Volume 35
Issue 4, 2015
ISSX President’s Message By John O. Miners, ISSX President The ISSX Council is responsible for facilitating the overall organization and administration of the Society and the pursuit of its objectives. Council meets six times per year—five teleconferences and one in-person meeting. The focus of the in-person meeting is strategic direction. At the recent Council meeting held during the course of the 20th North American ISSX Meeting in Orlando, Florida, Council developed a strategic plan to guide the Society over the next three years. Firstly, the mission statement, which communicates the purpose of the Society, was updated to reflect the broader scientific interests of our members: “ISSX advances research and education on the interplay of living systems with medicines and chemicals for the benefit of society worldwide.” Five goals were developed to advance this mission: Enhance the Science— Foster innovative, cross-disciplinary science relating to the disposition, metabolism and biological effects of drugs and other xenobiotics;
Education and Career Development— Provide resources to support education and career development; Global Outreach—Expand the Society globally; Expand Networking— Facilitate connections for the benefit of members, academia, and industry, and; Society Strength—Sustain the leadership and resources to fulfil the mission of ISSX. Strategies to advance these goals will be communicated to members in subsequent newsletters, as will recommended changes to the location and scheduling of our scientific meetings. I would like to take this opportunity to remind members that ISSX will hold only one meeting in 2016—the 11th International Meeting in Busan, Korea from June 12-16. The meeting will feature a strong yet diverse scientific program that aims to accommodate the broad scientific interests of the ISSX membership. I urge ISSX members from all parts of the world to participate in the meeting, which
promises to be a scientifically rewarding and socially enjoyable experience. Abstract submission and registration are now open. My two-year term as ISSX President comes to an end this month after having served previously as Secretary Elect, Secretary, and President Elect. The organization of high-quality scientific meetings is a core objective of ISSX, and I can look back over the last two years to four excellent meetings: the 5th Asia Pacific Meeting in Tianjin, China; the 13th European Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland; the joint 19th North American ISSX/29th JSSX Meeting in San Francisco, California; and the 20th North American Meeting in Orlando, Florida. The respective Meeting Chairs and Meeting Organizing Committees are to be congratulated for delivering Continued on page 8
IN THIS ISSUE 2 3
Book Review: Venoms to Drugs: Venom as a Source for the Development of Human Therapeutics Strategic Plan Overview
4 5 7 8
Welcome New Members 11th International ISSX Meeting 2015 Membership Survey Review Renew Your Membership
9 12 14
20th North American ISSX Meeting in Review What Attendees are Saying New Investigators Forum