Teratology Society
Members' Section
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Teratology Society Members' Section |
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Teratology Society Newsletter Volume
8, Number 3 Table of Contents
Submitted by George Daston The 1999 Annual Meeting will take place at the Keystone Resort in Keystone, Colorado from Tuesday through Sunday, June 29 - July 4. We will again be fortunate to share our meeting with OTIS and NBTS. We are already well into the planning for the program. I am being assisted by an able Program Committee including Bill Scott, Jodie Duffy, Bob Parker (Student Affairs Chair) and Melissa Tassinari (Education Chair). The meeting will begin with the Continuing Education Course, which will be held on the afternoon of the 29th and ending on the morning of the 30th. The topic for the Course is still under discussion by the Education Committee and will be posted on the Web site as soon as it has been selected. The main program will begin on the afternoon of June 30th. The symposia for the meeting are already in the planning stage. We hope to have something for everyone, from the molecular to the clinical. At present, we are choosing the slate from among a number of topics including oxidative stress and teratogenesis, apoptosis, maternal-fetal transmission of HIV and developmental toxicity of HIV therapy, prenatal diagnoses, and pregnancy registries for approved drugs. We are also planning a workshop on the conduct and interpretation of developmental toxicity studies. This informal teaching session is being prepared by the regional societies. The workshop is especially designed to give students a feel for the day-to-day life of an industry toxicologist. Symposia and contributed papers will be given through July 3rd. Discussion sessions on hot topics in basic science, regulatory activities and clinical studies or epidemiology will be held on July 4th. The Keystone resort has also planned an extensive social program on the 4th, complete with fireworks. We will have
more details on the content of the meeting in the next newsletter, and
the schedule and contents will be placed on the Teratology Society Web
site as soon as it is available.
Submitted by George Daston The Future Site Selection Committee has been working on setting the meeting venues for the 2001 and 2002 annual meetings. (The 1999 meeting is already set for Keystone, and the 2000 meeting will be held at the Breakers in Palm Beach.) The Committee consists of Tony Scialli, Barbara Hales, Kathy Sulik, Nancy Dieter (ex officio) and myself, with the able assistance of Clarissa Wilson, ADG's meeting planner. We have had a great deal of input over the past year as to what the venues and format the Annual Meetings should be like. This has included the report from the sub-group of the Strategic Planning Committee that was charged with commenting on meeting attendance/satisfaction, the results of surveys that we have conducted in the past, and numerous conversations that I have struck up with as many of you as possible regarding your preferences. We have also spoken with exhibitors who, besides being another important component of our meeting, attend more scientific meetings than any of us and, therefore, have a good feel for which sites work for a group like ours. Here is what we heard: The Strategic Planning sub-group (Dan Sheehan, Diana Juriloff, and Rick Finnell) observed that the cost of the meeting is a significant consideration for academicians with limited travel budgets from research grants. They felt that we needed to offer "no-frills" options for meeting registrations and to have meetings at non-resort locations at least every few years. My conversations with academics confirm the need for a lower registration fee and the desire to have a choice of places to stay, in addition to the meeting hotel, that may be less expensive. Informal polling of the membership shows that there is no clear favorite venue. About half the people I talked to like going to resorts; about half would like to try a city. Not many people liked the idea of a college campus with dormitories. These informal polls are consistent with surveys that we have done in the past several years (none of which had a particularly stellar response rate, unfortunately). We also heard that many of our members would like to consider holding joint or concurrent meetings with other societies (in addition to our valued long-term partners, NBTS and OTIS). Societies that have been suggested include the Society for Developmental Biology, Society for Research on Alcoholism, and the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. We will take this into consideration in our planning. After hearing all this, the Committee developed a plan to solicit proposals from hotels in a large number of cities in the Northeast, Northwest and Midwest. We set a provisional upper limit on the room rate of $120, comparable to the room rate for the 1998 meeting. We got a reasonable number of proposals from a good selection of cities. Although we have not made any firm commitments as of this writing, we are leaning towards Montreal for 2001 and Salt Lake City for 2002. The 2001 meeting will coincide with, but be independent from, the alcoholism meeting in Montreal. The hotels we are considering are convenient to airports, alternative accommodations, restaurants and attractions. Our next step will be to ensure that the hotels have the kind of meeting space that we need, and to determine how much of a reduction in registration fee we can manage by using hotels where it is not so critical to include a large number of meal functions in the registration fee. Remember, as Tony Scialli pointed out in a previous newsletter, reducing the number of these functions often comes at the expense of having to pay for meeting rooms. We expect to be able to execute contracts sometime this fall. I realize
that the issue of meeting venues is an important one to many of our members.
