155th Business Meeting

As originally published in The Physiologist
Volume 45, Number 4, August 2002, page 193

Time: 5:30 PM, Tuesday, April 23, 2002
Place: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA

I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 5:37 PM by President John E. Hall, who welcomed the members to the 155th Business Meeting of the American Physiological Society. A booklet containing the agenda and a listing of all the APS award recipients was distributed to those members present.

II. Election of Officers
Executive Director Martin Frank announced the results of the election of officers that was conducted by mail ballot. Frank stated that a total of 1,416 ballots were cast. The membership elected John A. Williams, University of Michigan, as President-Elect (April 24, 2002-April 15, 2003). The two newly elected Councillors are Virginia Miller, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, MN, and Charles Tipton, University of Arizona. They will serve a three-year term (April 24, 2002-April 5, 2005) which will begin at the close of the Annual Meeting. They are replacing Hannah Carey and Jo Rae Wright.

III. State of the Society
Hall addressed the meeting and spoke on the state of the Society. He said that he was pleased with the continued growth of the Society's membership, and that the Society overall was doing well. He then spoke about his year as president of APS and of the goals he had hoped to achieve during his presidency. The first goal was to further enhance the vitality and excellence of the APS meetings and publications. In the area of publications there have been some innovative ideas put into action, such as the APS online collection, the legacy data project, the High Wire Library of the Sciences and Medicine project, and the Physiology in Medicine (PIM) Series. Through the Legacy Data Project, APS journal content dating back to 1898 and continuing forward will be scanned and posted online. The High Wire Library of the Sciences and Medicine project is a new web portal providing enhanced searchability, including content of 300 plus journals. The PIM series, which will appear in the Annals of Internal Medicine, will help link physiology and medicine together.

Hall praised Dale Benos for his leadership as Chair of the APS Publications Committee. Hall said that the APS meetings have been enhanced in several ways. The first is by further developing the "meeting within a meeting" concept at the Experimental Biology (EB) meetings. He also said the meetings have gotten stronger by empowering the sections by allowing them to create a "meeting within a meeting" for their section members. He also said that the APS conferences have been expanded to meet the needs of the entire APS membership and they highlight Physiological Genomics and Translational Research.

The second goal of Hall's term as President was to strengthen the APS sections, which he believes are the backbone of the Society. He said that the sections now have expanded resources for the EB meetings. These resources include distinguished lectureships, featured topics, allocation of symposia slots, and funding for young investigator awards. The APS sections are also strengthened through committee representation on such committees as the Section Advisory Committee (SAC), the Nominating Committee, Committee on Commit-tees, and the Liaison with Industry Committee.

Hall's third goal was to increase the visibility of APS and the discipline of physiology. To assist APS to increase their visibility and that of physiology, a media specialist and a media company were hired, and APS formed a new Communications Committee. Together, they will be responsible for informing the media and public about new developments in physiology and contributions of APS and its members, meetings, journals, awards programs, and outreach efforts.

His fourth goal was to develop a "translational research" initiative. He began his discussion by first defining the term "translational research."

Translational research is the transfer of knowledge gained from basic research into new and improved methods of preventing, diagnosing, or treating disease. It is also the transfer of clinical insights into hypotheses that can be tested and validated in the basic research laboratory. Translational research is bi-directional.
Hall went on to say that the gap between the basic sciences and clinical medical is growing, according to the NIH, HHMI, AHA, ACS, and others. He said that this growing gap may be due, in large part, to the declining activity in clinical physiology and integrative physiology. This declining activity in integrative physiology is likely due to: 1) technological advances in molecular biology/ge-nomics and funding pressures have attracted physiologists to be more reductionist; 2) physiologists have often become indistinguishable from other basic scientists and, as a result, basic science departments are merging; 3) PhD training programs usually don't include pathophysiology, and sometimes very little physiology; and 4) physiology departments may not be effectively serving as a bridge between the basic sciences and clinical research.

The declining activity in clinical physiology is due, in part, to: 1) a loss of role models and mentors for translational research; 2) inadequate time for research in residency training programs; 3) financial pressures (managed care); and 4) physical and intellectual separation from the basic sciences. Hall went on to say that basic and clinical research programs are no longer conducted side by side in most academic medical centers. This separation is leading to less interaction among physiologists and clinicians. Because of declining activity in clinical and integrative physiology, APS has established a Translational Research Task Force. The goals of this task force are to: 1) ensure that physiology re-establishes itself as a discipline that links basic sciences and clinical medicine, and 2) promote interdisciplinary research that translates advances in basic science to clinical research.

