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ASPET-JPS Lecture at the 89th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society Submitted by P. Jeffrey Conn, PhD
The beautiful port city of Yokohama, Japan provided the setting for the 89th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society (JPS), held March 9 - 11, 2016. The Pacifico Yokohama Conference Center, located in the modern Minato Mirai district, served as the meeting venue. Established in the mid-1800s, the relatively young city of Yokohama has become the second largest city in the ancient country of Japan, combining stunning modern architecture with breathtaking ocean views. The skyscrapers and elevated moving sidewalks of this futuristic city by the sea were an appropriate backdrop as over 2,000 scientists gathered to hear presentations and participate in discussions regarding the latest research in a broad range of areas of modern pharmacology and biomedical research. The meeting’s theme, “Voyage Beyond the Horizon,” was chosen, in the words of meeting president and organizer, Dr. Kunio Ishii, “in order to
The Pharmacologist • June 2016
show that our only path to opening up a bright future for pharmacology lies in taking on bold challenges in unknown fields.” This is a highly appropriate theme at a time when there is a renewed focus in biomedical sciences on translational research and integrating our understanding from an atomic and molecular level to highly complex systems and ultimately human health and disease. As an inherently integrative discipline that spans molecular, cellular, and systems research, pharmacology plays a central role in bridging discoveries across these multiple levels. Indeed, the evolution of pharmacology as a discipline combined with an increase in collaboration among scientists around the world has created more potential for positive impact than at any time in history. Dr. Ishii’s vision for the JPS meeting correlates perfectly with ASPET’s current emphasis on partnering with other pharmacological societies to facilitate the sharing of information and to encourage collaborative efforts that will lead to new discoveries and advances in treatment for citizens in every country and at every level of society. Consistent with this effort, ASPET has partnered with the British Pharmacological Society (BPS), the Chinese