I am always interested in hearing your opinions on this subject, or any
other. Please feel free to contact: George Daston with your thoughts:
telephone: (513) 627-2886;
Do you have a colleague who is . . .
« active in the Teratology Society; « active in a research program; « active with an educational program; « within ten years of their last mentored training; and, « a very good scientist? Then consider nominating him/her for the F. Clarke Fraser Award for 1999. It is not too early to think about starting the nomination process. This award honors F. Clarke Fraser, one of the founding members of the Teratology society. The criteria for the award includes evidence of a successful independent research career, as demonstrated, for example, by high quality publications in peer-reviewed journals and the obtaining of funding for research endeavors. Individuals working in academia, government, and industry will be equally eligible to compete for this award. Candidates for the award must be within ten years of the date their doctoral degree was conferred and must be nominated by a member of the Society. Letters of nomination should be sent to the Chair of the Awards Committee (address below) and should include past accomplishments of the candidate, current research interests and projects, and information on how the nominator believes the candidate's career will advance discovery in birth defects research. The proposal package should consist of the following items:
Complete proposal packages must be received by the Chair of the Awards committee by February 28, 1999. The Chair will notify Council of the Committee's selection, if any, and the awardee will be notified by May 1, 1999. The Award will be presented at the Wilson Luncheon to be held at the 1999 Annual Meeting, at which time the awardee will give a thirty-minute presentation related to his/her research. It is intended that the presentation serve as a demonstration to pre- and postdoctoral students of the development of an independent career in birth defects research. Address inquiries and proposals to: George
E. Dearlove, Ph.D.
The Teratology Society is seeking sponsors to help defray the cost of producing the 1999 Annual Meeting Program. Sponsors receive a free, one-half page advertisement in the Program, recognition in the newsletter and Annual Meeting Program, and signage at the Annual Meeting. Minimum contribution: $500. For additional
information, call Nancy Dieter at Society Headquarters.
The Teratology Society is now seeking nominations for presenters of the Josef Warkany Lecture to be presented at the 1999 Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado. This lecture is the highlight of the Annual Meeting of the Society and is devoted to recognizing a scientist who has significantly contributed to the field of teratology over his/her career. For nominations and details, please contact Thomas Flynn, USFDA, 8301 Muirkirk Rd., MOD-1, Laurel, MD 20708; Tel: (301) 594-5884; Fax: (301) 594-0517; E-mail: tzf@cfsan.fda.gov. Deadline for nominations: January 1, 1999.
The Teratology Society will make available a limited number of Young Investigator Travel Awards in an effort to assist graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in attending the 1999 Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado. These awards are designed to help defray a portion of the travel costs to the meeting and will be presented to awardees during the Wilson Lunch at the Annual Meeting. In addition to the Young Investigator Travel Awards, a limited number of Young Investigator Travel Fellowships, some designed to enable women and/or minority students or other specific groups to attend the meeting, will also be awarded. Those graduate students or postdoctoral fellows wishing to be considered for these Travel Awards should send: 1) a letter of application from their research advisor or director; and 2) 5 copies of any abstract to be submitted for presentation at the 1999 Annual Meeting, including introduction, methods, results and discussion, and up to two pages of illustrative materials (optional), to: Robert
M. Parker, Chair Deadline for receipt of application: April 2, 1999.
The Eli Lilly Pharmaceutical Corporation has once again generously agreed to provide two travel awards of $500 each to women and/or minority students or postdoctoral fellows. In order to be considered for this award, please indicate eligibility and interest to: Robert M. Parker, Chair, Student Affairs Committee.
