CANDIDATES FOR PRESIDENT-ELECT: J. Woodland Hastings and John Spudich
J. Woodland Hastings
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Education: Swarthmore College, B.A., 1947; Princeton University, M.A., 1950; Ph.D., 1951; Johns Hopkins University, Atomic Energy Commission Postdoctoral Fellow, 1951-53.
Appointments: Paul C. Mangelsdorf Professor of Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Assistant to full Professor (Biochemistry), 1957-66, University of Illinois, Urbana; Instructor to Assistant Professor (Biological Sciences), Northwestern University, 1953-57.
Research Interests: Bioluminescence and circadian clocks; molecular evolution of genes encoding chloroplast proteins.
ASP Service: Charter member of the Society; served on the National Research Council Committee that proposed and endorsed its organization; Councilor, 1978-80; 1997-present; Associate Editor, Photochemistry and Photobiology, 1992-present; organized symposia at several meetings, recent ones in 1988, 1992 and 1999; participated in International Congresses, 1992 (Kyoto) and organized symposium in 1996 (Vienna).
Candidate's Statement: As President, I would be committed first of all to devoting the time and energy needed to the job. I would seek, together with Council members, ways whereby a relatively small, specialized society can better serve both its members and the larger community. In particular, the Council meeting this year discussed changes to the program of the annual meeting that might increase membership and members' activity. One proposal is that the Society should sponsor fewer but more extensive symposia, so that on a rotating basis different subgroups could have a full two or three days devoted to that area, and thus involve and attract a good number of workers in that area. Past-president Kripke's program this year for Washington provides a possible model for how it might be done. I would work with council and membership to explore this as a new way to organize our yearly meeting. As President, I would also continue the program adopted by council in recent years to support science education for journalists and explore new ways to involve journalists in learning about and reporting on photobiology.
John Spudich
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
University of Texas Medical School
Houston, Texas
Education: B.S., 1967, Mathematics, University of Illinois, Urbana; Ph.D., 1976, Biophysics, University of California, Berkeley; postdoctoral: 1976-78, Harvard Medical School, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and 1978-80, UCSF, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics.
Appointments: 1980-90, Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor, Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York; Visiting Professor, 1990, Department of Chemistry, MIT; Professor, 1991-present, Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Medical School, Houston; currently William M. Wheless III Professor in the Biomedical Sciences.
Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms of photosensory transduction; microbial rhodopsins and visual pigments: structure/function, activation mechanisms, and color regulation; mechanism of pathogenesis of rhodopsin mutations in retinitis pigmentosa and related retinal diseases.
ASP Service: Regular attendee and speaker at annual meetings since 1988; organizer of symposia on Photosensory Receptor Signaling Mechanisms (1998) and Rhodopsins (1999); Associate Editor, Photochemistry and Photobiology, 1997-present; elected to ASP Council 1998; Chair, Mentoring Committee, 1998-present.
Candidate's Statement: My main efforts would be to recruit new members, especially younger scientists, to our annual meeting and to the Society, work with the Editor-in-Chief to improve the quality of submissions to our journal, seek new funds to strengthen our already sound financial position, and encourage as much as possible clinical/basic-science cross-fertilization, which I feel is one of the most exciting goals of ASP.
Molecular photobiology is on the verge of a large expansion of interest within the general biomedical research community in the coming decade for several reasons: First, powerful methods of protein structure/function analysis based on time-resolved crystallography and vibrational spectroscopy are developing rapidly. For these new approaches the researcher needs the temporal precision provided by light-activation, and therefore photoreceptors and photoenergy transducing molecules are the natural choices for this incisive technology. Second, several new photosensory receptors have been discovered in the past few years, and genome projects are clarifying their distribution in nature. Third, on the medical front, studies of mechanisms of photodamage and photoprotection at the molecular level and photodiagnostics and photodynamic therapy are progressing rapidly. Many researchers in photomedicine already see ASP as a natural home, while scientists in the first group need to be more actively drawn in. As President, I would pursue as immediate goals strengthening representation in ASP of investigators of structure/function of photoactive molecules such as visual pigments and microbial and plant phototransducers, so that these scientists might find ASP a natural home as well, and to encourage clinical/basic science communication at our meetings.
"a Canadian gold-mining company [was] planning to rip apart a mountain on the border of Yellowstone Park and leave behind a pool of toxic waste that [was] almost certain to destroy, eventually, the pure trout streams below. The corporation's executives would say, if asked, 'What would you want to do, just leave all that gold in the ground?' To which the only sensible answer is, 'Yes.'" - Charles Kuralt (1934-1997)
P. Donald Forbes
Argus Research Laboratories, Inc.