There are several objectives APS hopes to achieve through the translational research initiative. The first is to highlight translational research in APS meetings and publications. There has been a call for translational research papers in the APS journals, and the PIM series, which will appear in the Annals of Medicine, will also include translational research articles. APS meetings will also be used to promote the initiative. For example, at the EB meetings, translational research can be more greatly highlighted by developing stronger programming ties with the American Foundation for Medical Research (AFMR); encouraging cross-cutting, bench to bedside programming; sponsoring workshops aimed at overcoming barriers to interdisciplinary research; and sponsoring workshops on career opportunities in translational research. Hall would like APS to sponsor at least one translational research conference a year and sponsor/endorse symposia at other clinical meetings (e.g., ASN, AHA, AGA).

The second objective of the initiative is to encourage physiologists to develop interdisciplinary teams that bridge molecular and cellular physiology, organ systems physiology, and clinical research. Other objectives of the translational research initiative are to: 1) promote translational research as a viable career for physiologists; 2) increase the impact of physiology on the medical school curriculum, as well as on postgraduate medical education; 3) promote training in integrative physiology; and 4) increase the visibility of physiology as a discipline.

As stated earlier, Hall said that he would also like to increase the impact of physiology on the medical school curriculum, and on postgraduate medical education. He said that physiologists often have little contact with medical students after the first year, although both medical students and clinicians believe that the teaching of physiology is important. In the 2001 AAMC Medical School Graduation questionnaire, 88.7% of the respondents said that physiology courses were important or very important in preparing them for medical school. On another question, 84.6% rated physiology courses as good or excellent in preparing them for medical clerkships; on both of these questions, physiology was ranked higher than other basic science courses in order of importance. However, the number of course and contact hours for physiology within the medical schools is declining. Thus, the translational research initiative will also be used to: 1) promote and facilitate the instruction of basic medical physiology by Physiology Departments; 2) promote the instruction of physiology in the clinical years and in postgraduate medical education; 3) promote inclusion of pathophysiology in the medical curriculum; and 4) promote inclusion of pathophysiology and clinical research in Physiology PhD training programs.

Hall said that there are several strategies that will be employed by the translational research initiative to achieve these objectives. Some of these strategies are to: 1) obtain more information on the importance of physiology to students and clinicians; 2) be more proactive in dealing with the USMLE and making sure that physiology is well-represented; 3) obtain more information on careers in physiology, especially the need for integrative physiologists; 4) work to get the ACDP/APS medical curriculum objectives accepted; 5) build a template for a pathophysiology course ("Physiology in Medicine Grand Rounds"); and 6) use the APS Archives for promoting physiology/pathophysiology education. The Archives contains material suitable for all educational levels (K-12, undergraduate, graduate/professional) and will develop a repository of case histories, animations, figures, lectures, simulations, and links to additional resources on the web. A scientific review board has been established to review material for scientific accuracy and to verify the appropriate use of animals. Material in the Archives is searchable by title, author, subject matter, keywords, type of file, pedagogy, medical learning objectives, as well as other criteria. Also, the Archives is part of a larger BiosciEd Net (BEN) portal that includes APS, ASM, ESA, ASBMB, Science's STKE and others.

Hall then updated the membership on the financial situation of the Society. He said that APS is in good shape, and the various programs, such as meetings and publications, are doing well.

Hall then thanked the APS staff, in particular APS Executive Director Martin Frank, Education Officer Marsha Matyas, Director of Publications Margaret Reich, Public Affairs Officer Alice Ra'anan, Membership Services Manager Linda Allen, Director of Finance Robert Price, Higher Education Programs Coordinator Melinda Lowy, and Executive Assistant Linda Comley. Hall also thanked Past-President Gerald DiBona and President-Elect Barbara Horwitz for all their help and support during his tenure.

In closing, Hall thanked the membership for the opportunity to serve the Society as its President and said that this is a "great time to be a physiologist."

