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IUP Retrospective Allen W.
Cowley, Jr. |
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Every four years since inception in Basel in
1889, International Congresses of Physiological Sciences have been held
(interrupted only by two World Wars). Each Congress has been a unique
event, reflecting the exciting new discoveries of the time and shaped by
the current political and economic events surrounding the meeting. The
International Congress of 2005, hosted by the United States and held in
San Diego, California, was no exception. Once again, the Congress provided
a unique venue for physiologists from around the world to create new and
rekindle old friendships, communicate their scientific findings and ideas,
and discuss ways to advance the physiological sciences globally through
education and research. Undoubtedly, each of us who attended the San Diego
Congress carried away our own impressions and opinions about the state of
our scientific discipline and its direction at the dawn of this new
millennium. General Reflections. My own memories of this IUPS Congress are quite vivid at the moment, having been involved for several years in the planning and organizational efforts. However, details fade quickly so this memoir provides an opportunity to reflect on the joys and agonies of being involved in the creation of such an event. For those who have not participated in organizing such a meeting, this description may provide some measure of insight into the process. When the theme of the 2005 congress, “From Genome to Function,” was proposed at the US National Organizing Committee meeting in November 2001, the choice was based on the hope that our discipline would be deeply engaged in physiological genomics by the time of the meeting in 2005 and that we could showcase how our discipline was moving forward into these exciting new arenas of science in the new millennium. The first complete draft sequence of the human genome had just been published in February of that year so this was a bold theme indeed for a meeting only four years in the future. One of the most gratifying and successful aspects of the San Diego congress was the fact that not only was the designated scientific track for physiological genomics well attended, but that the application of genomics to physiological functions was abundantly integrated throughout a large number of the tracks and sessions. It is apparent that many within our discipline of physiology are taking the lead in relating genomes to complex areas of function, from cells to whole organisms. Physiology is reinventing itself once again, as has been done many times since the first International Congress, and incorporating biology’s newest discipline to better understand the integrated function of complex systems and disease. The 2005 congress was exciting; an encouraging harbinger of a vital resurgence for physiology as a central discipline in 21st century science. Each Congress is obviously very different and each host nation must develop its own unique resources and strategies to solve the challenges and create a special gathering with its own local flavor. All Congresses, however, have benefited from the self-less efforts of numerous physiologists within the host nation working with their colleagues around the globe to make happen what seems, at times, to be impossible. Since the IUPS is not a large professional organization with individual members and a full-time staff to plan the meeting time after time, the task falls to a largely novice group each time to a new group of scientists that together begin a four-year learning experience for the host organization. We are grateful for the continued efforts of Sue Orsoni, the Executive Director of the IUPS located in Paris, who has helped shepherd the Congress organizers for the last 20 years. Her “cooperate memory” and experience were invaluable and a great resource to the planning and execution of this Congress. Many things went on behind the scenes as the local organizing committees interacted with the international community of scientists. It would take a book to capture these many stories and there were so many people involved in the process that it is impossible to acknowledge and thank each individually, but I do wish to thank everyone who helped in the 2005 International Congress. Many, but not all, of these names can be found in the IUPS General Program and at the IUPS website of the 2005 Congress. The success of our Congress, however, must in the end be judged by the quality of the science that was exchanged at the talks and posters throughout the meeting. Assuring that this vital ingredient of high-quality, contemporary science is added to the meeting mix is most important and a challenging part of developing events like this. Because the physiologists involved are well-intended, generous individuals who devote many hours of their time to make it happen, this vital ingredient is brought to bear on the final structure and format of the meeting. The fact that this process works every four years and results in successful International Congresses is remarkable, and is a real tribute to the character of our scientists and their continued desire and effort to make these meetings successful. It was this spirit of good will and cooperation among the physiologists from diverse regions of the world involved in its planning and execution that was the most gratifying part of my experience related to this meeting. Although there is considerable competition for selection of the host country, once the IUPS General Assembly has made the decision, a rapid consolidation of efforts occurs among all countries to ensure the success of the Congress. The hosting of the IUPS International Congress in the United States came with its own special set of challenges. One of the persistent concerns was over the issue of how the IUPS