Horsham, Pennsylvania
Education: Wheaton College, B.S., Biology, 1957; Brown University, Ph.D., Radiation Biology, 1961; Temple University, Postdoctoral Fellow in Cancer Research, 1961-64.
Appointments: Senior Director of Photobiology, Argus Research Laboratories, Inc., 1996-present, Director of Photobiology, 1994-96, Associate Director of Research/Safety Director, 1992-94; Senior Advisor, The Center for Photobiology, 1989-92; Temple University, Manager Biohazards Control Office, 1989-92; Temple University School of Medicine, Professor of Dermatology, 1987-92, Associate Professor in Dermatology (Radiobiology), 1968-87; Roger Williams General Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, Radiation Safety Officer, Department of Radiology, 1966-68.
ASP Service: Charter Member of the American Society for Photobiology; served on several committees and the governing council.
Candidate's Statement: I believe that the Society can benefit from cooperative meetings involving other organizations with overlapping interests. Supporting the "meeting-within-the-meeting" this year with the Pharmaceutical Photostability international group (PPS '99) is one such current effort. I also share the concern of many others that ASP must find alternatives to our Society's fiscal dependence on library journal subscriptions. Identifying industry alliances and strategies for mutual support or research, development and education may provide one set of options.
Helene Z. Hill
Section of Cancer Biology
Department of Radiology
New Jersey Medical School
Newark, New Jersey
Education: Smith College, A.B., 1950; Brandeis University, Ph.D., 1964; Harvard Medical School, Postdoctoral, 1964-66; University of Colorado Medical Center, Postdoctoral, 1966-67; sabbaticals at Brookhaven and Argonne National Laboratories.
Appointments: Professor, Departments of Radiology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, New Jersey Medical School; Associate Professor, 1976-81, Department of Biochemistry, Marshall University Medical School; Associate Professor, 1973-76 Section of Cancer Biology, Division of Radiation Therapy, Washington University, St. Louis; Assistant Professor, 1967-72, Department of Biophysics and Genetics, University of Colorado Medical Center.
Research Interests: Photocarcinogenesis and radiation bioogy of melanoma.
ASP Service: Councilor, 1994-97; organized symposia and chaired platform sessions at national meetings; helped organize the Forum for Women and Minorities (now the Mentoring Committee).
Candidate's Statement: Like the electromagnetic spectrum, the strength of our Society lies in our unity and diversity. We are small enough to be friendly and large enough to have an impact. We must be continually vigilant to include members from all backgrounds with respect to discipline, age, ethnicity, and gender in the leadership of the Society. Most importantly, we should persist in helping and encouraging fledgling photoscientists to participate in all facets of the Society's activities. In order to attract new scientists to our field, we need to reach out to schools, colleges, and universities and to other societies with related interests. We must maintain the interest of our membership by encouraging our divisions to publish articles in our journal and make presentations at national meetings that will attract broad audiences.
"I find myself pulling for the big ranches to survive, subsidies and all. The alternative is too terrible to think about: subdivisions-time-shares and condos and 20-acre 'ranchettes'-spoiling every river in the state [of Montana]. That's what will happen if the ranchers give up and the land goes to the highest bidder." - Charles Kuralt
CANDIDATES FOR DIVISION ONE COUNCILOR
Tayyaba Hasan
Department of Dermatology
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
Education and Appointments: Associate Professor, 1991-present, Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School; Associate Professor, 1991-present, Division of Health Science Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Assistant Professor, 1987-91, Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School; Assistant Professor, 1990-91, Division of Health Science Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Postdoctoral Training, 1980-82, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry; Ph.D., 1980, University of Arkansas, Department of Chemistry.
Research Interests: Photodynamic therapy: mechanisms and applications; photosensitizers targeting with macromolecular carriers.
Photobiology Service: Associate Editor, Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B: Biology; Editorial Board, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine.
Candidate's Statement: There are three priorities I believe the ASP must have: (1) An active drive to attract younger scientists, particularly at the graduate and undergraduate student level by providing incentives beyond the existing ones for attending the ASP meetings. I believe a greater effort at informing undergraduate students about the scope of photobiology would be an important investment. (2) Improve the standing of photobiology in the scientific world. This could include a greater effort at collaborations with the more main stream scientific societies such as AACR or the IUPAC. The goal would be to make the society scientifically competitive. (3) An effort to keep pace with current opportunities and trends in biomedical science, where photobiology can play a critical and unique role. The society would provide leadership in identifying such areas and making a conscious effort at broadening its (the society's) scope.
