Over the last couple of weeks, I have spent much time reflecting on how brilliant it was to see so many of you at Pharmacology 2022, and how fantastic it was to learn about so much amazing work happening in pharmacology right now.
Our delegates made the most of being back at an in-person event, and it was warming to walk around ACC Liverpool to the sounds of laughter, reunion and deep conversation. This sense of community and collaboration is the reason I enjoy attending events in person.
It was a pleasure to sit down with so many of our Editors who contribute their valuable time and expertise to the British Journal of Pharmacology and British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology at their editorial dinner – during which our outgoing Editor-in-Chief, Professor Amrita Ahluwalia received a standing ovation from the community for her leadership of the BJP and significant contributions to the Society. Professor Ahluwalia steps down at the end of the year following the completion of her term, and I am delighted that Professor Peter Ferdinandy will pick up the reigns in January. We will share more information about this exciting news shortly.
The Conference dinner is always a highlight; thank you to the members who came and said hello and provided feedback on the Society’s work and impact. It was pleasing to hear your experiences and your pride in the work we have delivered with and on your behalf.
Finally, I loved seeing the friendships forming between our younger pharmacologists, led by our young leaders who have led the undergraduate network and are deeply involved in the early career network. Our community platform is a great place to continue those friendships until the next in-person meeting. We are also thankful to those who joined us as digital delegates, and who got to share with us a series of fascinating lectures and symposia.
Some of my personal highlights from the programme were our Opening Plenary from Professor Sir Munir Pirmohamed on drug response and personalised medicines, and the symposium on women’s health. The programme was packed with cutting-edge science and, for those who registered in person and online, we will be sharing the recorded sessions with you soon. I also wanted to take this opportunity to thank our partners. The meeting could not have happened without your support - we hope you made lots of exciting connections with our community and look forward to partnering with you at future meetings and events, including, of course, the 19th World Congress in Basic and Clinical Pharmacology next summer in Glasgow.
I know I’m feeling inspired, and I hope you are too.
As we move into the autumn, there are more meetings and events to come. In November, we are co-hosting a meeting with The Physiological Society. ‘Lungs: more than an organ of gas exchange’ will take place at the Royal College of Pathologists in London on 20-21 November 2022. This meeting brings together an international group of leading respiratory scientists to discuss the latest research in the respiratory field. There are opportunities to present your research at this event and abstract submissions close on 2 October 2022. Registrations close on 7 November 2022.
Following our visit to the Experimental Biology meeting in Philadelphia earlier this year, I am also pleased that our partnership with the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) continues to thrive. Our Guest Society partnership with ASPET means that we will welcome each other to host a lecture, symposium or session at our respective annual meetings until at least 2028. We were pleased to host ASPET members at Pharmacology 2022, and our Meetings Committee has proposed several sessions at the ASPET annual meeting in St Louis, Missouri next May.
Continuing to look ahead to 2023, we have launched registration and the abstract submission for the 19th World Congress of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, which will take place in Glasgow on 2-7 July 2023. This promises to be a meeting not to be missed, with speakers and delegates from around the globe. There will be opportunities to hear from speakers across all branches of pharmacology, to present your latest research findings and to have the chance to meet with friends and colleagues.
When I joined as Chief Executive Officer back in 2020, the hope of returning to in-person events was something that kept me going. With these meetings events well and truly back on the calendar, I couldn’t be more excited for the next twelve months. We hope you’ll join us in this excitement, and get involved by attending meetings, submitting abstracts, and keeping in touch with us to let us know what you want from a BPS meeting or event.
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