159th APS Business Meeting

APS President
Douglas C. Eaton

I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 5:48 pm by President Douglas C. Eaton, who welcomed the members to the 159th Business Meeting of the American Physiological Society. A booklet containing the agenda and a listing of all the APS award recipients was distributed.

II. Election of Officers
Executive Director Martin Frank announced the results of the election. The election was conducted via an online ballot. The new President-elect is Hannah V. Carey, University of Wisconsin, School of Veterinary Medicine, (April 6, 2006–May 2, 2007). The three newly elected Councillors are James W. Hicks, University of California, Irvine; Dee U. Silverthorn, University of Texas, Austin; and J. Michael Wyss, University of Alabama, Birmingham (April 6, 2006–April 22, 2009). They are replacing Helen Raybould and Jeff Sands, who are completing three-year terms on Council. The newly elected Councillors will serve a three-year term. All newly elected officers will assume office at the close of the Annual Meeting. Eaton said that 26.6% (1863) of the membership voted in the election.

IV. State of the Society
President Eaton addressed the membership and spoke on the state of the Society. He started by reviewing the mission of APS—APS promotes discovery, disseminates knowledge, and advances education in physiology.

Strategic Planning
Eaton reported that the Council, with the assistance of committee and section chairs, and APS staff, has developed a new Strategic Plan. APS held its first strategic plan meeting in 1992, and then the next meeting was held in 2000.

To prepare for this new strategic plan, the Society conducted a membership survey in the spring of 2005. Over 1,750 members responded to the survey, providing Council with the necessary data to draft a new strategic plan. After receiving the survey responses, Council then held two strategic planning meetings; the first was in November 2005, at which a first draft of the plan was written. A second meeting was held February 23-24, 2006, at which time the draft plan was finalized.

The new Strategic Plan has five major directions. Eaton said that the overarching goal of the Strategic Plan is to position physiology as a central and critical biomedical discipline and strengthen its relationships with the other life sciences.

Direction 1
The first direction in the plan is to make APS a leader in advancing the life sciences that investigate biological function. Eaton said the strategies that will be used to achieve this direction will include making the journals stronger and the premier place to publish; and to develop the discipline of physiology as a whole. The Society will also evaluate and redesign its meetings and conferences programs. Eaton said that the EB meetings still offer a strong scientific program and are financially successful, but many of the Society’s conferences have not been financially successful. A task force will be created to evaluate the conference program, and a task force will be created to determine ways to further strengthen the EB meetings; both task forces will make recommendations to Council to improve both programs. He said that APS will also cultivate new partnerships with other international societies. APS will make better use of contemporary technology to create resources that both members and non-members can access and use to promote physiology.

Direction 2
The second direction is that APS will enhance the future of the discipline of physiology, ensuring that the next generation of physiologists are supported through all stages of their careers. One of the objects of this direction is ensure that there are future physiologists. One way to achieve this is to increase the visibility of physiology in grades K-12. The Society will work through grass roots organizations to accomplish this objective.

Direction 3
The third direction is that APS will drive the understanding and appreciation for physiology as a discipline, and strengthen public and private support for scientific research. Eaton said that the current state of funding for biomedical research is not good. APS has to improve its advocacy for research funding. The Society must also increase the number of APS representatives on the various FASEB committees.

Direction 4
The fourth direction is that APS will be dynamic and relevant to an increasingly diverse and global membership. Eaton said that APS should have a diverse membership, and should also continually assess the needs of that membership to be able to support them in the areas where they need the most assistance. APS will begin to more vigorously use contemporary methods of technology to promote physiology to diverse groups in order to increase its membership. A task force will be created to evaluate the Society’s current web/IT programs and will report its findings to Council.

Eaton said there is a need to attract a broader group of scientists and educate them to the fact that what they are doing is physiology. We also have to reach out to the international community. He said that at this meeting (EB06) a new exchange program with The Physiological Society (TPS) was initiated. TPS organized a symposium at EB, and APS organized a session at their annual meeting, July 5-7, 2006.
Direction 5

The fifth direction is that APS will be a mission-directed, adaptable, and fiscally sound organization. Eaton said that “fiscally sound” is the relevant point of this direction. This does not relate to the current financial state of the Society, but concerns the financial future of the Society. APS depends heavily on revenue from its publications; therefore it is important that the Society find other streams of revenue to supplement that income. Council will be asking all committees and sections to try to generate new ideas for alternate sources of revenue, and will also ask the sections to try to obtain outside financial support for their distinguished lectureships. The objective is to be able to broaden the Society’s programs through new streams of revenue.

