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.
Introducing ASPET’s New Industry Science Committee
The basic science of pharmacology was established by early scientists seeking to understand how chemicals control physiology. Ever since, the science of pharmacology has become a driving force across virtually all areas of the life sciences. Drug discovery is one of the most obvious success stories of the application of pharmacology, jarring the practice of medicine out of the dubious paradigm of Materia Medica and propelling the growth of the pharmaceutical industry. In more recent years, pharmacology has further proven its effectiveness to drive discovery and advances in the field of biotechnology, where living systems and organisms are engineered to generate breakthrough products and services. Curiously, however, ASPET membership among private sector scientists has been declining, currently representing less than 10% of our Society.
A central tenet of the ASPET Strategic Plan is to make ASPET the “professional home for all engaged in pharmacology, experimental therapeutics, and related disciplines,” and thus a place for pharmacologists from all sectors. As an actionable step to address this goal, ASPET leadership created the Biotech Task Force (BTF) in October 2023. The BTF conducted extensive research, gathered information through an ASPET membership-wide survey, and formulated plans for a concerted effort toward strengthening relations between ASPET and industrial scientists. The efforts of the BTF culminated in the founding of the Industry Science Committee (ISC), the newest ASPET committee established by resolution.
The ISC brings together ASPET members from industry, academia, government, and regulatory sciences to tackle five critical objectives:
- Demonstrate mutual value between ASPET and private sector science
- Identify and promote collaboration opportunities with industry scientists
- Educate trainees about diverse career paths in the private sector
- Understand and reverse declining industry membership
- Build strategic partnerships with other related scientific societies
In the near-term, ASPET members can expect new ISC-developed and -sponsored programming in the form of webinars, and sessions/workshops in future annual meetings. Our inaugural Focus on Pharmacology webinar “Psychedelics: Therapeutic Agents or Not?” launched Thursday, September 25, and was co-moderated in collaboration with the Drug Research Policy subcommittee of ASPET’s Science Policy Committee. From here forward, the ISC will be contributing a monthly column to The Pharmacologist, to keep you informed of our activities and progress, opportunities to get involved, and highlights from the private sector.
Our overarching goal is to build a truly inclusive home for all pharmacologists and secure ASPET’s position as the leading voice for our field across all sectors. Whether you’re in academia and curious about industry applications, an industry scientist wanting stronger professional connections, or a trainee exploring career options, the ISC represents that opportunity and will support that community.
Sincerely,
ISC Founding Co-Chairs
R. Kyle Palmer, PhD
CSO, Opertech Bio, Inc
Harshini Neelakantan, PhD
Executive Director of Research, Ridgeline Therapeutics, LLC
