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2003
APS Conference
Aldosterone and ENac: From Genetics to Physiology
September 10-14, Banff, Alberta, Canada
The 2004 APS Conference on Aldosterone and ENaC: From Genetics to Physiology was held at the Banff Centre for Conferences, located in the majestic Canadian Rockies within Banff National Park. Herds of Elk and deer grazed unconcerned outside the Max Bell Building—where the sessions were held—while inside an interdisciplinary group of re-searchers shared their knowledge about amiloride-sensitive sodium channels, their regulation and their involvement in normal and pathophysiological situations and the role of aldosterone in regulating these processes. Designated free time each afternoon found attendees utilizing the abundance of hiking trails or visiting nearby lakes including stunning Lake Louise. The Organizing Com-mittee, chaired by Daniela Rotin of The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto and Douglas Eaton of Emory University, selected the venue and arranged the scientific sessions.
There was an internationally recognized and interdisciplinary group of investigators present and interaction was enhanced by the presence of young scientists, students and established investigators. The conference attracted 133 total registrants: 26% of which represented young scientists including 18 students and 16 postdoctoral registrants. Twenty-three (17%) were APS members (including two Emeritus members) and 29 (22%) were not members of APS. Forty-seven (35%) of the registrants represented invited speakers and session chairs. Of the 133 registrants, 45 (34%) were from outside The Americas; 13 (10%) were from Canada; four (3%) were from industry; and one was a researcher working in a US Government lab.
The outstanding program consisted of nine symposia sessions and 47 poster presentations scheduled into two separate poster sessions. The social program included an Opening Reception and Mixer on Wednesday evening and the Conference Banquet and Awards Presentation on Saturday evening. The organizers were able to leave time each afternoon for participants to enjoy the beauty of Banff National Park by scheduling evening symposium sessions after the dinner hour.
The awards presentation recognized three recipients of the Research Recognition Award for Outstanding Abstract Presentation by a Graduate Student or Postdoctoral Fellow. The following awardees were presented with a certificate and cash prize during the banquet: Diego Alvarez de la Rosa, “SGK and aldosterone increase ENaC activity through different mechanisms in A6 cells”; Sandra Yukie Flores, “Aldosterone stimulation of Na+ transport and Nedd 4-2 phosphorylation in mpkCCDc14 cells; and, Satyanarayana R. Pondugula, “Sodium absorption by semicircular canal duct epithelium via ENaC is stimulated by corticosteroids”.
Thanks to the generous financial support by the International Society of Nephrology, the following 14 students and postdoctoral fellows received travel awards to attend the conference: Ditte Andreasen, Daniela Cucu, Anke Dahlmann, Christophe Debonneville, Silvana Maria del Mónaco, Panagiotis Fakitsas, Fatemeh Fouladkou, Elena Gonzalez Rodriguez, Danny Jans, Goran Kostoski, Cathy Le Moellic, Bao Lei, Stephanie Michlig, and Yannis Sainte-Marie.
In addition, Rudy M. Ortiz, of Tulane University Health Sciences Center and Ollie Kelly, of Emory University were recipients of the Porter Physiology Develop-ment Committee’s Minority Travel Fel-lowship Awards provided to encourage participation of under represented minority students. With support from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) the fellowship provides reimbursement of all expenses associated with travel to and participation in the conference. The recipient is matched with an APS member attending the conference who offers guidance and makes introductions to other scientists.
Of the 47 abstracts submitted for poster presentation, 45% (21) included a female first author; 30% (14) were from institutions outside The Americas and 19% (9) were from institutions in Canada. Table 1 provides a distribution of abstracts based on submitting department. Table 2 provides the breakdown of registration by type.
The Society and Organizing Committee gratefully acknowledge financial support provided through generous educational grants from NIH, NIDDK, The Canadian Institutes of Health Research, The Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and The International Society of Nephrology.
| Table 1. Distribution by Department of Submitted Abstracts |
| Department |
Number of
Abstracts (%) |
Physiology
Medicine
Pharmacology
Biology |
9 (19%)
8 (17%)
8 (17%)
3 (6% |
| Table
2. Registration Statistics |
| Registrant
Type |
Number
of Attendees (%) |
APS Member
Nonmember
Postdoctoral
Student
Retired
Invited Speaker
Total |
21 (16%)
29 (22%)
16 (12%)
18 (14%)
2 (1%)
47 (35%)
133 |
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| APS Members
Doug Eaton and Daniela Rotin presented Research Recognition Awards
for Outstanding Abstract Presentation by a Graduate Student or
Postdoctoral Fellow to three recipients, Sandra Yukie Flores,
Satyanarayana R. Pondugula, and Diego Alvarez de la Rosa. |
APS
Conference attendees review one of the poster presentations and pose
questions to the presenter. |
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| The picturesque
surroundings of Banff provided the backdrop for the APS Conference. |
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2003
APS Physiological Genomics Conference
Understanding Renal and Cardiovascular Function Through
Physiological Genomics
October 1-4, Augusta, Georgia
The Savannah River and Augusta Riverwalk served as the backdrop for the Society’s 2nd annual Physiological Genomics conference entitled, “Under-standing Renal and Cardiovascular Function Through Physiological Genomics” organized David M. Pollock (Chair), Richard A. McIndoe, Jennifer S. Pollock, Jin Xiong She, and R. Clinton Webb. The conference provided the opportunity for researchers to learn how new technologies, tools and applications of genomics can be used by physiologists to discover how genetic and environmental factors influence renal and cardiac function.