The Teratology Society logo is a scanned electron photomicrograph of a mouse embryo between the words "Teratology Society" and "Established 1961." Although the logo makes perfect sense to many Society members, public reaction can range from curiosity to a more negative response. Some members of the public have even inquired whether the photograph is of an aborted human embryo. It is time to consider whether the logo should be changed. Changing the logo not only allows us to select a new graphic, but also to include wording that explains what we do. For example, Teratology Society could remain at the top of the logo and Birth Defects Research could replace "Established 1961" at the bottom. Members with artistic urges are asked to come up with logo proposals. Our logo will be our calling card to the world and we want to be sure that the public gets the right idea about us from this first impression. Therefore, the logo judging team will include both members and lay people who will select two or three logos for recommendation to the Society. Society members will be asked to vote from among these finalists. We hope to have the new logo on display at the 1999 Annual meeting in Keystone. Submit as many entries as you like. Logos should be mailed, faxed, or sent electronically to Nancy Dieter at Teratology Society Headquarters by January 1, 1999.
At the Annual Business Meeting, the Bylaws amendment concerning a Society name change was sent back to the Bylaws Committee. Comments at the meeting spanned a range of opinions. While some members thought the name change to be necessary, other members favored keeping the name Teratology Society. Given the strong feelings on opposite sides of the issue, a solution is being sought that includes retaining the old name while presenting a clearer public image. One idea, presented at the meeting by Ron Jensch, is to change the Society's logo (see related article). The Bylaws Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee have been asked to consider whether a name change will be necessary if a more communicative logo is designed. Send your comments to Phil Mirkes (Strategic Planning Committee) and Pia Lindstrom (Bylaws Committee). You can also post your comments on the Web site for all to read: http://teratology.org.
I am happy to report that the Teratology Society is doing very well, thanks in large measure to the extraordinary amount of volunteer effort on the part of our members. Our Society inspires pride and a sense of ownership in its members, and a number of people have come forward to help the Society serve its purpose. First among these people is Phil Mirkes, our Past President. When I first joined Council in 1996, Phil was fired up about the idea of a Strategic Planning Initiative. He and other members questioned whether the Society had lost its bearings, given the tremendous changes in science, funding, and politics since 1961. The Strategic Planning Initiative was conceived as a formal effort to redefine what the Society ought to be doing and how it ought to do it. Phil organized the first retreat of the Strategic Planning Committee, from which a number of concrete plans were developed. These plans have been put into action and changes are already in evidence. Those of you who attended the Annual Meeting in San Diego would have noticed some of these changes in the format of the scientific program and the newness of some of the faces at the podium. Strategic planning is a continuous process so, I have asked Phil to stay on as Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, continuing the task of monitoring the progress we are making in implementing the plan. On the subject of the Annual Meeting, we owe much thanks to the large number of volunteers who put the program together. Craig Harris and the Education Committee produced a highly original and well-received Course. The meeting symposia were organized by Carole Kimmel, Rick Finnell, Tom Knudsen, and David Clarke. The platform and poster discussion sessions were capably run by Ken Jones, Bill Rayburn, Ron Hood, Rich Miller, Bill Slikker, Anne Pastuszak, Barbara Hales, David Wise, John Harris, Elisabeth Robert, Harpal Buttar, Karen Augustine, Diana Juriloff, and Jim Schardein. Tom Flynn conceived and conducted a discussion session on the teratology study design. On-site help in planning the meeting layout and the menus was provided by Steve Harris and Kathie Johnson. Alan Fantel once again did an outstanding job organizing the student program. And, of course, the Program Committee deserves special thanks for evaluating all the abstracts and providing sound guidance on the structure of the program: David Clarke, John DeSesso, Gerry Goeringer, Kok-Wah Hew, Dan Sheehan, and Melissa Tassinari. Volunteerism is the key to our success. Because of the donated time and talent of these people, our meeting registration fee was lower than it has been in years and, as we learn more about running meetings, the fee will come down even more. Our meeting attendance has increased. Most important, though, is the quality of the product: our volunteer organizers gave it their all, and it showed. Take a look at the roster of Committee members enclosed with this issue. These people are giving their time and energy to make the Society work. In addition, there are other members who have taken on their own initiatives. For example, George Dearlove conceived the F. Clarke Fraser New Investigator Award and in less than a year, he made it a reality. We recognize that our greatest resource is the intelligence and talent of our members. We welcome the ideas and involvement of these members. The Society is headed by a Council, but the job of Council simply is to allow the members to channel their ideas into action. Enclosed with this issue of the newsletter, you will find contact information for all officers, Council members, and Committee chairs. The contact information is there because we want to be contacted. Please take a moment and let us know how we are doing, what we can do better, and how you would like to help.