V. Report on Membership

A. Summary of the Membership Status
President-Elect Barbara A. Horwitz reported on the status of the Society membership. As of March 22, 2002, the current membership of the Society is 10,915, of which 7,536 are regular members, 39 are honorary members, 1,056 are emeritus members, 91 are affiliate members, and 2,193 are student members. The Society also has 22 Sustaining Associate members.

B. Deaths Reported Since the Last Meeting
Horwitz read the names of those members whose deaths had been reported since the last meeting. The membership stood and observed a moment of silence in tribute to their deceased colleagues.

VI. Awards and Presentations

A. Ray G. Daggs Award

APS President John Hall presenting the Ray G. Daggs Award to Elsworth Buskirk.

Ray G. Daggs was the APS Executive Secretary-Treasurer from 1956 until his retirement in 1972. In tribute to his devotion to the Society, the Ray G. Daggs Award was established and is given annually to a physiologist for distinguished service to the Society and to the science of physiology. The recipient receives $500 and expenses to attend the Experimental Biology meeting. Hall was pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2002 Ray G. Daggs Award is Elsworth Buskirk, Pennsylvania State University.

In selecting Buskirk as this year's recipient, the Daggs Award Committee noted that Buskirk has provided distinguished service to our field and to the American Physiological Society over many years. He served as chairman of the Environmental and Exercise Physiology (the EEP) Section of the APS from 1988-1991. He was a member of the Association of Chairman of Departments of Physiology from 1974-1991, and as well, directed the Noll Laboratory of Human Performance over these years. Buskirk has held a number of leadership positions for the American College of Sports Medicine and has been the recipient of a number of the College's awards, including the highest honorary award. The College's membership derives significantly from the APS. He also received the Honor Award from the EEP Section of the APS in 1993. Buskirk was Section Editor for the Environmental and Exercise Physiology papers to the American Journal of Physiology and the Journal of Applied Physiology before editors and associate editors were identified. He was section editor, editor, and editor-in-chief for Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise from 1973-1988, where he remains Consulting Editor. Buskirk also served on a large number of advisor panels and study sections for NSF, AHA, NRC, USAF, NASA, and ONR, including four terms on NIH study sections with two terms as chair. Buskirk has published over 245 scientific papers, books and book chapters. He has contributed significant scholarly work since 1957 in the areas of environmental and exercise, mentoring more than 40 PhD students. Since becoming Professor Emeritus in 1992, he has published a number of papers and chapters, including a chapter in the APS's Handbook of Physiology entitled "Nutrition and exercise in adverse environments" in 1996. He continues to be active in APS.

Congratulations to Elsworth Buskirk for a lifetime of achievement and leadership in the science of physiology and his service to The American Physiological Society and its membership.

B. Orr E. Reynolds Award

President John Hall presenting the Orr E. Reynolds award to Gerard P. Smith.

The Orr Reynolds Award, established in 1985 in honor of the second Executive Secretary-Treasurer, is presented for the best historical article submitted by a member of the Society. Members may receive the award only once, and those members who have advanced degrees in the history of science or medicine are not eligible. The recipient receives $500 and expenses to attend the Experimental Biology meeting.

Hall was pleased to announce that the 2002 Reynolds Awardee is Gerard P. Smith, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, for his article entitled "Pavlov and Integrative Physiology."

C. Arthur C. Guyton Teacher of the Year Award

President John Hall and William Schmitt presenting the Arthur C. Guyton Teacher of the Year Award
to John West.

The Arthur C. Guyton Teacher of the Year Award was established in 1993 by the Teaching of Physiology Section and supported by the W. B. Saunders Company, publisher of Guyton's Textbook on Medical Physiology, used to educate generations of medical and physiology students. The award is given to an APS member who is a full-time faculty member of an accredited college or university and involved in classroom teaching and not exclusively the teaching of graduate students in a research laboratory. The recipient receives $1,000 and expenses to attend the EB meeting.

Hall introduced William Schmitt from the W.B. Saunders Company who presented the 2001 Guyton Teacher of the Year Award to John West. West studied the functioning of the lungs and respiration and pulmonary physiology in his early years. He currently teaches at the University of California, San Diego. In his courses, he is able to integrate physiology and medicine. He has been the recipient of the Kaiser Award, and was president of the American Physiological Society 1984-1985.