There was an internationally recognized and interdisciplinary group of investigators present and interaction was enhanced by the presence of young scientists and students The conference attracted 152 registrants, 41% of which represented young scientists, including 23% student and 18% postdoctoral registrants. Nine-teen percent were members and 18% were not members of APS. Invited speakers and session moderators represented 20% of the registrants.
The outstanding program consisted of six symposia, 58 poster presentations and two “free communication” oral sessions that included selected abstract presentations. The social program included the Wednesday evening Opening Reception and Friday evening banquet and awards presentation. Banquet attendees enjoyed the music of local band Friends.
In the non-scientific realm, first-time visitors to Augusta were surprised to discover a diverse and culturally rich Old South community with much to offer. The Morris Museum of Art, located one block from the hotel, includes antebellum portraits, Civil War illustrations, Southern impressionist paintings, landscapes, contemporary art and more. Additionally, The Best of Augusta Bash coincided with the conference and was held at Ft. Discovery National Science Center. The Bash featured tastings from area restaurants, live music and dancing.
The awards presentation recognized two postdoctoral fellows and two graduate students for outstanding abstract presentation. The postdoctoral awardees were: Keith J. DiPetrillo, “Genetic analysis of hypertension in SWR/J mice;” Jennifer C. Sulllivan, “Microarray analysis of the influence of gender expression in mesenteric arteries from genetically Hypertensive rats.”
The graduate student awardees were: Alfred J. Casillan, “Microvas-cular acclimatization to systemic hypoxia involves upregulation of inducible nitric oxide synthase and heme oxygenase-1;” and Norman Taylor, “Role of H202 in the maintenance of salt-induced hypertension in the Dahl salt-sensitive rat.”
Among the meeting attendees were nine recipients of the NIDDK Fellowship Award provided to encourage participation of under represented minority students. Supported by the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases the fellowship provides reimbursement of all expenses associated with travel to and participation in the conference. The recipient is matched with an APS member attending the conference who will offer guidance and make introductions to other scientists. The recipients were: Anita Austin, Turner Coggins, Vallie Holloway, Ronald McMillon, Evangeline Motley, Phillip Palmer, Myla Patterson, Stephanie Richardson, and Elethia Woolfolk.
A total of 58 abstracts were submitted to the conference for poster presentation. Table 1 provides a distribution of abstracts based on submitting department. Thirty-three percent (19) were by female first authors and 3% (2) were submitted by authors at institutions outside The Americas. A total of 152 registrants attended the conference. Table 2 provides the breakdown of registration by type. Thirty-three percent (50) of the registrants were female; 4% (6) were from outside The Americas and; 5% (7) were from industry. 45% (69) of the registrants represented physiologists working at the Medical College of Georgia.
The Society and Organizing Committee gratefully acknowledge financial support provided through generous educational grants from: AstraZeneca, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Fisher Scientific, Medical College of Georiga and Merck & Company, Inc.
| Table 1. Distribution by Department of Submitted Abstracts |
| Department |
Number of
Abstracts (%) |
Physiology or
Physiol/Biophysics
Cardio- or Vascular Biology
Pediatrics
Medicine
Surgery |
20 (34%)
12 (21%)
5 (9%)
4 (7%)
4 (7%) |
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| Table
2. Registration Statistics |
| Registrant
Type |
Number
of Attendees (%) |
APS Member
Nonmember
Postdoctoral
Student
Invited Speaker
Exhibitor
Total |
29 (19%)
28 (18%)
34 (22%)
28 (18%)
31 (20%)
2 (1%)
152 |
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| David Pollock presents
awards to Keith DiPetrillo, Norman Taylor, and Alfred
Casillan. |
APS Conference attendees
review one of the poster presentations and pose questions to the
presenter. |
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| APS Member
David Pollock presented awards to several attendees, including nine
recipients of the NIDDK Fellowship Award, two postdoctoral fellows,
and two graduate students. |
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