Physiology and Experimental Biology 2003

   Experimental Biology 2003 was held April 11-15 in San Diego, CA and was a joint meeting of six FASEB societies. The principle-programming societies were: American Physiological Society (APS), American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), American Society for Investigative Pathology, American Society for Nutritional Sciences, and American Association of Anatomists. The APS hosted five guest societies: American Federation for Medical Research, Association of Latin American Physiological Societies, Biomedical Engineering Society, the Microcirculatory Society, and the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.
    Experimental Biology (EB) ‘03 marked the second meeting-wide theme entitled “Translating the Genome.” Several societies scheduled sessions relating to the genome and genomic research. The EB Meeting hosted a symposium organized by the participating societies entitled, “Recruiting, Educating and Mentoring the Experimental Biologist of the Future,” which addressed both common and society-specific concerns from recruitment to curricula to training and included a discussion about alternative career paths. The participants included one person from each of the six programming societies. EB hosted a workshop entitled “IACUC 101 for Scientists” which was jointly supported by the NIH Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, each of the six programming societies and FASEB. The workshop addressed the concerns of research scientists who serve on IACUC’s and those whose protocols require IACUC review. The FASEB Career Resources and MARC Program Office, in association with the NIH offered a three-part grant seminar workshop in the Placement Service Area. Anthony Coelho, Jr., Review Policy Officer at NIH, chaired the sessions. Additionally, “Career Development Seminars” were held in the Placement Services Area over three days and were open to all attendees.
    A total of 6,500 volunteered abstracts were submitted for presentation by the submission deadline of November 13, 2002. Forty-one percent of the total abstracts submitted were sponsored by APS or its guest societies and 38.5% of the total were submitted to APS topic categories. Additionally, 470 late breaking abstracts were accepted with a deadline of February 26, 2003 of which 28% (134) were from members of APS or its guest societies. Late breaking abstracts were scheduled as posters on the last day of the meeting and printed in the program addendum.
    Of the 2,503 abstracts programmed by APS, 25% (614) had female first authors; 17% were received from institutions outside the Americas (representing an 6% increase from EB 2002 despite visa entry concerns); 4% (100) were from US government laboratories; and 2% (38) were from industry. Table 1 provides the departmental affiliations of the abstracts programmed by APS and indicates that 23% (569) were from Departments of Physiology and 4% (94) were from Departments of Physiology and Biophysics.
    The APS programmed a total of 308 scientific sessions including 182 poster sessions, 50 symposia, 49 featured topics, 16 lectures, 5 workshops, 4 Physiol-ogy InFocus symposia, 1 poster discussions, and 1 refresher course. The lecture sessions included 12 Section Distinguished Lectureships, the Walter B. Cannon, Henry Bowditch, and Walter C. Randall, FASEB Excellence in Science Award, and The Microcirculatory Society’s Landis Award lectures.
    Session highlights included four workshops: “Frontiers of Intravital Microscopy: Crossroads of Physiology and Pathology,” chaired by M.S. Goligorsky and A. Verkman; “Methods to Detect Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress,” chaired by M.B. Grisham and J. Granger; “Understanding and Applying Critical Translational Assays,” chaired by G. Reinhart and C. Montrose-Rafizadeh, sponsored by the APS Liaison with Industry Committee; “Peer Review and Publication in APS Journals,” chaired by D.J. Benos sponsored by the APS Publications Committee; and “Presentation Skills,” chaired by C.M. Liedtke and S. Benyajati, jointly sponsored by the APS Women in Physiology and the ASPET Women in Pharmacology Committees.
    The Refresher Course entitled, “Muscle Physiology: From Cellular to Integrative” was chaired by R.L. Hester and G.A. Ordway and sponsored by the APS Education Committee. Additionally the APS Communications Committee sponsored its first symposium entitled, “Making Science News,” chaired by A. Gwosdow that included journalists from print, radio and television and incorporated a media workshop moderated by D. Krupa.
    The Physiology InFocus Program, organized by Barbara Horwitz, was entitled, “Physiological Implications of Oxidative and Nitrosative Stress,” and included four symposia: “General Overview and Physiological Relevance” chaired by M. Grisham and M. Traber; “Emerging Concepts in Oxidative and Nitrosative Signaling,” chaired by J. Beckman and Y. Jannsen-Heinenger; “Cardiovascular Consequences,” chaired by J. Eiserich and K. Griendling, and “Pulmonary Consequences,” chaired by B. Halliwell and J. Mannick.
    The APS Mixer was held on Friday evening and included sumptuous desserts, dancing, and an opportunity to meet with colleagues in a relaxed, festive atmosphere. The Young Experimental Scientist (Y.E.S.) Mixer, designed to enhance interaction between younger members of the participating societies, was held on Sunday and open to all registered attendees.
    The total meeting registration was 12,734 of which 9,800 (77%) were scientific registrants. The scientific registrants were represented by 4,876 (50%) members, 125 (1%) retired members, 2,410 (25%) nonmembers, and 2,389 (24%) students. A total of 1,535 (16%) of the scientific registrants were from outside the United States. This represents a 1% increase over the foreign registrants at EB 2002. EB 2003 was the second year in which high school teachers, high school students and undergraduate students could register at no cost. A total of 586 of these complimentary registrants attended, including 61 high school teachers, 33 high school students, and 492 undergraduates. This figure represents 5% of the total registration, an increase of 4% over 2002. Additionally, the total EB meeting registration included 1,851 (15%) exhibitors, 421 (3%) guests of exhibitors, 41 (<1%) guests of scientists, and 35 (<1%) press registrants.
    The American Physiological Society gratefully acknowledges financial support through educational grants from Taylor University, Upland, Illinois, National Institutes of Health, Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare, The Grass Foundation, the William Townsend Porter Foundation, Amersham Biosciences, The Muscular Dystrophy Association, and Merck & Co., Inc.

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