Message from the President

We are all in this together.

It is the honor of a lifetime to represent the membership of the society that has played such an important part in my own career. I intend to “pay it forward” by serving all of you.

I write this letter as I cross the Pacific Ocean by air on my way to the World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology in Melbourne. I will join other members of the ASPET leadership team to represent the society, which is one of the sponsors of this Congress. It has been profoundly enjoyable for me to play a larger role in the international pharmacology community in recent years, after having trained junior scientists from all over the world during my career. I can report that our international colleagues, particularly those in the European Pharmacology Society (EPHAR), are well aware of the challenges that scientists have been facing in the US.

I just watched the movie Project Hail Mary, for the second time, on the plane. Those who know me know that I am an avid film buff. I greatly enjoyed this movie when I saw it in the theatre, but as is often the case, I think I took even more from it on the second viewing. What I particularly appreciate about this fictional movie, and several other favorites (e.g., The Martian, Arrival) is that they portray scientists as problem solvers and heroes, while also reflecting on their personal struggles as humans. The same goes for cinema based on historical facts; Apollo 13 and Hidden Figures were also on my plane menu. The popularity of these films suggests that the public is inspired to see scientists in this type of role. This is very encouraging in view of the challenges that we now face. We are all heroes in our own ways, and should not be shy to present ourselves as public servants. Public support has helped to stave off many proposed changes that could adversely impact science.

This brings me to our current circumstance, as the deadline nears for the submission of comments in response to the proposed OMB regulations that would profoundly affect what scientists do. I learned that more than 100,000 comments had been submitted by last week, contrasting with the several thousand that are usually received in response to a regulatory change. It is clear that part of scientific “problem-solving” is now to find solutions to political issues that shake US science to its core. This is not something that all scientists are comfortable doing, and not something we were trained to do in the past. In response, the ASPET Science Policy Committee (SPC) and ASPET staff member Carter Alleman, with the support of Past President Randy Hall, have stepped up their efforts to provide science advocacy training to interested members. I am proud to report that these programs are extremely popular. In particular, many junior scientists and trainees have developed the ethos that advocacy is an essential part of their responsibility to their profession and their country. Please check out the Advocacy section of the ASPET website for information on our science advocacy programs.

When I spoke at a local “Stand for Science” rally in my home community last year, and looked out over a crowd of sign-waving graduate students, I was struck by the idea that these younger scientists need to be certain that their advocacy efforts will have an impact. Otherwise, they risk believing that the career path to which they are devoting their considerable talents is for naught. I encourage mentors to support their trainees in their advocacy endeavors and assure them that their efforts can, in fact, lead to positive change in both their careers and within the scientific community.

Finally, I would like to address the initiatives that I am promoting as your President.

Last year, I was involved in an effort to provide additional avenues for ASPET Fellows (of which I am one) to give back to the society. It is a great honor to be named an ASPET Fellow, but it is clear that the Fellows (referred to as “FASPET”) do not wish to rest on their laurels. The re-imagining of their roles in providing service to the society is underway, and I am grateful to my mentor Paul Insel for suggesting this initiative and helping to spearhead it. Stay tuned as the FASPET cohort becomes even more involved in society activities.

The next initiative will concern the organization of ASPET Divisions. There are currently 10 divisions in the society. Each has reporting requirements, a budget, and opportunities to participate in organizing symposia for the annual meeting. A recent report from a consultant suggested that the society could potentially be strengthened by the creation of “special interest groups” (SIGs), to accompany Divisions. The SIGs would serve as secondary homes for ASPET members interested in specific subjects and topics, but in a more flexible and informal manner. I plan to attend meetings of each ASPET Division in the near future to learn how the members feel about this idea, and to discuss how it could be implemented. I hope to facilitate member-driven changes in the Division/SIG structure over the next two years. This initiative is expected to facilitate even more improvements in our stand-alone Annual Meeting, which has been going strong but is still a work in progress. Our goal is to maintain the meeting as a valuable resource for ASPET members.

Thanks to all of you for your membership in ASPET, and for your creative ideas on how to make the society even stronger. Feel free to contact me directly with any feedback.

Sincerely,