In the current political climate, should scientists speak up or keep their heads down to avoid unwanted attention? Dozens of scientists in the USA have been fired in the past couple of months (from universities, companies, and government) over comments made online. In addition to the risk of job loss, more than two-thirds of biomedical scientists (according to a recent survey) report being harassed on social media.
ASPET Executive Officer Dave Jackson shares the travel award options for ASPET 2026, including the new Supporting Our Scientists Travel Awards, that are available for all regular and affiliate members who have been impacted by the funding crisis. He also highlights the available resources and toolkits to support your advocacy efforts for federal science funding.
A Conversation with ASPET President-Elect Kathryn Meier, PhD
The National Academy of Medicine Welcomes Two ASPET Members, “Proposed U.S. research and development cuts startle young scientists like me,” Louis Ignarro, PhD, Highlighted in The Washington Post, ASPET Welcomes New Members.
We’re pleased to introduce Industry Insights, a new feature in The Pharmacologist. Each month, members of ASPET’s Industry Science Committee will discuss the intersection of pharmacology and industry, private sector highlights, and how the industry and membership can support each other.
A showcase of early-career scientists—what drives them and why pharmacology is important to them.
The Publications Committee thanks these new editorial board members and all ASPET board members for their service and dedication to the Society’s journals.
Recognizing Our Supporters, January–September 2025. ASPET gratefully acknowledges the following individuals and organizations for their support of our programs and initiatives.
In the 16th century, Paracelsus famously declared, “All things are poison…only the dose determines that a thing is not a poison.” Despite this edict, remedies derived from botanicals have long been considered not only “natural” but also wholesome and harmless. And consumers of pharmacologically active botanicals mistakenly think that “if some is good, more is better.” A case in point is ephedra: an herb that was used successfully for millennia, both as a natural folk medicine and a commercial pharmaceutical. But then it became so popular as an herbal remedy that it was abused, declared hazardous, and subsequently banned.
Membership in scientific societies has been slowly declining over the past quarter-century. Why? This change is part of a broader trend, as membership in many civic institutions has been declining for decades. This point was presciently made by Robert Putnam in his book Bowling Alone, published in 2000. Putnam noted that for most of the 20th century, a majority of people belonged to multiple civic groups, including bowling leagues, book clubs, neighborhood associations, parent-teacher organizations, rotary clubs, and many others. However, starting in the late 20th century and continuing to the present day, there has been a dramatic decline in participation in all of these types of civic groups.
