FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
APS Contact
Chris Guilfoy
Office: (301) 634-7253
cguilfoy@the-aps.org
University of Wisconsin Hibernation Expert
to Lead 120-Year-Old Scientific Society
Connects physiology to
human and animal health; species preservation
Bethesda,
Md (April 25, 2007) – Forging stronger links between the science of
physiology and the health and the survival of humans and animals is the
focus of the incoming president of
The American Physiological Society (APS),
Hannah V. Carey.
Dr. Carey, a professor of comparative biosciences at
the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, will take over as
the 80th president of the society during the 120th annual meeting
in Washington, D.C. She will be the third woman to lead the APS when she
takes office on May 1.
Physiological research has led to treatments for
diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease and has
benefited people around the world. Dr. Carey’s own research focuses on
hibernation biology and its applications to biomedicine. The research may
one day help prolong the viability of organs harvested for transplant or
save those who have suffered severe blood loss.
Physiologists can further strengthen the link between
their research and its clinical applications, she said. She advocates a
program to allow early-career physiologists to step outside the laboratory
for several months to see how their research may be used in medicine and
public health.
“Shadowing and rounding with physicians and other
experts in a clinical area related to the physiologist’s research could help
shape their future lab work and provide the passion that is so needed for a
fulfilling and productive research career,” Dr. Carey said. Such programs
would depend upon funding, perhaps between organizations such as APS and the
government.
Dr. Carey also wants to forge a network of
physiologists and environmental scientists to identify the challenges that
threaten the survival of species. “Many of these challenges, including
climate change, environmental toxins and changes in complex food chains,
ultimately impact humans and are of increasing concern to the public,” she
said. “Our ability to achieve healthy and fulfilling lives absolutely
depends on the health of the organisms around us, and their existence
depends on ours.”
Promoting science
When Carey becomes the society president, current
President Dale J. Benos, a University of Alabama – Birmingham
professor, will become past president. Irving H. Zucker, the Theodore
F. Hubbard professor of cardiovascular research and chairman of the
department of cellular and integrative physiology at the University of
Nebraska Medical Center will take the office of president-elect. The
three-year presidential rotation ensures experienced leaders continue to
guide APS.
Dr. Carey is the North
American editor of the Journal of Comparative Physiology and is on
the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology –
Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. She has served as a member of
panels or special study sections for the National Institutes of Health, the
National Science Foundation and the National Space Biomedical Research
Initiative. She is also the president of the Wisconsin Association for
Biomedical Research and Education.
Dr. Carey is a strong believer in public outreach and
frequently visits community groups and schools to talk about her research
and encourage young people to consider a career in science. She has also
served as a source for radio, print and television reporters on stories that
convey the excitement and value of science, particularly the science of
hibernation.
The APS, founded in 1887, has 10,500 members and is one
of the nation’s oldest scholarly societies for scientists. The society
publishes 11 peer-reviewed scientific journals and two review journals.
* * *
To
schedule an interview with Dr. Carey, please contact Christine Guilfoy at
The American Physiological Society, (301) 634-7253 or
cguilfoy@the-aps.org.
The media
is invited to attend Experimental Biology 2007, expected to attract 14,000
scientists, by e-mailing
Christine Guilfoy or calling her at (301) 634-7253, prior to the event.
During the conference, please call the APS press room at (202) 249-4174. For
reporters who cannot attend, arrangements can be made in many cases for
telephone interviews with scientists.
Please
click here for the APS program at Experimental Biology 2007.
Physiology is the study of how molecules,
cells, tissues and organs function to create health or disease. The American
Physiological Society has been an integral part of this scientific discovery
process since it was established in 1887. The Society has 10,500 members and
publishes 13 scientific journals containing almost 4,000 articles annually.
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