The program for the Society's Silver Anniversary Meeting in St. Louis, July 5-10, 1997, has recently been completed. This effort was made a lot easier with the help of the Division Representatives, who relayed many wonderful ideas to me. I think that a well-balanced, "cutting edge" program has been put together, which will cover many key areas of our rapidly growing multidisciplinary field. The meeting will run 5-1/2 days, including Saturday (School, Workshop, and Reception). In all there will be 28 symposia, 7 contributed paper sessions, 3 poster sessions, 10 lectures, 4 schools, 1 workshop, and 2 special evening presentations - one dealing with grantsmanship and the other with manuscript writing. In recognition of the special occasion, the scientific program will include a three-part "Landmarks in Photobiology" symposium consisting of 9 early morning talks by distinguished charter members, covering key historical aspects of the Society's organization and scientific development. I hope that you'll not only make plans to attend this very important meeting but will stay through to the end on Thursday, July 10 - three exciting symposia and a school are planned for that morning and they deserve to be well attended.
Your program booklets and abstract forms will arrive soon. Remember that we're planning to exhibit interesting ASP memorabilia - old photos, books, landmark publications, news articles, etc. If you'd like to contribute to this display, please contact me or the Secretariat office. I look forward to seeing you in St. Louis - come and participate and celebrate the occasion!
Happy 1997!
Al Girotti
Life after the Ivy League? Yes!
After 11 years at Yale, Frank Gasparro, former editor of this NL and current President of the ASP, has moved to Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia (his hometown). He has accepted a position as Research Professor in the Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Biology which is headed by Juoni Uitto, M.D. Ph.D. Frank will continue his studies on psoralen photobiology, which includes psoralen mutagenesis, p53 mutation in skin cancer and the role of DNA damage in the efficacy of psoralen based phototherapies (PUVA and photopheresis). With his move Frank will be reunited not only with his "roots" but also with several associates with whom he has had long-term collaborative relationships.
As always Frank welcomes your comments and suggestions as we move together to enhance the ASP. You may contact him by phone at (215) 503-3327 (fax 3322) or e-mail: fotondoc@AOL.com (and soon an e-mail at Jeff - watch this space) or by mail: Department of Dermatology & Cutaneous Biology, Thomas Jefferson University, 233 South 10th St (BLSB Rm 428), Philadelphia, PA 19107.
* * * * *
Meyrick and Jennifer Peak have been awarded a Japanese Atomic Energy Research Institute travel award. Their hosts are organising travel within Japan to meet with scientists at various scientific institutions. They will be in Japan for a month, starting in mid February.
* * * * *
This is your newlsetter and this is your space. Members are invited to contribute news and information, such as address changes, for publication in the newsletter. Let us know about your new jobs, promotions and success with grantsmanship. Also, please send in your "Positions Available".
IBC's International Industry Conference, "Drug Discovery Approaches for Developing Cosmeceuticals - Advanced Skin Care and Cosmetic Products", will be held January 29-31, 1997 at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel, East Rutherford, NJ. For information contact: IBC USA Conferences, Inc., 225 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772-1749. Tel: (508) 481-6400; fax: (508) 481-7911; e-mail: reg@ibcusa.com.
1997
July 5-10, 1997
Hyatt Regency at Union Station
St. Louis, Missouri
1998
July 11-16, 1998
Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort
Snowbird, Utah (near Salt Lake City)
1999
To be determined
2000
July 1-6, 2000
Hyatt Regency San Francisco
San Francisco, California
PRESIDENT OF AIP - PILL-SOON SONG
At the recent general assembly in Vienna, ASP member and past editor-in-chief, Photochemistry and Photobiology, Pill-Soon Song, was elected President of the Association Internationale de Photobiologie (AIP). He will be in office for the 2000 International Photobiology Congress in San Francisco. National societies and groups of photobiologists, including the American Society for Photobiology and the European Society for Photobiology, as well as other national organizations, are all members of AIP.
As President of the AIP, Dr. Song is developing a plan to actively involve all its members in the promotion of international collaborations in photobiological research and the enhancement of photobiology in general. To this end, Past-president Francesco Dall'Acqua drafted a number of amendments to the AIP constitution. Dr. Song and the Governing Board of the AIP will be reviewing these amendments, and a final decision on recommendations will be made by 1998.