International Program Committee and the US National Organizing Committee could utilize the many scientific strengths, resources, and experience available within the United States without completely dominating the Congress. Additionally, would this experiment of coupling an international Congress to the Experimental Biology meeting in San Diego dilute the focus of our IUPS event? Finally, in the early planning phases of this Congress, the United States and the world were shaken by the devastating events of September 11, 2001 in New York City. Would the meeting and travel plans be derailed by international conflicts and terrorism? How could we assure visas for our international colleagues and security for their visits? All of these issues weighed on my mind as plans began to form for this Congress. As the IUPS President throughout this time, I participated in nearly all of the various planning meetings. The target dates for each of our tasks were generally met, but most importantly, I came away from each with a feeling of the pride for the equanimity and the high standards of excellence that were achieved. Although I was confident that this could be a successful gathering, it needed to be demonstrated to many around the world, especially in light of the international political environment, that such an international communion of scientific colleagues could gather and advance the state-of-the-art in a collegial fashion. Based on the responses of those who attended the Congress I believe we can declare it was a success on many levels. Once a meeting is planned and the participants arrive, the success of any meeting is determined by the participants themselves. The real success of this Congress was clearly the result of the series of excellent invited lecturers and the presentation of a wide array of original science. A remarkable spirit of internationalism prevailed throughout the entire planning process of this congress, both in the US and in the international planning committees. One of the real rewards of science is that it knows no boundaries. I am proud that so many scientists from throughout the world were able to work so effectively together. As we had worked so hard to achieve, I believe that the international body of scientists participating in this congress felt that the US Organizing Committee and the US and IUPS Program Committees achieved the highest level of science while still maintaining very strong international representation. Behind the Scenes. One of the first things that occurred was the development of an expanded international IUPS website to serve as a central repository for the scientific ideas and recommendations that were developed within the newly-structured IUPS commissions and committees. For the first time in the planning of IUPS Congresses, this provided a rapid communication link between the various disciplines represented by the IUPS Commissions/Committees, and the US National Program Committee. In parallel, recommendations from the various Sections of the APS were emerging as part of their well-organized annual process of programming for the Experimental Biology meetings. All of these recommendations were assessed and molded into themes and the “tracks” of the Congress. Clearly, an important feature of the successful planning process was the overlapping and interwoven fabric of representation between the various US scientific societies and the IUPS Commissions. Despite my own concerns about potential conflict of interest with having the IUPS President residing in the host country and deeply involved with the local planning Committees, this turned out to be a great advantage for expediting communications quickly and assessing and solving problems as they arose. And since the APS played the central role in both the financial aspects and in the coordination/organization of the daily activities of the Congress, the many formal and informal communications between the leadership of the IUPS and the APS were greatly facilitated by my long working relationship with Martin Frank, Executive Director of the APS, and his marvelous staff. The US National Committee could not have been guided by a more committed and internationally knowledgeable individual than Virginia Huxley. Furthermore, a better chairman could not have been selected for the US National Organizing Committee for the congress than Shu Chien of San Diego. Chien possessed all of the intellectual and diplomatic skills needed to bring about a successful Congress in the midst of a very unsettling national and international political environment. He worked tirelessly at every level to help plan and mediate differences of opinions ranging from the selection of the location for the meeting site (originally planned for Washington, DC in August), to both broad and detailed issues related to the social and scientific venue of the Congress. He organized and worked effectively with the local organizing committee headed by Frank Powell. In the midst of the congress, the evening dinner hosted by Shu Chien and his wonderful wife KC at their beautiful home in San Diego will long be remembered. Several buses transported the entire US National Organizing Committee, the local Organizing Committee, the IUPS Program Committee, and the leadership and the Councils of the IUPS and the APS to the Chien home, where more than 70 national and international guests spent a wonderful evening together. During the two years just prior to the San Diego Congress, Shu and I were in touch constantly by phone and Email as we dealt with issues large and small. They included planning and finalization of details related to travel, visa, and housing issues, the opening and closing ceremonies and their related social events, interviews with the press, response plans dealing with animal rights demonstrators, and many other details that are already beginning to fade from mind. Walter Boron’s role as Chairman