Lisa Kelly
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Baltimore, Maryland
Education and Appointments: Assistant Professor, 1996, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Department of Energy Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow, 1994-96, Biology Department and National Synchrotron Light Source, Brookhaven National Laboratory; Ph.D., 1993, Center for Photochemical Sciences, Bowling Green State University; M.S., 1989, Department of Chemistry, University of Rochester; B.S., 1988, State University of New York at Geneseo.
Research Interests: Mechanisms of photoinduced damage in biological systems using steady-state and time-resolved optical spectroscopies; the synthetic design and photochemical activation of artificial nucleases and proteases.
ASP Service: Member since 1991; symposium organizer, speaker and regular attendee at annual meetings.
Candidate's Statement: As a Council Member, I feel that I could contribute to the ASP mission in two important ways. First, I believe it is crucial for the Society to actively recruit new and young members from a diversity of disciplines. Through a combination of the monthly publication of Photochemistry and Photobiology, the annual meeting, and everyday interactions of its members, the Society provides a unique forum for chemists, physicists and biologists, with common interest in photoprocesses, to share ideas. The Society must work diligently to recruit new Associate Members and support current ones as they embark on their independent careers. Secondly, I believe that the ASP must be proactive in educating science students and the general public in the opportunities and contributions in photochemistry and photobiology. With the availability and ease of the Internet, I believe that the ASP web page is an excellent resource for disseminating this information. I look forward to working with other ASP members to continue the expansion of the Society's web page to include general information and educational resources for current and future photochemists and photobiologists.
"Perhaps our grandsons, having never seen a wild river, will never miss the chance to set a canoe in singing waters." - Aldo Leopold
CANDIDATES FOR COUNCILOR-AT-LARGE
Honnavara N. Ananthaswamy
University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas
Education: B.Sc., Biology, University of Mysore, India, 1961; M.Sc., Biochemistry, University of Bombay, India, 1970; Ph.D., Microbiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, 1975; postdoctoral, University of California, Berkeley, 1976-78.
Appointments: Professor and Chairman (ad interim), Department of Immunology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
Research Interests: Photocarcinogenesis; sunscreens, tumor suppressor genes, apoptosis, PUVA therapy.
ASP Service: Member, 1979-present; ASP Councilor, 1997-98 (one-year appointment to replace Dr. Nancy Oleinick during her year as President-elect); Member, ASP Mentoring Committee, 1997-98; Co-chair, ASP Mentoring Committee, 1998-2001); Member, Program Committee, 13th International Conference on Photobiology, San Francisco, 2000; organized symposia at ASP annual meetings, 1998, 1999.
Candidate's Statement: I have been actively involved with ASP for over 20 years. As a councilor, I will work with the president and council to strengthen ASP's scientific excellence and visibility at the national and international arena, increase membership and attendance at annual meetings, and increase interaction between senior and junior members of the society at national and international meetings.
David A. Bellnier
Photodynamic Therapy Center
Roswell Park Cancer Institute
Buffalo, New York
Education and Appointments: B.S., 1975, Biology, State University of New York at Buffalo, N.Y.; M.S., 1977, Natural Sciences/Experimental Pathology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and SUNYAB, Buffalo, N.Y.; Ph.D., 1980, Radiation Biology, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and SUNYAB, Buffalo, N.Y.; Research Fellow/Instructor, 1981-84, Department of Urology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, Mass.; Research Fellow, 1984-85, Center for Advanced Laser Research, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, Tex.; Cancer Research Scientist III, present, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biophysics, and the PDT Center, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, N.Y.
Research Interests: Preclinical and clinical studies of photosensitizers for photodynamic therapy.
Candidate's Statement: As we enter the next millennium, we must continue to increase the public awareness of photobiology. This can only help in attracting new members and bolster support for the public and private funding of photobiology research and education. In addition to the traditional forms of information dissemination, a simple and effective way to accomplish this is to have a strong presence on the World Wide Web. The rapid increase in the number of Web pages belonging to ASP members presents an opportunity to take advantage of this new resource. I will encourage those members to include information about photobiology, as well as links to other relevant Web sites, for the benefit of both the public and the photobiology community. A unique feature, and strength, of the ASP is the eclectic composition of the Society. Unfortunately, this is not always in evidence at every meeting and conference. Hence, I shall work to enhance and strengthen the interdisciplinary nature of our society.