One of the proposed amendments involves a name change for the AIP. Professor Dall'Acqua proposes changing the name from AIP to IPA (International Photobiology Association), while Dr. Song's own proposal is to change the name to IUPB (International Union of Photobiology). The argument for such a change is that the name of this international organization should be in English, the international scientific language, as many may not recognize what AIP stands for. On the other hand, Dr. Song feels that by changing the name from AIP, history would be lost. He favors the change to IUPB because the designation "International Union" is immediately recognized by virtually all scientists; for instance, there is the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, the International Union of Biochemistry, etc. Dr. Song contends that the historical loss could be partially restored by including AIP in all official letterheads, posters, etc. For example, "International Union of Photobiology, formerly Association Internationale de Photobiologie".
If you as a photobiologist are interested in expressing your own view, please complete the enclosed questionnaire (insert) and mail to: Dr. Pill-Soon Song, Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0304 or fax: (402) 472-2044. You may communicate directly with Dr. Song by e-mail: pssong@unlinfo.unl.edu.
WHEN YOU AND I WERE YOUNG
Tom Coohill
I passed the old speed limit (55) this year and now qualify as a "greybeard", so I was happy to hear from Len Grossweiner in the last Newsletter. Len listed a long line of problems with getting older and with changes in science and its funding. As one who has recently paid out of pocket for attendance at meetings, I feel the hit more than when I deducted the costs from my grant. I don't think ASP can solve this, but Council and ASP leaders are clearly interested in keeping the Society healthy.
Costs - I'm not aware of any society that holds its costs in line as well as ASP. For $65 a year you get membership, the Newsletter, reduced registration fees at the annual meeting, and the Journal. The Society loses money on each member if dues alone are considered. Shortfalls are made up from Journal revenues (now decreasing) and by other methods, but ASP may well lose money this year and in the future if costs restraints are not imposed. That limits what the Society can do, in addition, for older members. Meeting Content - In fact, seniors contribute quite a bit to our annual meetings. At the next meeting observers will note (and forgive me for putting any of these in the senior category) Chris Foote, Nik Kollias, Nancy Oleinick, Tad Sarna, John Hearst, Rex Tyrrell, Pill-Soon Song, Homer Black, Dave Kessel, and many more. Also, there will be a special symposium "Landmarks in Photobiology" to include presentations by John Jagger, Farrington Daniels, Kendric Smith, Richard Setlow, Fred Urbach, Mickey Mathews-Roth, Paul Loach, John Spikes, and others. Last year we had, among others, Helene Hill, Dave Sliney, Don Forbes, Ron Worrest, John Epstein, Mike Holick, the Kligmans, and Jean Cadet. In short, many of the old guard do attend each meeting. Most meeting chairs make a real effort to attract local people to the meeting. Some set up a local committee and all, I believe, make sure local universities and medical schools are well informed. The Scottsdale meeting had 70 photosynthesis attendees from local institutions. We even bug the local press and have sessions for reporters. Our policy of inviting non-member scientists to speak and giving them a free year's membership is largely a success and many have opted to remain members, according to a recent survey conducted by the Secretariat.
I have been involved in several symposia at recent meetings and found the meeting organizer more than willing to help. Perhaps, though, a wider call for input is needed. We still have few contributions in the technology area, and the laser people do not think of us as a home. Maybe Len can help here. We made some effort to bring field people in by means of the ozone problem, and that has resulted in our being approached by a group of UV-monitoring scientists who wish to use ASP as their home base. We need more of this. Meeting Sites and Fees - Our registration fee for annual meetings is modest and hotel costs are below what I pay for other meetings. About 30% of members attend meetings, a figure that has increased considerably since the early '80s. It may be reasonable to look into a reduced meeting fee, especially for members who routinely attend the annual meeting and are paying for themselves, but that would have to be carefully monitored. Len's idea of open evening discussion groups with beer and pretzels is fine and I agree that the banquet can be stuffy unless the meeting site has particular charm (like Scottsdale and Boston). But the former will cost money and may require a boost of a few dollars in the meeting registration. We still have beer at the business meeting and Al Girotti will continue the successful idea of coffee and donuts at the morning poster viewings. Presidents are free to run receptions any way they wish. I received no opposition when I opened the President's reception in Vancouver to everyone.