D. Giles F. Filley Memorial Awards


President John Hall presenting the Giles F. Filley Memorial Award to Claudette Marie St. Croix.	President John Hall presenting the Giles F. Filley Memorial Award to Mai-Lan Huynh.

As a result of a bequest from the family of Giles F. Filley, a memorial fund was established in 1993 to recognize excellence in respiratory physiology and medicine. Two annual awards are made to investigators who hold an academic rank no higher than assistant professor and are pursuing research in respiratory physiology and medicine. Awards are made to APS members working in the United States, who have demonstrated outstanding promise based on their research program.

Hall presented the 2002 awards to Mai-Lan N. Huynh, University of Colorado, and Claudette Marie St. Croix, University of Pittsburgh.

Each recipient received a $25,000 check for use in his/her respective research program, a plaque, and reimbursement of expenses to attend the Experimental Biology meeting.

E. Shih-Chun Wang Young Investigator Award

President John Hall presenting the Shih-Chun Wang Young Investigator Award to Jeffrey Potts.

As a result of a bequest from the wife of Shih-Chun Wang, a memorial fund was established in 1998 to recognize excellence in physiology. Shih-Chun Wang was the Pfeiffer Professor of Pharmacology at Columbia University and a long-standing member of the APS. He was internationally recognized for his research contributions in the areas of neurophysiology and neuropharmacology with an emphasis on brainstem control mechanisms. An award is made to an APS member working in the US who has demonstrated outstanding promise based on his/her research program. Hall presented the 2002 Wang Award to Jeffrey T. Potts, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Michigan.

Potts received a $12,000 check for use in his research program, a plaque, and reimbursement of expenses to attend the Experimental Biology meeting.

F. Lazaro J. Mandel Young Investigator Award

President John Hall presenting the Lazaro J. Mandel Young Investigator Award to James D. Stockand.

As a result of a bequest from the wife of Lazaro J. Mandel, a memorial fund was established in 1999 to recognize excellence in epithelial or renal physiology. An annual award is made to an investigator who holds an academic rank no higher than assistant professor and is pursuing research in epithelial or renal physiology. An award is made to an APS member working in the United States who has demonstrated outstanding promise based on his or her research program. Each award is for $12,000 and is designated for the use of the awardee in his/her research program. Hall presented the 2002 Mandel Award to James D. Stockand, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

Stockand received a $12,000 check for use in his research program, a plaque, and reimbursement of expenses to attend the Experimental Biology meeting.

G. Arthur C. Guyton Award for Excellence in Integrative Physiology

President John Hall presenting the Arthur C. Guyton Award for Excellence in Integrative Physiology to Simon C. Malpas.

A donation to the Society in honor of Arthur C. Guyton led to the establishment in 1997 of an award to recognize excellence in integrative physiology. One award is made annually to a regular APS member who demonstrates outstanding promise based on his/her research program in feedback, mathematical modeling, and integrative physiology.

Hall presented the 2002 Arthur C. Guyton Award in Integrative Physiology to Simon C. Malpas, The University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Malpas received a $12,000 check for use in his research program, a plaque, and reimbursement of expenses to attend the Experimental Biology meeting.

H. Liaison With Industry Awards

The Liaison With Industry Awards are given to the graduate student and the postdoctoral fellow submitting the best abstract describing a novel disease model. This award is sponsored by the Liaison with Industry Commit-tee. This is the third year these awards have been given. Hall and Glenn A. Reinhart, a representative of the Liaison With Industry Commit-tee, presented the 2002 Liaison With Industry Awards to Graduate Student Darren S. Hoffman, University of Iowa, and Graduate Student Edward Wolfgang Lee, Georgetown University Medical Center.

President John Hall and Glenn Reinhart presenting the Liaison With Industry Award to Darren Hoffman.

President John Hall and Glenn Reinhart presenting the Liaison With Industry Award to Edward Lee.

Thirty-six awards were made possible by the bequests of Caroline tum Suden and Frances Hellebrandt, who were long-time members of the Society. Awards are open to graduate students or postdoctoral fellows who present papers at the spring meeting. Recipients receive a $500 check for travel to the Experimental Biology meeting, paid registration, and have access to the FASEB Placement Service. Carole Liedtke, Chair of the Women in Physiology Committee, presented the awards.