Marie Weldon Taubeneck passed away on March 27, 1998, after a long struggle with cancer. She was 36 years old. Marie received her Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis, then worked briefly as a post-doctoral fellow at the U.S. EPA Laboratories, in Research Triangle Park, before her illness forced her to return to California where she received constant medical care. Despite her illness, Marie resumed her research in Carl Keen's lab at Davis, where she worked until just a few days before her death. Marie's research centered on how nutritional status affects the embryo's response to maternal insult by toxicants. Despite her young age and long illness, Marie made substantial contributions to our field as a young investigator. She participated actively in the Teratology Society for many years, winning student awards twice for outstanding research and later in serving as an ad hoc member of the Student Affairs Committee. Marie always considered the Teratology Society to be an extended family. She attended every meeting she could, including the 1997 meeting. Her dedication to the Teratology Society was exceptional. Marie's husband Lee suggested that an award in Marie's name would be an apt memorial. This idea was brought to Council, which approved it at our latest meeting. The award will be presented to a student or young investigator in recognition of scholarship in teratology and service to the Teratology Society. The Student Affairs Committee will be preparing more precise criteria and announcing procedures for application in an upcoming newsletter. The award will have a cash prize. The expenses for the award will be funded entirely from a special fund established entirely through contributions. Please send your contribution to Teratology Society Headquarters and indicate that you wish it to go to the Marie W. Taubeneck Fund.
There are many Teratology Society members with the ability and enthusiasm to willingly serve the Society. The Nominations and Elections Committee would like you to help identify these individuals. The Committee will be preparing a slate of nominees for 1999-2000 Officers and Councilors. The offices to be filled include the Vice President-elect and one Councilor. The terms and duties of each position are described in the Teratology Society Bylaws. Please send your recommendations to any member of the Nominations and Elections Committee: Thomas
J. Flynn, Chair Muriel
Harris Dan Shuey Martha
Werler Phil Mirkes,
Past President L. David
Wise, Council Liaison
The Newsletter is currently produced through desktop publishing, a printing process that is set up on a desktop computer. The appearance is a big improvement over that of the old newsletter, but setting up the newsletter can be costly. The Teratology Society is looking for volunteers to take on some of the set-up work. If you know your way around desktop publishing, we would love to have you involved in newsletter production. Contact Nancy Dieter at (703) 438-3104 or nancyd@teratology.org.
The Society has a limited number of basic teratology slide sets available. This set of 23 slides can be used when members are invited to speak to local groups, social organizations, high schools or college undergraduates and others not familiar with the science of teratology. You can include your own slides along with the those from the base set and modify the talk as necessary for the particular audience and their interests. Slide sets can be ordered on a first-come, first-serve basis for $25, plus $15 for shipping and handling. To order, contact Ann Kerstetter at Society Headquarters (tshq@teratology.org).