Eaton said that the Society’s governance structure will also be examined. The Long Range Planning Committee with be charged with this task.

The new Strategic Plan will be available on the APS web site, and will also be published in a future issue of The Physiologist. Eaton said that he would like to receive ideas and comments from the APS membership on the Strategic Plan.

Scientific Meetings
Eaton said approximately 6,000 physiologists attended the IUPS Congress that APS hosted in 2005. This meeting was a financial and scientific success.

Future Meetings
The Experimental Biology 2007 will be in Washington, DC. Because of the location, Eaton said he would like all members to contact their elected representatives in hopes of scheduling a meeting with them while they are in Washington, DC attending EB07.

Publications
Eaton reported that the Society’s journals are doing well. The journals have had a long history of excellence and innovation, such as being online since 1994; having one of the first online systems for manuscript submission and review; having journal content available online from 1898 to the present; and free access to articles 12 months after the date of publication. Eaton reported that the Impact Factor for the journals is increasing, as well as the readership and submissions. The APS Publications department has developed a poster about ethical issues in publishing; these posters are available free-of-charge from APS.

Eaton said that the Society is continuing to respond to the NIH Public Access Plan. NIH has requested that all NIH-funded research manuscripts be submitted to PubMedCentral (PMC) in order to create a permanent archive of NIH funded research, and to provide the public with access to NIH funded research. APS has modified its copyright to allow authors to provide a copy of the approved manuscript to NIH, but NIH must abide by the 12 month embargo period.

Eaton said that group of scientific journal publishers sent a “Linking Proposal” to NIH. Under this proposal, the NIH would be provided online access to articles on the publishers’ websites using the existing system of links from abstracts that are indexed on NIH’s Medline. This “Linking Proposal” would ensure integrity of the papers and would respect the publishers’ embargo policy.

Public Affairs
Eaton said that the Society is coordinating efforts with FASEB and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) to try to improve funding opportunities for biomedical research. He said that the APS membership could help by communicating with their elected officials that the proposed federal budget would undo many of the advances made through the doubling of the NIH budget.

Eaton reported that APS has published a resource book for understanding animal welfare issues. The publication—APS Resource Book for the Design of Animal Exercise Protocols—is available through the APS store.

Education
Eaton reported that APS continues to promote discovery, disseminate knowledge, and advance education in physiology through programs such as: Porter Physiology Development Program, the NIDDK Minority Travel Awards, Explorations in Biomedicine, and Frontiers in Physiology. A new program has been instituted—Professional Skills Development for Minority Students in Biomedicine. This is an online interactive tool that will help trainees develop professional skills. It will be available on the APS website in early 2007.

Physiology Understanding Week
Eaton said that APS tested a pilot program in the fall 2005, and it was met with a great deal of enthusiasm. He said that this new program will help to get people in the pipeline early enabling us to have appropriate membership in the future.

APS Supports Its Membership
Eaton said that Hurricane Katrina created an immediate financial need for many APS members that the Society tried to help to minimize through the Katrina Fund. It is important to remember that there are still many problems remaining, such as rebuilding labs, relocating trainees, etc. APS will try to continue to help with these issues as the opportunities present themselves.

V. Report on Membership

A. Summary of the Membership Status
President-Elect Dale J. Benos reported on the status of the Society membership. As of February 9, 2006, the current membership of the Society is 9,671, of which 7,286 are regular members, 34 are honorary members, 1,133 are emeritus members, 17 are affiliate members, and 1,201 are student members. The Society also has 23 Sustaining members.

B. Deaths Reported Since the Last Meeting
Benos 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

Eaton recognized three awardees that received their awards earlier in the EB meeting: the Walter B. Cannon Memorial Award Lecturer was Jo Rae Wright; the Henry Pickering Bowditch awardee was Ulrich Hans Von Andrian, and the Bodil Schmidt-Nielsen Distinguished Mentor & Scientist Lecture awardee was L. Gabriel Navar.

A. Ray G. Daggs Award
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 2006 Daggs Awardee is Allen W. Cowley, Jr., Medical College of Wisconsin.

