The biennial Canadian Drosophila Research Conference (CanFly) was established for Canadian fly labs to share knowledge and ideas about Drosophila biology. This meeting is an important opportunity for the Canadian fly community to exchange new and exciting findings on diverse topics including genomics, cell and developmental biology, physiology, metabolism, neurobiology, behaviour, and evolution. CanFly 2021 aims to give attendees, particularly researchers at the earliest stages of their career, a forum to communicate their research in an informal environment. The first-ever online CanFly will carry on this tradition of knowledge-sharing and networking, and expand its reach by offering a virtual experience to those previously unable to attend in person.

CanFly 2021 will take place over Zoom on June 21 - 24, 2021, and is organized out of The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. CanFly 2021 is open to researchers in academia and industry.

UBC Vancouver is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. It is important to acknowledge that you are joining us today from many places, near and far, and acknowledge the traditional owners and caretakers of those lands.

Registration

Important Dates

April 1 - May 1, 2021

Early bird registration at lower cost:

Undergraduate student $20 CAD

Graduate student $30 CAD

Postdoc/RA $35 CAD

Faculty $50 CAD

Other $50 CAD

May 1 - June 20, 2021

Regular registration at slightly higher cost:

Undergraduate student $30 CAD

Graduate student $40 CAD

Postdoc/RA $45 CAD

Faculty $60 CAD

Other $60 CAD

May 1, 2021

Abstract submission deadline

Registration includes:

• Access to 4 days of oral and poster presentations
• The CanFly 2021 Slack channel for networking and continued discussion
• Access to all recorded sessions

Abstract Submission

Submissions will be accepted from April 1 - May 1, 2021

CanFly offers an opportunity to share your research among Drosophila researchers and make new connections. Undegraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers are encouraged to participate by giving oral and poster presentations. The virtual platform supports live poster presentations and Q&A sessions. Awards will be given for oral and poster presentations to individuals at each career stage. Drosophila researchers outside of Canada are welcome!

CanFly History

Almost thirty years ago, the then relatively small number of laboratories in Canada that used Drosophila as a model system got together at the Kananaskis Field Station in Alberta for what turned out to be the first Canadian Drosophila Research Conference (“CanFly”). The consensus that emerged was that getting together face-to-face every couple of years was a great idea. That meeting also set the tone for many subsequent CanFly conferences.

Over the past two decades, the number of labs in Canada that use Drosophila as their primary research focus has grown to more than 80, working on a variety of research areas, from developmental and cell biology through neurobiology, and behaviour to evolution. Many labs now utilize not just genetics but genomics to address research questions, and many also use Drosophila to model a variety of human diseases. Despite being spread out from coast to coast, we come together every two years to share data and ideas in an informal setting.

Previous CanFly Conferences:

1st (1991) Kananaskis, Alberta

2^nd (1993) Lac Delage, Québec

3^rd (1995) Guelph, Ontario

4^th (1997) Whistler, British Columbia

5^th (1999) St. Sauveur, Québec

6^th (2001) Canmore, Alberta

7^th (2003) Halifax, Nova Scotia

8^th (2005) Burnaby, British Columbia

9^th (2007) Montréal, Québec

10^th (2009) Jasper, Alberta

11^th (2011) St. Catharines, Ontario

12^th (2013) Vancouver, British Columbia

13^th (2015) Montréal, Québec

14^th (2017) Banff, Alberta

15^th (2019) Toronto, Ontario

16^th (2021) Vancouver, British Columbia