Society for Social Medicine & Population Health Annual Scientific Meeting 

The Society for Social Medicine & Population Health Annual Scientific Meeting will be taking place on Wednesday 9th September to Friday 11th September 2020. It is being organised with help from colleagues from the University of Cambridge and the wider public health community in Cambridge. The 64th ASM was to have been held at the Churchill College, University of Cambridge but will now be a virtual conference.

Chair of the Cambridge Local Organising Committee, Carol Brayne said "We were looking forward to the return of SSM to Cambridge in 2020, 27 years on from hosting the conference in 1993. This conference is a key event for all academics, practitioners, industry members and others involved in population health. We hope that, although the conference will now be virtual, we’ll be able to showcase some aspects of public health from Cambridge and give you a flavour of some things we had planned for your enjoyment whilst at the conference!”

What is the SSM 64th Annual Scientific Meeting? 

A three-day academic and professional conference with a mix of high quality, peer reviewed oral presentations, posters and workshops and ample opportunity for networking.  Plenary events will include the SSM Pemberton Lecture, delivered this year by Professor Danny Dorling, and reflections of the implications of the Covid-19 outbreak and aftermath on inequalities and sustainability issues.

Why should I attend? 

Social medicine is the study of health in its widest sense. It covers a range of subjects including epidemiology, the medical and health needs of society, health services, and the prevention of disease. This conference spans all research that addresses important issues in population health sciences and includes qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches. Everyone interested in population health sciences can come together to share information and network in a rigorous yet friendly atmosphere. 

Who attends?

Last year the conference attracted over 250 participants from all over the world, ranging from senior academics to postgraduate students, with strong representation from the wider public health community. Disciplines ranged from epidemiology, health service research, psychology, public health and social sciences. 26 free places were awarded to attendees on student stipends or low incomes, and almost 80 people attended pre-conference workshops on career development. 

Danny Dorling 

Harry Rutter