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.
With membership renewal season quickly approaching, Executive Officer Dave Jackson shares the various steps ASPET is taking to further support our members, such as keeping membership dues costs flat for 2026, increasing travel awards, and more.
A Conversation with Council member, Harshini Neelakantan, PhD
Firas Bazzari Promoted to Associate Professor of Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacy, ASPET Welcomes New Members
Honoring ASPET members who have passed.
Engagement in the Rulemaking Process—ASPET Responds. Rulemaking is the policy-making process for the executive and independent agencies of the federal government. Congress grants rulemaking authority to federal agencies to implement statutory programs through the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). The APA describes a set of procedures that agencies are required to follow when creating regulations through the rulemaking process. Within the rulemaking process, federal agencies are required to provide an opportunity for public comment when creating a new rule. Given this, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) often releases notices to update the science community about funding changes, policy changes, and other important information, and requests public comments on such changes through an official Request for Information (RFI).
A showcase of early-career scientists—what drives them and why pharmacology is important to them.
September is the month when researchers, editors, publishers, librarians, and institutions all over the world take note of the challenges and evolution of the important practice of peer review. The theme for 2025 is “Rethinking Peer Review in the AI Era.” ASPET’s five Editors-in-Chief, along with our Ethics Editor, weigh in on their thoughts regarding AI and how it is affecting peer review.