of both the US and the IUPS Program Committees was undoubtedly the most strenuous of responsibilities during the final two years leading up to the Congress. His broad understanding of the physiological sciences, his unbending insistence upon scientific excellence above all else, his remarkable organizational and leadership skills, and his dogged determination to bring forth the best possible scientific venue for this congress, were at the heart of its success. This task required not only a broad grasp of the physiological sciences, but also someone who would be accepting of the many national and international “masters.” Walter ultimately handled all of this with great diplomacy and without compromising the scientific excellence of the program. Early in the planning process, it was proposed by Boron that the Congress be developed around “tracks” in which various selected topics (tracks) would be discussed throughout the congress from elementary levels to clinical applications. This suggestion was adopted and Boron relentlessly pursued this challenging task. The organizational process established by the International Program Committee of the IUPS set the overall guidelines for planning the scientific sessions. However, this international committee could affordably meet only a few times, once to formulate the general guidelines (two years prior to the meeting) and six months before the Congress to evaluate and approve the final program. In the intervening years, proposals were communicated through Emails, telephone and the IUPS website among the Commissions and Committees of the IUPS. These proposals were integrated with the APS website and the many proposals emanating from the APS sections and other adhering societies. Herein was a great challenge, since each of the APS sections were accustomed to having a designated number of symposia each year and their organizational process was already established. Additional steps were necessary in the final selection and planning process to integrate the APS proposals with those proposed by the IUPS. These additional layers of planning naturally slowed the process and added an element of confusion within the ranks of the APS membership and leadership. In the end, however, it was a very ecumenical process and although this organizational stage was cumbersome and required great leadership, persistence, patience, skill and finesse to move it forward, it worked. It worked because Boron and his able co-chairman, Ole Pederson, were able to work effectively with the leadership and staff of the APS. Curt Sigmund, Chairman of the APS Program Committee and a member of the IUPS Program Committee, was deeply engaged in all of these activities. He understood completely the dynamics required to navigate among the tensions created within the APS Sections as the final control of the scientific sessions were subsumed by the International Program Committee. The interactions among Curt and Walter’s international committee were sometimes difficult, but the overriding goal of excellence and the urgency of completing this task prevailed at these critical junctures and the Congress benefited enormously from combined strength of these two individuals. Thanks to the APS. Central to all of the planning activities for the San Diego IUPS Congress was the leadership and unflagging support of the APS. The Congress took flight under the leadership of many successive APS Presidents (Stan Schultz, Jim Schaffer, Gabriel Navar, Allen Cowley, John Williams, and Neil Granger), each of whom strongly supported the Congress and the considerable APS resources that were required to make it a success. The APS directly allocated $175,000 and IUPS $25,000 for travel for non-US scientists to attend the congress. It is of special note that nearly 2,000 APS members sent personal donations to help support this Congress. The IUPS is deeply appreciative of this warm and generous gesture. Throughout the years of planning, Martin Frank, the remarkable and dedicated APS Executive Director, responded in every conceivable way to enable the IUPS to benefit from his own great strengths and those of his staff. Working tirelessly, he helped turn the APS offices and experienced staff into the professional conference planners of the IUPS Congress. The contributions of Marty Frank to the success of this Congress were enormous. I have no doubt that without his continuing efforts over nearly a decade; the success that the Congress achieved could not have been accomplished. All’s well that ends well. The science was strong, the special lectures were uniformly outstanding, and the track system provided an effective structure and guide to major themes of interest. The social events were genuinely enjoyable. The original symphony composed by APS member Hector Rasgado-Flores for the closing ceremonies and performed by the San Diego Chamber Orchestra was an event that will be long remembered and appreciated. Our Japanese colleagues are now deeply engaged in making plans for the next congress, to be held in Kyoto in 2009. Knowing how they are feeling at this point, I can only wish them well and say I am confident that it will all coalesce for them too, into a unique and memorable congress. I believe there remains a place for these special Congresses in this busy world of cookie-cutter meetings. If the science is maintained at high levels in each area of subspecialty, these unique gatherings will continue to attract an audience. It has been a great privilege and honor to have served as President of the IUPS during these exciting times of change in the physiological sciences. I wish our new President, Akimichi Kaneko, the greatest success in carrying on the wonderful traditions of our international union. It will be a joy for me to attend the next congress with nothing to do but renew friendships and hear good science! |
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