A Conversation with ASPET President-Elect Kathryn Meier, PhD
ASPET President-Elect Kathryn Meier currently serves as Interim Chair of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at Washington State University. In addition to President-Elect, she has served as ASPET’s Secretary-Treasurer for the Molecular Pharmacology Division, ASPET representative to the FASEB Publications Committee, Associate Editor for JPET, Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Pharmacology, and a member of the Board of Publications Trustees/Publication Committee. A recipient of the ASPET David Lehr award in 2019, Meier discusses her distinguished career and offers advice to early career researchers in this interview.
How did you get started in pharmacology?
My first exposure to pharmacology was when I enrolled in an undergraduate course at UCSD in that subject. The instructors included Palmer Taylor, Larry Brunton, Steve Mayer, and other prominent pharmacologists. It is quite unusual to have an undergraduate course in that subject, but it was well attended, as I recall. This course made me aware of pharmacology as a field and sparked my interest in pursuing graduate studies in that area. I subsequently completed my PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Wisconsin and have remained in pharmacology departments throughout my career.
How did you first get involved with ASPET?
This happened gradually. I suspect that it began when I was working as a postdoctoral fellow in Paul Insel’s lab at UCSD, since his involvement in ASPET was a positive influence on me. However, I did not join ASPET until I had an independent faculty position in pharmacology at the Medical University of South Carolina. I joined the JPET Editorial Board four years later, and I was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the ASPET Molecular Pharmacology division subsequently. My involvement was continuous and steadily increasing after that point, including my service as Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Pharmacology.
What do you want the ASPET membership to know about you and your ideas on how to move the organization forward during your term?
I am inspired by the energy and commitment of the more junior members of ASPET, and I am grateful for the wisdom of its more senior members. These are exceedingly complex times for leadership that require a combination of courage and strategic decision-making. I intend to work with the management team, committees, staff, and individual members to move forward in a positive and fiscally responsible direction while honoring the traditions of the society. The current attention of ASPET to science advocacy is very important and is one of my long-term interests. I hope to identify new opportunities for ASPET members to engage with the public. I will strive to continue the focus of ASPET on meeting the career needs of all members, and especially trainees. I am committed to the concept of pharmacology as a distinct discipline with crossover to other disciplines in the basic, translational, and clinical sciences.
What has been your proudest accomplishment in your career so far?
I regard my election as President-Elect of ASPET as my highest professional accomplishment. I am also proud of the programs that I have developed, the discoveries that my group has made, my contributions as a grant and manuscript reviewer and editor, the results of my faculty mentoring efforts, and the accomplishments of my pre- and post-doctoral trainees.
What advice would you give to young scientists who are just starting out in their careers?
I suggest jumping in with enthusiasm to any professional activity that reflects your passions and abilities. It is useful to seek advice from thoughtful senior mentors who know you well before taking on a new major commitment. The world is always changing, and you will find your niche if you engage in things that interest you, that make a difference, and that teach you something new. It is the people around you that make a workplace productive. Consider this when moving on to a new position.