Dianne E. Godar
Center for Devices and Radiological Health
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Rockville, Maryland
Education and Appointments: Research Biochemist, Principal Investigator at the Food and Drug Administration, 1990-present; Postdoctoral in Photobiology, National Research Council fellowship, 1989-90; postdoctoral in pharmacology, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 1988-89; postdoctoral in Immunology, Georgetown University, 1987-88; Ph.D., Chemistry (thesis in Biochemistry), Georgetown University, 1987.
Research Interest: Apoptosis and mechanisms of cell death; UVA, UVB, UVC, PDT, PUVA and ionizing radiation effects; photomedicine; photoimmunology; photocarcinogenesis; chemotherapeutic approaches.
ASP Service: Co-chaired a symposium on apoptosis in 1995, published in and reviewed papers for Photochemistry and Photobiology, ASP member for 10 years.
Candidate's Statement: ASP is a diverse organization with disciplines in photochemistry/photophysics/phototechnology, environmental photobiology and UVR effects, photosynthesis and photoconversion, photomedicine, and photosensory biology. If elected as a councilor of the ASP, I would promote collaborative research and scientific interactions between the different disciplines within the ASP and with other photobiological and related societies, like dermatology. I would also help to coordinate special symposiums, proffered paper sessions, special guest lectures and workshops at our meetings in order to attract the attention of members with similar interests from other societies. In turn, this would incorporate "new blood" (both young and old) into the ASP, expand current ASP members knowledge and interests, and make the role of ASP better known in the scientific community. In addition, collaborative educational efforts with the CDC and other governmental agencies aimed at protecting the public from the harmful effects of UV, like photoaging and photocarcinogenesis, will inform the general populace of the importance of societies like ASP and the need for future research in photobiology. For only through collaborative scientific and educational efforts will the ASP expand its membership base and make its overall importance known to the community at large. In this way, the ASP will expand its knowledge and interests, improve its research and grant efforts, disseminate its findings to clinicians and the public, focus its attention on important medical and environmental issues, and sharpen its role(s) for humanity
Marianne Krieg-Kowald
Spectra Science Corporation
56 Amaral Street
East Providence, Rhode Island
Education and Appointments: Senior R&D Chemist, Photobiology Project Manager, Spectra Science Corp., 1997-present; Associate/Assistant Professor, Pediatrics Department, Medical College of Wisconsin, 1988-97; Alexander v. Humboldt Fellow, Max-Planck Institut f|r Strahlenchemie, 1984-88; Swiss National Science Foundation Fellow, Chemistry Department, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1981-84; Ph.D., Physical Chemistry Department, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, 1981; R&D Chemist, Ciba-Geigy, Basel, 1976-77; M.S., Chemistry, University Basel, 1976.
Research Interests: Development of optical materials; primary mechanisms of photosensitization and photodynamic therapy; drug design.
ASP Service: Member since 1985; attendee at annual meetings.
Candidate's Statement: The two distinctive features of the American Society for Photobiology are its diverse membership and the representation of both basic and applied research under the umbrella of photobiology. If elected councilor, I would like to take advantage of these strong points and work to further enhance-beyond the already existing established groups-interdisciplinary contacts and cross-fertilization (e.g., expertise exchange, formation of new collaborations, university-corporate contacts, help in jump-starting junior researchers, etc.). For example, I suggest creating a member-expertise database and organizing more interactive and cross-disciplinary symposia at the annual meetings. A second goal is to raise the visibility of photobiology as a discipline, to increase awareness of its potential for public health, and to heighten attention from the general public, funding agencies, and corporations.
Hasan Mukhtar
Department of Dermatology
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, Ohio
Education: Ph.D., Biochemistry, Kanpur University, Kanpur, India, 1971.
Appointments: Assistant Professor, 1980, Associate Professor, 1986, Professor, 1990, Department of Dermatology with secondary appointments in Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Physiology and Biophysics, General Medical Sciences and Radiation Oncology, Case Western Reserve University. Associate Editor: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, Skin Pharmacology and Applied Skin Physiology; Editorial Academy: International Journal of Oncology; Editorial Boards: Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Experimental Dermatology, Photodermatology, Photoimmunology and Photomedicine, Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Antioxidant Redox Signaling, Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery.