Cowley has been a distinguished leader in physiological research and has provided outstanding service to the profession of physiology and to the American Physiological Society. He has been an active member of the APS since 1972, serving as a Councillor for five years, and Chairman of the Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section. From 1997 to 1999 he served on the Executive Committee as President-elect, President, and Past-President of the APS. During his tenure, he helped create the research area of physiological genomics as a result of a workshop hosted by APS at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. He helped launch a new APS journal, Physiological Genomics, becoming its second editor-in-chief in 2004. Cowley served as the President of the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) from 2001-2005. As IUPS President, he spearheaded the revision of the commission structure of the IUPS, making the commissions more responsive to the needs of the physiological community.
Cowley has served as the President of the Association of Chairs of Departments of Physiology, and served on the Council for High Blood Pressure Research of American Heart Association Executive Committee as Vice-Chairman, Chairman and Past-Chairman. He has also served on a number of NIH study sections, most recently as a member of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council. He has also served as an Associate Editor on more than 10 editorial boards, including four journals of the APS.

Cowley is the director of the NIH Specialized Center for Hypertension Research at the Medical College of Wisconsin, which emphasizes the search for genes responsible for high blood pressure. He directs the NIH Program “Blood Pressure-Determinants and Controllers,” now in its 25th year of continuous funding. He is the director of an NIH training grant in high blood pressure research and, throughout his career, has trained more than 30 postdoctoral fellows and students. He also co-directs an NIH Program of Genomic Applications (PGA) for the development of genetic model organisms that will link genes to function.

Cowley has been the recipient of many awards and honors, including the Distinguished Achievement Award of the Scientific Councils of the American Heart Association in 1996, the Novartis Award from the Council for High Blood Pressure Research of the American Heart Association in 1997, the 1996 Ernest H. Starling Award and Distinguished Lectureship of the APS Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Section, and was the recipient of the Walter B. Cannon Award of the APS in 2002. Cowley has authored more than 200 publications and has contributed chapters to more than 30 books. In accepting the Ray G. Daggs Award, Cowley said that he “thanks the Society and I am enormously honored by this, having been around long enough to know what this awards means. This society has been the heart of everything I do. I am a physiologist, and this truly is an integrative science. It is an enormous pleasure to come every year and interact with other physiologists. The most impressive part of the science is the scientists. It is very fulfilling to be recognized by your peers.”


APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents Allen W. Cowley, Jr. with the Ray G. Daggs Award.		APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents Camillo Di Giulio with the Orr E. Reynolds Award.

B. Arthur C. Guyton Teacher of the Year Award
The Arthur C. Guyton Teacher of the Year Award was established in 1993 by the Teaching of Physiology Section and is 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 Arthur C. Guyton Physiology Educator of the Year Award is selected by the Teaching Section and is presented to an APS member who is a full-time faculty member at an accredited college or university. The Selection Committee selects a candidate for the Award who demonstrates evidence of: 1) excellence in classroom teaching over a number of years at undergraduate, graduate, or professional level; 2) commitment to the improvement of physiology teaching within the candidate’s own institution; and 3) contributions to physiology education at the local community, national or international levels. This year’s selection committee was chaired by Maureen Burton. The APS and the Teaching of Physiology Section thanked Elsevier for providing the funding for this award.

Daniel Richardson received his PhD in 1969 from Indiana University Medical Center. He began his career as Professor at the University of Kentucky, Department of Physiology in 1970 and today continues to teach. Richardson has had an illustrious career and extensive list of accomplishments in microcirculatory research, training of students and teaching. A striking and recurring theme that is noticed in his portfolio is his perpetual desire and natural ability to serve others by enabling them to learn. For this reason, he is held in high esteem by students and colleagues alike. He has taught, as well as developed, courses for students from third grade through degreed academicians. His service extends from the local through international level and is not limited to teaching but also includes numerous publications regarding effective teaching techniques. Richardson’s accomplishments and accolades attest to his dedication in promoting and broadening the future of physiology education. Richardson was instrumental in creating this award during his tenure as Chair of the Teaching Section of the APS.

C. Orr E. Reynolds Award
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 recipients receive $500 and expenses to attend the spring meeting of the Society. The 2006 Reynolds Awardee is Camillo Di Giulio, University of Chieti, Italy, for his article entitled “Angelo Mosso and Muscular Fatigue 116 Years After the First Congress of Physiologists.”

In accepting his award, Di Giulio said: “I want to thank APS for this award. I gave this talk in San Diego last year, and it is a great honor to be here. The subject of this paper was a great physiological scientist. I believe it is important to teach students the history of the discipline.” He also thanked APS member Charles Tipton for his constant encouragement.

D. Giles F. Filley Memorial Awards
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 of $20,000 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. This year the Society is pleased to recognize the promise of Ryan W. Bavis, Bates College, and Deborah A. Quinn, Massachusetts General Hospital. Susan Gunst, Chair, APS Respiration Section, and Doug Eaton presented the awards to the recipients.

