Upcoming Events

2026 Research Conference

Theme: Bridging Worlds: Translating Research for Communities, Policy, and Practice

October 25-27, 2026
Tucson, AZ

Join us for a dynamic conference that bridges the gap between research and real-world impact. This year’s event will spotlight innovative approaches to community-engaged scholarship, translational research, and policy-relevant work. Important to the current context, we will highlight clinical research relevant to the Arizona community. Attendees will explore how to communicate research effectively—whether through social media, journalism, policy engagement, or public partnerships—and gain tools to expand their reach across disciplines and borders. With dedicated tracks for students and methodological training, this conference is designed to empower diverse voices and foster meaningful change. The program will include plenaries and a combination of panels, workshops, paper, and poster sessions that fit under the broader theme.

Registration and Travel

Location:

The conference will be in Tucson, Arizona, at the Tucson Marriott University Park and University of Arizona.

Hotel:

Please utilize the booking link to get the group rate: Book your group rate for AAMFT Intervention Research in Systemic Family Therapy Annual Conference.

  • Guest rooms are available at Tucson Marriot for $164 plus tax (one king or two queen beds) per night.
  • Reservation requests must be made no later than Tuesday, October 6th.
  • If you are requesting a reservation after this date, please contact the hotel directly for availability.

Travel:

Attendees can fly into Tucson (TUS) directly or Phoenix (PHX) (1.5-hour drive) and rent a car or take a bus to Tucson via Groome Transportation (groometransportation.com)

Register at this link:

IRST: Bridging Worlds: Translating Research for Communities, Policy, and Practice

Cost:
Early Bird Rate prior to 9/18 After 9/18 until 10/20
Students $25 $50
AAMFT Members $150 $200
AAMFT Non-members $200 $250

**If students see a price more than $25 when they go to register, please email networks@aamft.org to receive a registration code. 

Meals:
  • Sunday: Appetizers will be available at the welcome reception on Sunday from 6-8pm on the terrace of the hotel.
  • Breakfast Monday and Tuesday: A continental breakfast will be available both days for attendees from 8-9am. 
  • Tuesday evening: Appetizers will be available at the poster reception on Tuesday from 5-6pm.
  • Lunch and dinners are on your own. There is a dining facility on the ground floor with a variety of cuisine options and restaurants are walkable from the hotel. 

Questions:

You may reach out to Keeley Pratt (pratt.192@osu.edu) or any member of the leadership team.

*Brief Conference Schedule

October 25 (Sunday):
6:oo-8:00 pm  Informal networking at Tucson Marriott University Park hotel. Appetizers will be served.
October 26 (Monday):
8:00-9:00 Continental Breakfast
9:00-10:15 Welcome & Plenary I From Observational Research to Clinical Practice: Engaging Community, Clinicians, and Researchers to Optimize Child and Family Whole-Person Health, Dr. Jerica Berge
10:30-11:30 AAMFT Spotlight Working with AAMFT and the Media on Research Translation, Colleen Gallagher of OnWrd & UpWrd
11:30-1:00  Lunch on Your Own
1:15-2:30 Concurrent Sessions
  1. Student & New Professionals: From Vision to Action: Building a Program of Impact for Students and Early Career MFTs, Dr. Amber Vennum, Dr. Ronald Asiimwe, Tanvi Gadgil, Dr. Katie Heiden-Rootes, Moloud Sivandian
  2. Workshop: Utilizing Community Based Participatory Research Methods in the Development of Parenting Interventions, Dr. Armeda Wojciak, Dr. Janette Driscoll
  3. Paper Session: Bridging Intervention Science and Practice
 2:45-4:00   Concurrent Sessions
  1. Student & New Professionals: Network and Visioning Session
  2. Workshop: From Program Vision to Public Partnership: Building Collaborative Systemic Research Pathways in Global Mental Health, Drs. Elizabeth Wieling and Doneila McIntosh
  3. Paper Session: Insights to Support Romantic Relationship Development
4:00-4:15   Walk to University
4:15-5:15  Panel I Ideal partnerships: Strengthening and Promoting the MFT Profession through University-State Affiliate Collaboration, Dr. Darin Knapp and AZ Division of AAMFT
5:30-6:30 University Reception 
October 27 (Tuesday):
8:00-9:00  Continental Breakfast JMFT Editorial Board Meeting
9:00-10:00 Plenary II Diverse Applications of Family Financial Planning and Therapy Interventions for LatinX, Low-Income, and LGBTQ Couples, Dr. Mariana Falconier
10:15-11:30  Concurrent Sessions
  1. Student & New Professionals: Strengthening our Science: Randomized Controlled Trials in Couple and Family Therapy, Dr. Andrea Wittenborn
  2. Workshop: Implementing the Lifeline Approach in Research: A Narrative Tool for Qualitative Interviewing, Sammie Lancaster and Dr. Elizabeth Wieling
  3. Workshop: Using Pretrained Natural Language Processing Models in MFT Research: Applied AI Tools for Relational and Therapy Process Data, Yunzhi Zheng
11:30-1:00  Lunch on Your Own  
1:00-2:00  Plenary III Community-engaged Work and Advocacy for Queer/Trans Families, Dr. Russ Toomey
2:15-3:30 Breakout Dialogues
  1. For Students & New Professionals - Public Scholarship, Dr. Kayla Reed-Fitzke and Colleagues
  2. For Faculty - Faculty Think Tank, Drs. Ryan Seedall and Mark White
3:45-5:00  Concurrent Sessions
  1. Paper Session: Lightening Papers
  2. Workshop: Developing A Relational Way of Being: Nine Shifts to Help Clinicians Create a Deeper Systemic Practice, Drs. Jason Whiting, Kay Bradford, Sean Davis, Stephen Fife
  3. Paper Session: Supporting Families through Trauma and Transitions 
5:00-6:00    Poster Session & Awards Reception

*Note: The full conference schedule and details will be available in late August with full titles, panelist names, paper and poster session titles and presenters, and moderators.