The International Physiology Committee (IPC) of the American Physiological Society (APS) developed the "Latin American Initiative" project in the year 2000. The purpose of this Initiative is to strengthen the ties between the APS, the sister Physiological Societies of Latin America, and the physiologists working in the Americas. Today the Latin American Initiative constitutes the main focus of the IPC. Considering the awards for courses/symposia to be held during the next calendar year, the APS will have supported the realization of 16 courses/symposia in five Latin American countries including six courses in Argentina, four in Brazil, four in Mexico and one each in Venezuela and Guatemala.

The "Latin American Initiative" is now a well-known project in the Americas. This is reflected by the fact that the IPC now receives a large number of high quality applications. For this reason the challenge for the future is to expand the Initiative by securing new funds from additional sources than the APS. The IPC is hard at work looking for these new sources.

During 2003 the APS provided $5,000 to each of the following courses/symposia under the auspices of the "Latin American Initiative":

The International Training Postgraduate UNESCO Course: "Spectroscopic and Physiological Advances in Neurobiology." This course was organized by Francisco Jose Barrantes (Bahia Blanca, Argentina) and was held at the Institute of Bioquimica at the Universidad Nacional del Sur, Bahia Blanca, Argentina. The course consisted of six lectures held by scientist from Argentina, the US, Chile, Portugal and Germany. The course was attended on average by 15 graduate students, 10 PhD students, five postdoctoral students, five junior scientists and 12 senior scientists.

The workshop "Molecular Physiology of Vasoactive Peptides." This project was organized by Adolfo de Bold from the University of Ottawa, Canada and by the Heart Institute of the Argentinean Society for Clinical Investigation. The workshop was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina and consisted of 12 presentations by scientists from the US and Argentina. The audience was larger than 700 persons consisting of graduate students, medical students, basic scientists and clinicians.

The "Third International Symposium on Biochemical and Physiological Aspects of Muscle Research" was organized by Hugo Gonzalez (University of Maryland) and Alicia Ortega (National Autonomous University. Mexico). The course was held at the Faculty of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico City, Mexico. It consisted of 24 presentations by muscle research scientists from the US, Mexico, Germany, Hungary and Canada. The course attracted an audience of 225 persons including medical students, graduate students and basic scientists.

The Course "Biology of the Heart" which was organized by Stephen Warburton (New Mexico State University) and Tobias Wang (University of Aarhus, Denmark). This was a two-week, research-based course held at the Universidade Estadual Paulista, Department of Zoology, in Rio Claro, Brazil. The course was taught by 6 faculty members from Brazil, the US, England and Denmark and was attended by graduate students drawn from seven Universities across Brazil.

Hector Rasgado-Flores, Chair

Council Actions

• Council accepted the report of the International Physiology Committee.

• Council approved the requested funding for four new Latin American Initiative proposals for 2004.

• Council approved a motion for the International Physiology Committee to seek additional sources of funding for the Latin American Initiative.