E. Lazaro J. Mandel Young Investigator Award
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 $7,500 and is designated for the use of the awardee in his/her research program. Eaton presented the 2006 Mandel Award to Pablo A. Ortiz, Henry Ford Health Science Center.

F. Arthur C. Guyton Young Investigator Award
The Arthur C. Guyton Award Fund was established in 1993 to recognize the contributions of Arthur C. Guyton and his interests in feedback, modeling, and integrative physiology. The awards are made to independent investigators working in the United States, who hold an academic rank no higher than assistant professor, and are pursuing research that utilizes integrative approaches to the study of physiological function and explores the role of feedback regulation in physiological function. Each award is for approximately $15,000 and is designated for the use of the awardee in his research program. This year the Society is pleased to present the award to Nikolaos Tsoukias, Florida International University.

G. Liaison with Industry Awards
The Liaison with Industry Awards are given for the best abstract describing a novel disease model. This is the fifth year this award has been given. Eaton and Chahrzad Montrose-Rafizadeh, Chair of the Liaison with Industry Committee, presented the 2006 Liaison with Industry Awards to Lydia E. Kuo, Georgetown University, and Olga Starodub, University of Cincinnati.

H. David S. Bruce Awards
The annual David S. Bruce Awards for Excellence in Undergraduate Research is granted to up to four currently enrolled undergraduate students who are first authors on a poster presented at the EB meeting. Each receives a cash award of $500. This year the Society is pleased to recognize Manasi Bhate, Oberlin College/Vanderbilt University; Jennifer M. Edwards, Michigan State University; Jon C. Gonzales, Colorado State University; and Gillian L. Sowden, Williams College.

I. Caroline tum Suden/Frances Hellebrandt Professional Opportunity Awards
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. Siribhinya Benyajati, Chair of the Women in Physiology Committee, presented the awards.

J Minority Travel Fellowships
Frank announced that 53 Minority Travel Fellowship awards, funded by NIDDK and NIGMS, were presented to minority students to help them attend the Experimental Biology 2006 meeting.

K. Porter Travel Fellows Award
The Porter Physiological Development Awards are designed to support the training of talented students entering careers in physiology by providing pre-doctoral fellowships for underrepresented students. Each award includes an $18,000 stipend. This year’s recipients are: Jessica Clark, University of Arizona; Damon Jacobs, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Lymari López-Díaz, University of Michigan; Jeffrey B. Mason, University of California, Davis; Walson Metzger, UMDNJ; Kristy M. Nicks, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Adrienne L. Orr, Stanford University; Clintoria Latrice Williams, University of Alabama at Birmingham.

L. Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships
This year the APS will support 13 undergraduate summer research fellowships. These fellowships allow full-time undergraduate students to work in the laboratory of an established investigator. The intent of the program is to excite and encourage students to pursue a career as a basic research scientist. The award includes a $3,000 summer stipend and $1,000 for travel to the next Experimental Biology meeting. The year’s recipients are: Manasi P.Bhate, Oberlin College/Vanderbilt University; Jenna E. Coalson, Stanford University/University of Nebraska; Carol Ann Duke, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Jennifer M. Edwards, Michigan State University; Aaron D. Fain, University of Kentucky; Adrian A. Feijo, University of Maryland Baltimore County/Tripler Army Medical Center; Jarem B. Lloyd, Weber State University; Robert A. Overton, Jr., University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Nirmala Ramalingam, Rutgers University; Bryan J. Tokarchic, Juniata College/Brigham & Women’s Hospital; Kathryn V. Tormos, Benedictine University; Jared M. Winiko, University of Florida; Erin A. Wyatt, University of Kentucky.

M.Recognition of Outgoing Section Chairs
Alan Sved, Chair of the Neural Control & Autonomic Regulation Section and Joey Granger, Chair of the Water & Electrolyte Homeostasis Section, complete their terms at the close of the EB06 meeting. Eaton thanked them for their service to their sections and to APS.

N. Recognition of Outgoing Committee Chairs
Eaton recognized the outgoing committee chairs and thanked them for their service to the APS. He said that “this is a bitter-sweet part of the Business Meeting since these members are stepping down from their current positions.” The outgoing chairs are L. Gabriel Navar, Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee; William Talman, Chair of the Public Affairs Committee; Susan Barman, Chair of the Section Advisory Committee; and Caroline Sussman, Chair of the Trainee Advisory Committee.


APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents a plaque to Outgoing Chair of the Long Range Planning Committee, L. Gabriel Navar.		APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents a plaque to Outgoing Chair of the Section Advisory Committee, Susan Barman.


APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents a plaque to Outgoing Chair of the Trainee Advisory Committee, Caroline Sussman.		APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents a plaque to Outgoing Chair of the Public Affairs Committee, William Talman.

O. Recognition of Outgoing Councillors
Councillors Helen Raybould and Jeff Sands will complete their terms at the close of this meeting. Eaton thanked them for their service to the Society.

D. Neil Granger was recognized for his service as APS President. When presenting Granger with the Past-President plaque Eaton said “I want to thank him for his tireless efforts to advance the Society in numerous areas.”


APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents a plaque to Outgoing Councillor Helen Raybould.		APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents a plaque to Outgoing Councillor Jeff Sands.		APS President Douglas C. Eaton presents a commemorative plaque to APS Past-President D. Neil Granger.

P. New Business
Award Presentation
A presentation to APS was made by members William Chilian, Louisiana State University HSC, and L. Gabriel Navar, Tulane University HSC. Chilian and Navar said that they wanted to acknowledge the contributions made by APS to the trainees at their institutions through the Hurricane Katrina Fund. On August 6, Hurricane Katrina left the city of New Orleans devastated. Both LSU and Tulane were heavily damaged from the hurricane. The labs at both of these institutions lost many resources such as reagents and lab animals; and these institutions are still feeling effects of the storm today. The Government, at all levels, was very late in getting help to residents. In a matter of days, APS posted a bulletin board on their web site that allowed all members in New Orleans to communicate with each other, which was extremely important to all those affected by the storm. More importantly, the Society offered grants to trainees that helped them to continue their academic pursuits. In appreciation of the Society’s efforts to help the trainee members, Chilian and Navar presented a plaque to APS inscribed with the names of the 44 students that received grants from the APS Hurricane Katrina Fund. The inscription on the plaque read: The Departments of Physiology of Tulane School of Medicine and Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center would like to express gratitude to the American Physiological Society for their critical and invaluable support of the below named students and fellows in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The character of a person or an organization is shown during a crisis, and the American Physiological Society has proven itself to be an organization of character and of compassion. We, and the above trainees, will remember this act of kindness and generosity.
Navar and Chilian said they wanted to extend their appreciation to all APS members saying that their “contributions to the Katrina Fund was a true act of kindness.” They said that “the rapid response was truly gratifying. Thanks to all the membership and APS.”

APS Members William Chilian and L. Gabriel Navar present a plaque of appreciation to APS President Douglas Eaton and APS Executive Director Martin Frank.

VII. Passing of the Gavel
Eaton then passed the gavel to Dale J. Benos, University of Alabama, Birmingham, incoming President of the American Physiological Society saying that “it gives me great pleasure to welcome Dale Benos as the next president of APS.” Dale addressed the membership and said that “it is with a great deal of excitement and trepidation that I face the next year. Member activism will be the theme that I will focus on during the upcoming year.” He said that he would like to have more members involved with the Society, and will make it easier to for them to become involved. He said that “the tutelage from Doug and Neil has been wonderful. Doug has done a wonderful job and I want to thank Doug for his tireless efforts on behalf of the APS.”

There being no new business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:10 PM, April 4, 2006.
Dale J. Benos
President-Elect

APS Council: Back Row (l-r) Irving Joshua, Peter Wagner, Jeff Sands, Helen Raybould, Curt Sigmund, in-coming Councillor James Hicks, in-coming Councillor J. Michael Wyss, Irving Zucker; Front Row (l-r) Kim Barrett, Susan Barman, Kenneth Baldwin, Douglas Eaton, D. Neil Granger, Thomas Lohmeier, Rob Carroll.

APS Section Advisory Committee: Back Row (l-r) David Gutterman, Francis Belloni, James Rose, James Hicks, Alan Sved, Simon Lewis; Front Row (l-r) Pamela Carmines, Christopher Cheeseman, Kenneth Baldwin, William Martin, Joey Granger.

APS Past Presidents: Back Row (l-r) James Schafer, Brian Duling, Allen Cowley, John Williams, John West; Middle Row (l-r) John Hall, Shu Chien, Barbara Horwitz, William Dantzler, L. Gabriel Navar, Walter Boron; Front Row (l-r) William Ganong, D. Neil Granger, Hannah Carey, Douglas Eaton, Dale Benos, APS Executive Director Martin Frank.