J. Procter & Gamble Professional Opportunity Awards
The Procter and Gamble Company, a multinational, technically-based consumer products corporation, provides support for the APS Professional Opportunities Awards. The APS sections selected 12 predoctoral students who are within 12-18 months of receiving a PhD degree and are presenting a paper as first author at the spring meeting. Paid registration and $500 checks were given to the awardees. APS Executive Director Martin Frank presented the awards.

K. Minority Travel Fellowships
These Travel Fellowships for minority physiologists, established in 1987, are open to advanced undergraduate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral students, who have obtained their undergraduate education in Minority Biomedical Research Programs (MBRP) and MARC-eligible institutions, as well as students in the APS Porter Physiology Development Program. Minority faculty members at the above institutions may also apply. Funds are provided for travel and per diem to attend the annual spring meeting. This program is supported by the NIDDK and the NIGMS. The intent of this award is to increase participation of pre- and postdoctoral minority students in physiological sciences. This year APS is pleased to present 44 Minority Travel Fellowship Awards.

Hall then asked that all the young investigator award recipients stand and be recognized by the attending membership.

K. Recognition of Outgoing Section Chairs
Helen Raybould, Chair of the Gastrointestinal Section; Jeff M. Sands, Chair of the Renal Section; Dee U. Silverthorn, Chair of the Teaching of Physiology Section; and Michael A. Matthay, Chair of the Respiration Section, complete their terms at the close of this meeting. Hall thanked them for their guidance and leadership with the sections, and their help and dedication to the Society.


President John Hall presenting a plaque to Helen Raybould, outgoing chair of the Gastrointestinal Section.		President John Hall presenting a plaque to Jeff Sands, outgoing chair of the Renal Section.		President John Hall presenting a plaque to Dee Silverthorn, outgoing chair of the Teaching of Physiology Section.

L. Recognition of Outgoing Councillors
Councillors Hannah V. Carey and Jo Rae Wright will complete their terms on Council at the close of the Experimental Biology 2002 meeting. Hall thanked them for their service on Council and their assistance to him, and recognized their dedication and guidance to the Society.
Hall then offered a special "Thank You" to Past-president Gerald DiBona. He thanked DiBona for his help, leadership, and dedicated service to the Society, presenting him with a plaque honoring his presidency.


President John Hall presenting a plaque to Hannah Carey, outgoing Councillor.		President John Hall presented a plaque and sailor's cap to Gerald DiBona, outgoing Past President.

VII. Passing of the Gavel
Hall then turned the gavel over to Barbara A. Horwitz, University of California, Davis, incoming President of the American Physiological Society. Horwitz thanked Hall on behalf of the Society saying that the Society had been very fortunate having John Hall as President.

President-elect Barbara Horwitz receives the gavel from President John Hall.

VIII. New Business
After President Hall completed his presentation, APS member Gabriel Nahas took the floor and commented on Hall's remarks. Nahas raised several issues, including the idea that physiology needs to be redefined. He also said that medicine is a science composed of many arts, and that physiology is one of these arts. Hall thanked him for his comments.

There being no new business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:47 PM, April 23, 2002.


President John Hall presenting the Walter B. Cannon Lecture Award to Allen Cowley.		Past President Gerald DiBona presenting the Henry Pickering Bowditch Award to Pontus Persson.

APS Presidents Gather at EB '02

Front Row: William Dantzler, Stanley Schultz, John Hall, Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen, Barbara Horwitz, Vernon Bishop.
Back Row: Walter Boron, John Williams, Gerald DiBona, John West, Jim Schafer, Shu Chien, Aubrey Taylor, Franklyn Knox, Gabriel Navar, David Bohr, Norman Staub.


Marlene Cohen of Eli Lilly Company presenting Phyllis Wise the FASEB Excellence in Science Award.	David Randall, Martin Frank, and Tim Burkholder presenting the Walter C. Randall Lecture Award to Adrian Morrison.


Gary Kline, Sue Sabur, and Gil Ebner staffing the APS exhibit booth at EB '02.	Dale Benos recognized outgoing publications committee members and editors at the Publications Banquet held at EB '02 in New Orleans. Pictured left to right are outgoing committee members Jim Schafer and Davis Manning, outgoing journal editors Penny Hansen and John Hall, Margaret Reich, APS Director of Publications, and Dale Benos, APS Publications Chair.