Research Interests: Photoprotection, Photocarcinogenesis and Photodynamic Therapy, and Cancer Chemoprevention.
ASP Service: Organized symposium and helped in fund raising; reviewer for Photochemistry and Photobiology.
Candidate's Statement: ASP is a superb organization that is always receptive to the voice of its membership. The future of ASP lies in recruiting new especially young members and making them interested in a career in photobiology and photochemistry research. This can be accomplished by providing incentives to this pool of scientists. ASP in general has done a good job in this direction but the efforts should be intensified. ASP should also promote more joint meetings or overlapping meetings with other societies and sponsor satellite meetings on selected topics. We should involve young and talented investigators conducting bench research in planning for these meetings. ASP must be more proactive in promoting photobiology awareness to the general public. I would work with other members of ASP to make sure that the general public receives accurate, scientifically valid information on the effects of solar radiation on the human population.
Andrew J. Rainbow
Department of Biology
McMaster University
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Education: B.Sc., Physics, University of Manchester, U.K., 1965; M.Sc., Radiation Biology and Radiation Physics, Guy's Hospital Medical School, University of London, U.K., 1967; Ph.D., Biology, McMaster University, 1970.
Appointments: Lecturer, Department of Radiology, McGill University, and Medical Physicist, Royal Victoria Hospital, Montreal, 1970-71; Medical Physicist for Hamilton and District Hospitals, 1972-80; for Chedokee-McMaster Hospitals, 1980-84; Assistant to Full Professor, Department of Radiology, 1972-84; Professor of Biology and Radiology, 1984-96, Acting Director, Institute for Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, 1994-95; Professor and Chair, Department of Biology, 1996-99, McMaster University.
Research Interests: Molecular mechanisms for DNA repair in mammalian cells and their role in the prevention and treatment of human disease; mechanisms of mammalian cell responses to photodynamic therapy.
ASP Activities: I have been a member of the ASP for more than 20 years. I regularly attend Annual ASP Meetings with my graduate students and contribute frequently to Photochemistry and Photobiology.
Candidate's Statement: I am interested in promoting increased membership in the society and increased attendance and participation (both scientifically and socially) at annual meetings.
Kathryn W. Woodburn
Preclinical Research Department
Pharmacyclics
Sunnyvale, California
Education and Appointments: B.Sc. (Hons), 1987, Biochemistry and Chemistry, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia; Ph.D., 1992, La Trobe University; Postdoctoral, 1992, University of Toledo and 1992-95, Wayne State University; currently Director of Preclinical Research, Pharmacyclics, Sunnyvale, California.
Research Interests: Photosensitization for both oncologic and vascular applications, effects of radiation induced damage, chemosensitization.
ASP Service: Member, 1991-present; organized symposia at ASP annual meetings.
Candidate's Statement: Due to the importance of photobiology, the ASP has become a multidisciplinary and international society. My vision for the society is that research generated within will influence both national and international health and education campaigns. I would like to take this one step further and enable accessibility, especially with respect to recent developments, to the government, media, industry, teachers and schools so that scientific research is readily translated for lay consumption and final application. Memberships in the society should be made more accessible to researchers and teachers who do not align with the strong traditional sectors of the society. Interaction between all sections is encouraged. As a young member I have benefited immensely from many mentors in the society and would encourage this on a broader level for other members.
"I never string up a trout rod without wild anticipation. Often, I've been exhausted on trout streams, uncom-fortable, wet, cold, briar-scarred, sunburned, mosquito-bitten, but never, with a fly rod in my hand, have I been unhappy." - Charles Kuralt
No cigarettes. No charred burgers. No electric lights? Don't laugh. "Artificial lighting is beginning to look like a risk factor for cancer," says Dr. David E. Blask, of the Bassett Research Institute in Cooperstown, New York.
Melatonin, the hormone our bodies produce when darkness falls, may help prevent the development of tumors, but artificial light stalls its production. Researchers in Sweden and Finland have found lower-than-normal cancer rates among the profoundly blind (whose melatonin output is not disturbed by light). Also, Blask and his colleagues recently discovered that tumors grow twice as fast in rats that sleep with night lights as in rats that sleep in the dark.
The case against electric lights is far from closed, but the early evidence offers a good excuse for dining more often by candlelight.