Photochemistry and Photobiology - The Journal drives the Society in more ways than one. It generates money through library fees and page charges. It may be embarrassing not to pay these charges, but without this revenue, dues would have to be raised. We will have a new editor by the end of this year and that would be the time to examine possible changes. Maybe the older members could devise a workable method to push for more library subscriptions? Now that would help everyone.
When science was hot and funds were flowing, our shortfalls were unexplored. Now that belts are tightening, we look with a more critical eye. From my perspective, ASP is a responsive and caring Society. Continued input from Len and others will keep it that way. Lux et vita or should I say, Lux est vita?
Rosalie K. Crouch
Rosalie Crouch is a retinoid chemist whose research focus is on the structure and function of proteins that bind retinoids or use retinoids as their chromophores. She is also a dean of a college of graduate studies (mainly biomedical research students), an associate provost for research (meaning she has the fun of developing new research space and major instrumentation but the headache of insuring that the university toes the line on all the various rules and regulations), a mother of two (both almost grown and neither interested in medicine - like Dad - or science), and a change ringer.
After receiving her A.B. from Randolph Macon Women's College ('63) and M.S. in organic chemistry from Lehigh University ('65), she spent two years in England at ICI. Rosalie met her husband, Bill, while traveling in Spain and returned to the US to work at Schering Corp. while he completed medical school. She completed her Ph.D. at Yeshiva University ('72) in organic chemistry. She was awarded a NIH NSRA for basic rhodopsin studies as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Koji Nakanishi, Columbia University, where she initiated studies in retinal analogs which she has continued throughout her career.
In 1975, Rosalie moved to the Medical University of South Carolina. Promoted to Professor of Ophthalmology/ Biochemistry in '82, she has served in various administrative roles as well as maintaining an active scientific career. With continuous funding from several agencies, she maintains an active laboratory focusing on structure/function studies of rhodopsin and photooxidation of lens proteins. She has served and is serving on several national bodies including NEI Board of Scientific Counselors, NSF review panels, NIH study sections and editorial boards of three journals including Photochemistry & Photobiology.
Determined to maintain a competitive scientific career in a very beautiful but extremely conservative part of the country, Rosalie is very aware of the effort required for a woman to be successful when she is one of a small minority. Therefore, she has led several workshops for female scientists and aspiring administrators for the AAMC and devotes effort to being a mentor for young scientists.
Change ringing (bell pulling) has become somewhat of a passion over the past couple of years. Quite why standing in a circle with seven other equally crazy people pulling a rope to control 2000 lbs. of metal while following a complicated mathematical pattern should be fun is hard to translate, but apparently there are some 40,000 ringers in Britain who agree. Only a beginner by British standards, Rosalie is enjoying developing this "science" in Charleston and aspires to ring her first peal (in which you continue this madness nonstop for about 3 hours) in 1997.
Joan E. Roberts
Joan E. Roberts of Greenwich Village and "The Hamptons" divides her time as Dr. Joan and Professor Roberts (Professor of Chemistry, Fordham University). Dr. Joan translates modern research in biology, chemistry and physics into "lay" language for liberal arts majors and other non-scientific species. She has also been found giving lectures to research scientists on the appropriate use of melatonin for jet lag and as a sleep aid.
Professor Roberts tortures pre-medical students with organic chemistry and conducts interdisciplinary research in photobiology. Her previous research, in collaboration with many members of ASP, was defining ocular phototoxicity and developing methods to retard phototoxic damage to the skin (porphyria) and the eye. Her current research is aimed at understanding the etiology of ocular melanoma and photo-neuroimmunology (how light impinging on the eye modulates neurohormones in the brain which, in turn, affect the immune response). These topics should keep her busy into the next millennium.
Joan is an avid swimmer and has been found in pools in Florence, Paris and Disney World Airport. However, she has no plans in the future to either bungie jump or skydive.
