BEHAVIOR GENETICS ASSOCIATION

34th Annual Meeting

Centre des Congrès, 14 Boulevard Carnot, 13100 Aix en Provence, cedex 1

France

June 27-30, 2004

 

MEETING INFORMATION

 

The 34th Annual Meeting of the Behavior Genetics Association will be held at the Centre des Congrès, 14 Boulevard Carnot, in Aix en Provence, France.  Paper, poster and plenary sessions will be held throughout the day on the 28th, 29th, and 30th of June. The opening reception is scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm on Sunday, June 27. The banquet will be held on Wednesday the 30th.

 

The International Society for Developmental Psychobiology (http://www.oswego.edu/isdp) will be held at the same location from Friday, June 25 to Monday the 28th.  BGA and ISDP will share scientific and social events on Monday, June 28th.

 

Aix en Provence

Aix is a compact town. The Centre des Congrès (http://www.aixenprovence-congres.com/bureau-congres.htm) is in the old town and most of the hotels are in the old city within walking distance from it (http://www.beyond.fr/villages/aix.html).  The new city is developed around the old town.  The old city offers many attractions for visitors.  There are over one hundred mansions built mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries and many painters, writers and musicians were born or lived here (e.g., Cézanne, Zola, Picasso, Vasarely, Saint-John Perse). A famous lyric music festival is scheduled at the beginning of July and several other international music festivals also take place in July.  Aix is also famous for its beautiful fountains, restaurants and cafés with terraces and sunny climate (http://www.aixenprovencetourism.com/hallgb.htm).

 

In addition, Aix, along with Marseille, offers the largest concentration of academic and research institutions after Paris and the first in all of France for neuroscience and genetics. Although an old town, the population is very young, almost 50% of the inhabitants are students.

Aix is forty km from Mediterranean sea shore (http://www.cogito.fr/marseill/marseill.htm ) and at the foot of Mountains of Lubéron (http://www.tedsimages.com/text/luberon.htm)

 

Travel

Two options are available.

By Direct Plane:  Marseille Marignane International Airport is linked to Aix by shuttles (30 min, about € 10) or taxis (about € 50).

By High Speed Train (TGV, 350 km per hour) from Paris airports (3 hours from Paris to Aix; around € 80 per trip, second class):  Shuttles or taxis from the train station (15 min, about € 6).

 

Accommodations

The cost per room (same for 1 or 2 persons) is between 80 and € 240. Reservations must be made via the Office du Tourisme (see attached form). If a hotel is selected from a website, please inform Pierre Roubertoux.  Most of the rooms are air conditioned but each registrant must check this point with the Office du Tourisme. Those who wish an apartment with a kitchen may request the  “Citadines Hotel”, which is in the same block as the Centre des Congrès. Anyone with particular requirements or questions may contact Pierre L. Roubertoux.

 

 

Driving a car in the old city is strongly discouraged due to heavy traffic, small streets, and complex street arrangements.  However for those who would like to rent a car for visiting sites outside of Aix, most of the hotels have parking available and the Centre des Congrès has a parking garage with reasonable rates.  Anyone interested in parking a rental car at the Centre should contact Pierre Roubertoux to make parking reservations.

 

Climate

Aix in June is hot and dry (from 28°C at the end of the morning to 20°C in the evening). The Centre des Congrès is equipped with air conditioning.

 

For more information, please check the BGA web page at or contact the local meeting host:

 

Pierre L. Roubertoux

INPC-CNRS

31 chemin Joseph Aiguier

13402 Marseille cedex 20

France

E mail

rouber@lnf.cnrs-mrs.fr (read LNF, enter lnf).