Newsweek (http://newsweek.com/nw-srv/focus/he/st0120_1.htm)
The advent of the World Wide Web and other forms of digital information sharing have led to predictions of the imminent demise of printed journals. Indeed, high-quality, all-digital publications are being produced by established journals such as Pediatrics and the Journal of Neuroscience, among others. Science fully believes that high-quality print journals will remain the preferred scholarly venue for authors' best works, although it recognizes that even for print-only journals the process of reviewing, revising, and disseminating scientific articles unquestionably benefits from digital documents. However, regardless of the form in which manuscripts are transmitted between authors, editors, and reviewers, the integrity of the scientific-review process requires that the performance of reviewers be appropriately rewarded.
Authors and readers judge journals on quality of content, breadth of readership, quality of publication, and method of delivery. The speed with which submitted papers are rejected or accepted for eventual publication is certainly an important selection factor. Wise editors select reviewers with great care, recognizing certain critical decisions. Who is a peer of this author in content area, in technique, and in experience? Which reviewers should be avoided because of competitive conflicts and past disputes? In short, what does the editor need to know in order to decide whether to accept or reject a submittal?
To maintain journal quality, editors and grant-review committee coordinators seek the "best" reviewers, based on their scientific reputations and past performance as reviewers. Often reviewers in "hot" areas of science may be in great demand by several journals. Reviewers working in other research fields may be in equally intense demand because the pool of qualified reviewers is quite small. Only the most dedicated scholars will agree to review frequently, given the pressures they face from research, grant proposals, and their own papers. So why be a reviewer? Some reasons may include passionate dedication to the scientific process or to the quality of journals one admires, as well as hopes for future authorship there. Reviewing also gives one a chance to take an advance look at new developments in the field.
No matter how quickly manuscripts can be digitally exchanged between editors and reviewers, the major temporal sink in the review process remains the delays in the return of useful reviews. Those delays in turn delay decision-making, which affects the journal's aggregate reputation. Prompt high-quality reviewing is the essential element of the scientific manuscript-review process, and the one most vulnerable to the vagaries of editor-reviewer interactions. However, promptness without accurate criticism and open-mindedness is the editor's nightmare. As the attractiveness of a journal grows, submittals increase, straining the review process even more as an increasingly smaller fraction of papers is accepted.
Given the importance of reviewers in the scientific manuscript-review process, how can editors and publishers reward exemplary performance? Some journals provide free subscriptions to reviewers, which is especially effective for expensive journals worthy of the subscription charge, but still underprices the time and effort required to review frequently. At some journals, editors offer reviewers insight into their decision-making process by sending them copies of the decision letters sent to authors after all reviewers' comments were digested. Such sharing in confidence can also help editors shape future reviewer performance. Editors can also offer limited numbers of reviewers the prestige of visible editorial positions or inclusion in long annual lists of reviewers. However, that recognition may be invisible to promotion committees. Rarely do editors have time to write to department chairs to praise a faculty member's performance as a reviewer.
Whether any of these possible rewards will be appreciated is an experiment in progress. What is clear is that the reviewer is the most critical and often most undervalued element of the scientific manuscript review process. Rewarding good reviewers for excellent performance is essential for maintaining the quality of the review process, no matter how quickly manuscripts are moved from authors to editors to reviewers. We do thank you.
Floyd E. Bloom
Adapted from a virtual Keynote Address to the 5th Internet World Congress for Biomedical Sciences
(http://www.mcmaster.ca/inabis98/)
"Leaving even a little trout stream unwatched is like leaving your wallet on the bar while you go to the bath-room: it might be there when you get back, but if it's not, it's your own damn fault." - John Gierach
The paperwork for the creation of the Photobiology Foundation is in the final stages. This nonprofit organization has two major goals: to raise the visibility of photobiology, and to raise funds to support photobiology projects. The inaugural Trustees who have volunteered their time to guide the organization in the early stages are: Thomas Coohill, Sienna, New York; Thomas Fitzpatrick, Boston, Massachusetts, John Hearst, Berkeley, California; Helene Z. Hill, Newark, New Jersey; and Meyrick Peak, Charlottesville, Virginia. Frank Gasparro is the Director and Lanie Hill is Secretary-Treasurer.
This year the Photobiology Foundation will supplement the ASP budget for travel awards for associate members to attend the annual meeting in Washington, D.C. In addition, limited funding is available to support two special projects in photobiology ($5,000 each). These awards will be made for really innovative ideas that support the goals of the foundation. Send proposals to me at Thomas Jefferson University by June 1. They will be reviewed by the awards committee and announced prior to the annual meeting in Washington in July.
By the time this issue of the newsletter appears, we hope that the foundation's web site will be revised. Check the ASP web site for the link.