THE YEARS FLASH BY
Anonymous ASP Member
The letter by Dr. Grossweiner in the last issue of the ASP Newsletter was very enlightening, not only for the "greyheads" but more importantly for our entire Society. Concerning the greyhead issue (I am heading that way myself), I agree that senior members would make excellent chairs for contributed paper sessions, but I do not believe that it should be exclusive to them. The idea of having a senior membership rate is right on target. Taking this a step further, I think we should waive the entire registration fee for retired greyheads (who have loyally contributed to our Society over the years) and/or ones that have attended many past meetings, say maybe 15 out of the current 25. The math would have to be worked out to see if this is really financially feasible for our Society. Furthermore, the page charges should definitely be waived for retired scientists who still wish to publish in P&P, but we should really waive all page charges as JP&P does in order to stay competitive. Otherwise, our European cousins will eventually put us out of business!
The idea of reviewers receiving some kind of credit is great, however, the type of credits might be different if the page charges were waived; for instance, credits could go toward publishing a color picture in our journal. A lot of people would like that, including myself, for I cannot afford to publish in color anywhere! Some areas of our research cry out for colored illustrations. Also, how about a color photograph on the cover of P&P each issue, similar to Science?
Regarding the meeting, replacing the "stuffy" banquet with informal discussion sessions over beer and wine would be splendid. But why not have both? The informal discussions would be good for promoting collaborations, friendships, and exchange of ideas that would ultimately benefit the scientific research of our society as a whole. Along similar lines, the idea of a recreational committee is a good one. This committee could also schedule a sight-seeing excursion (or two) for one afternoon during and/or a whole day after the meeting.
In addition, I know that some people thought that there were too many sessions during our last ASP meeting, some were during lunch, others at night, and consequently our schedules were packed. I know quite a few people gave up and left before the end because they just couldn't absorb any more information. This really is not fair to the scientists who are scheduled to present their data on the last day of the meeting. We should either consider extending the meeting by another day or limiting the total number of sessions and those running in parallel.
Everyone is going over their budgets and checking them twice. If ASP and P&P are found to be naughty (unaffordable) and not nice, guess what that will mean in the long run? I personally can hardly afford to be a member this year and I probably will not be able to attend our next meeting. So, I have a couple of additional suggestions to make: 1) How about giving one year's membership free to those who have been a member for five years or so? and 2) how about paying at least some of the travel and/or lodging costs for financially burdened members who are invited speakers? Financially feasible suggestions should be collected from everyone and voted on by our members so that we may all have what we really need from our Society and journal.
LAST CALL FOR ASP AWARD NOMINATIONS
Colin Chignell
You are the sole source each year for suggesting three individuals who deserve recognition for:
Deadline for receipt of nominations: February 1, 1997
Meeting Booklet and Abstract Forms - By the time you receive this issue of the newsletter, you will have already received your copy of the meeting booklet, registration material and abstract forms for ASP'97. If you need additional copies, please contact the ASP Secretariat at
phone: 706-722-7511
fax: 706-722-7515
e-mail: maps@csra.net.
Abstract Deadline - The deadline for receipt of abstracts is February 24, 1997.
Associate Member Travel Awards - The American Society for Photobiology is pleased to be able to provide partial financial support for predoctoral and postdoctoral research trainees wishing to attend the 25th Annual Meeting in St. Louis.
Award candidates must be members of the Society or must be sponsored by a member. The original abstract, three copies, supporting letter from project advisor and a completed "Travel Award Application" (page 15 of the meeting booklet) must be received by February 24, 1997 to be considered for an award. Abstracts received after the deadline or incomplete applications will not be considered for a Travel Award. Abstract submissions from predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates will be judged separately.
WANTED GOOD HOME FOR OLD JOURNALS
Jacques Kagan is planning to retire from the University of Illinois at Chicago this summer and is trying to find good use for the following journals:
If you need these journals or know of some deserving scientist who cannot afford or otherwise obtain them (particularly third-world colleagues), please contact Jacques Kagan at e-mail: JKAGAN@uic.edu.
American Society for Photobiology| Photobiology Online | |