship Prospectus.

For any questions, please email elissa.taylor-bustillo@grin2b.com.