Frank Gasparro (Francis.Gasparro@mail.tju.edu)
FINAL NOTICE FOR AIP NOMINATIONS
The Association internationale de Photobiologie (AIP) seeks nominations of researchers who have made distinguished contributions to the science of photobiology.
The three awards and their criteria have appeared in the last two issues of ASP News.
Each nomination must be accompanied by the nominee's CV, one nomination letter, and at least two supporting letters, all of which should be sent to the address below. For more information, phone (402) 472-2749, fax (402) 472-3404, or send e-mail to pssong@unlinfo.unl.edu. The deadline for receipt of completed nominations is July 1, 1999.
The awards will be presented at the 13th International Congress on Photobiology, July 1-6, 2000, in San Francisco, which is cosponsored by AIP, ASP, and ESP.
Pill-Soon Song, President, AIP
Department of Chemistry
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588
Dilbert's "Salary Theorem" states, "Engineers and scientists can never earn as much as business executives and sales people." This theorem can now be supported by simple mathematics, based on the following two postulates:
1. Knowledge is Power.
2. Time is Money.
As every engineer knows: Power = Work/Time.
Now, since Knowledge = Power, and Time = Money, we know that Knowledge = Work/Money.
Solving for Money, we get Money = Work/Knowledge.
Thus, as Knowledge approaches zero, Money approaches infinity, regardless of the amount of work done.
Conclusion: The less you know, the more you make.
I have created a group on PlanetAll.com to establish an updateable ASP directory. This will allow us to maintain up-to-date contact information, to communicate with group members on bulletin boards, and possibly to recruit new members. In addition, personal-contact information (from many e-mail programs) is uploadable so you can have your addresses backed up at this site. To join, go to http:// www.PlanetAll.com/main.asp?cid=257719&gid=78937&s=194.
If you've never used PlanetAll.com before, you'll need to go through a quick registration so you can participate. It only takes a minute and it's free. I look forward to seeing you there!
Frank Gasparro (Francis.Gasparro@mail.tju.edu)
SECOND INTERNET CONFERENCE ON PHOTOCHEMISTRY AND PHOTOBIOLOGY
In association with Elsevier Science, the Second Internet Conference on Photochemistry and Photobiology will be held from July 16 to Sept. 7, 1999. Some salient features are:
7 Contributions in all areas of photochemistry and photobiology will be accepted.
7 Selected papers will be published (see below).
7 There will be a separate "Poster Session" for preliminary work or work to be published elsewhere.
7 Discussion facilities along with text, graphic, audio, and video support will be available.
7 Anyone interested in contributing should send e-mail to info@photobiology.com, giving the likely title and stating whether the contribution is a paper or a poster.
Contributions submitted as "papers" will be considered as preliminary submission to the Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, B: Biology. The on-line version will be checked by the Associate Editors of the journal, who may consult with referees. Authors will be notified by the end of the meeting whether they should send in disk and hard-copy versions or, alternatively, they may receive suggestion for improvement. The hard copy will then undergo the usual refereeing procedure. See the web site: www.photobiology.com/photo99 for the latest news. Paul Heelis
PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR AGE_RELATED BLINDNESS
For a common form of blindness, the light of hope has just clicked on. Age-related macular degeneration is the most widespread form of blindness in people over age 50. It's the abnormal growth of blood vessels and scar tissue over the retina. Left unchecked, it will eventually destroy vision. A new technique called photodynamic therapy appears to help block the process in many patients. A bright red light is shone directly into the affected eye. The light triggers the release of a pre-injected drug that destroys the unhealthy tissue in a very specific area. The abnormal tissue is gone, but the healthy eye tissue is not affected. Johns Hopkins ophthalmologist Dr. Neil Bressler led a study of the new technique and calls it a significant breakthrough for patients. "[This procedure is] not to get their vision all back to normal, not to help people who unfortunately have already lost a lot of vision, but to help people who walk in the future suddenly to be treated and minimize their visual loss," explained Bressler. This form of photodynamic therapy is currently undergoing regulatory review.
(With thanks to Frank Gasparro)
July 10-15, 1999: ASP Annual Meeting; Washington, D.C. (see story)
July 16-Sept. 7, 1999: Second Internet Conference on Photochemistry and Photobiology (see story)
July 17 (Sat.)-July 22 (Thurs.): 1999 Organic Photochemistry Gordon Research Conference, Connecticut College, New London, Connecticut http://www.public.asu.edu/~iangould/grc/ grc99.html
August 1-6, 1999: XIXth International Conference on Photochemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina (see adjacent panel) September 3-8, 1999: ESP Congress; Granada, Spain http://www.POL-US.net/ESP_home/esp99.html
September 12-16, 1999: 6th Latin American Encounter for Photochemistry and Photobiology (ELAFOT-6); Rio de Janeiro (IRABRINN@IQ.UFRJ.BR)
July 1-6, 2000: Photobiology 2000: Joint International Congress (AIP, ASP and ESP); San Francisco (see story)
July 22-27, 2000: XVIIIth IUPAC Symposium on Photochemistry, Dresden, Germany http://www.chm.tu-dresden.de/photoiupac2000
tbd Sept. 2000: SEAWPIT 2000, Bali, Indonesia xbiokw@mail.zedat.fu-berlin.de
tbd 2001: 9TH ESP Congress; Lillehammer, Norway (tentative)
"There are very few things in life that are dead-center. Three of them are 1955 Ford pickups, B.B. King, and dry-fly fishing." - John Gierach
13th ICP/PHOTOBIOLOGY 2000 UPDATE
This is a reminder that ASP is the host organization for the 13th International Congress on Photobiology, which will be held July 1-6, 2000 at the Hyatt Embarcadero Hotel in San Francisco. Frank Gasparro, the 13th ICP President and Nancy Oleinick is the Chair of the Scientific Program Committee. Fred Urbach, Chair of the Finance Committee, is busy raising funds to support this great endeavor. John Heart, chair of the Local Arrangements Committee, promises great diversions for meeting-weary eyes.
In the year 2000 there will be no other major photobiology meeting. Under the aegis of ASP and AIP, five other photobiology/photochemistry societies (ESP, the Photobiology Association of Japan, the Korean Society of Photoscience, the Photomedicine Society, and the Inter-American Photochemical Society) are joining with us to organize the photobiology meeting of the century! All are participating in the organization of the scientific program.
The second announcement for the 13th ICP will be mailed in the spring. It will list special lectures, symposia, and other activities so you will have a good idea of what the meeting will be like.
Frank Gasparro
One of the most comprehensive sources of information on the 27th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Photobiology is found in Photobiology Online (www.POL-US.net or the European mirror at pol.newi.ac.uk). All of the standard information contained in the meeting booklet mailed to members each year is contained in the site, plus much more.
Taking advantage of the capabilities of the Web, we have linked to many sites providing additional information about Washington, D.C. and the Grand Hyatt. You can not only read about how to get to the Grand Hyatt, you can click on a link that takes you to a map of downtown Washington, D.C. with the Hyatt clearly marked. You can also navigate to the web sites of companies that provide local access to the Hyatt.
Meeting details are also facilitated in POL. You can fill out an online form to register for the meeting. The form is maintained on a secure server that encrypts the transmission, so you can pay with a credit card, and you're done. You will also find forms to print and mail for hotel registration and to apply for an Associate Member Travel Award. Sorry, you'll still have to request and mail your abstract form, but there is an e-mail link to help you request the form from the ASP office.
To find the meeting information, you can select either "About ASP" or "Upcoming Events" from the main menu page of POL. Then just look for links to the meeting.
I'll summarize ESP meeting information in POL in a future note, as we get closer to meeting time. See you in Washington!
Dennis Valenzeno
"There is something fascinating about science. One gets such wholesale returns of conjecture out of such a trifling invest-ment of fact." - Mark Twain
The XIXth International Conference on Photochemistry will be held at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina on August 1-6, 1999. We invite ASP members to submit abstracts for contributed oral and poster presentations. We have an exciting week planned and we hope that you will be a part of the conference. Consult the meeting web site: http:// www.chem.duke.edu/~icp99 for the list of plenary speakers, invited speakers, and on-line registration and abstract submission. If you would like to receive more information or copies of the registration form and abstract form, simply send your postal mailing address to jds@chem.duke.edu.
John D. Simon and Clifford P. Kubiak,
Conference Co-chairs
PHOTOCHEMISTRT AND PHOTOBIOLOGY CD-ROM
 | Photochemistry and Photobiology is now available in an Archival Version on CD-ROM.All tables of contents and full articles are provided in pdf format and are fully searchable and printable. An installation program for Acrobat Reader (reads pdf files) and Acrobat Search (searches pdf files) for Windows, Macintosh and Unix are included on the CD.
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