Submitted by Alan Fantel Can or should the Teratology Society attempt to review and evaluate the quality of expert testimony proffered by its members? Can or should the Society play a role in ensuring high-quality testimony by its members? Can or should the Society certify or maintain lists of qualified experts? Do other societies review testimony and how do they exert influence on the quality of their members' expert testimony? During the past 10 years, the subject of expert testimony has become contentious as the quality of testimony in teratology has been questioned by some of our members. Some have even called for changes in the way our legal system appoints, evaluates, and accepts experts and their testimony. I have been asked to chair an ad hoc committee on Expert Testimony and I am actively soliciting ideas for next year's annual meeting. I would appreciate the names of individuals who wish to serve on this Committee; members are urged to submit their own names, or names of others who might be interested. While we cannot hope to completely eliminate the controversy, I believe it would be useful to poll members' thoughts and to discuss the subject in a rational forum. Please
send ideas and/ Alan
Fantel
The Teratology Society thanks the following exhibitors at the 1998 Annual Meeting in San Diego, California: Advance
Data Systems
The Teratology Society would like to thank the following 1998 Annual Meeting sponsors for their continued support: Eli
Lilly and Company
Congratulations to the following 1998 Award Winners F.
Clark Fraser Award Eli
Lilly Awards Wilson
Family Awards Wilson
Awards Student Travel Awards
The Society welcomes the following new members: Regular Members Mohamed
S. Abdel-Rahman Associate Members David
G. Cavanagh
Student Members Wafa A. Harrouk
Submitted by Phil Mirkes, Chair The Strategic Planning Committee met in March of 1997 and identified four overall priorities: 1) the need for a clear mission statement and a name that reflects the identity of the Society; 2) increasing the scope of the journal to reflect the membership of the society; 3) the need to increase the interdisciplinary nature of the annual meetings and reduce costs to attendees; and 4) the need for a financial management plan to support activities associated with the new mission. As I am now Past President, Tony Scialli has asked me to continue as chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and to provide a progress report on where we stand with respect to the four priorities identified almost 18 months ago. With respect to Priority 1, Society members discussed the proposed amendment to our Mission Statement at this year's Business Meeting, and this amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws has now been presented to the membership for a vote. We also discussed the proposed name change and after a very polarized discussion, a motion was made and approved to commit this amendment back to the Constitution and Bylaws committee for further discussion. Although discussion at the business meeting of the proposed name change was highly polarized, I believe a compromise view, i.e., retain the word Teratology in the name, but add some modifier that expresses what we do, did emerge. The task of the Constitution and Bylaws committee is to incorporate comments made from members who attended the business meeting, as well as to solicit additional input, as they work to create a revised proposal that can be put before the membership at the 1999 Annual Business Meeting. As indicated in the article on page 1 of this newsletter, we are also working to design a logo for our society. With respect to Priority 2, we now have a new journal editor, Lew Holmes, who related at the Business meeting his agenda for accomplishing this priority. Still to be addressed are the roles of the Publication Committee and section editors. These issues are currently under discussion. On the whole, I believe that we are moving in a positive direction with the journal; however, the level of success we achieve will depend upon the efforts of all our members. With respect to Priority 3, Tony Scialli has already instituted cost-cutting measures at this year's meeting in an effort to make our annual meetings more affordable. These efforts are ongoing, with plans to reduce registration fees and to hold meetings in large cities so that a variety of dining and housing options are available. Council is committed to organizing the best scientific meetings at the lowest cost. In addition to cost issues, other changes were instituted at this year's meeting, e.g., no concurrent platform sessions. This was done in the hope that it would facilitate interdisciplinary interactions among members from academia, government, and industry. Let us know how you liked this format. In addition to this initiative, we have also undertaken efforts to formally interact with other societies that share our mission statement. To date, talks are underway with the American Cleft Palate /Craniofacial Association and the Society for Developmental Biology to have more formal interactions, including joint meetings, in the near future. With respect to Priority 4, two initiatives were undertaken in the past year. First, we hired the Association Development Group (ADG) to handle the business affairs of our society and they assumed their role January 1, 1998. Although the full impact of this move will not be known for some time, we have already been the financial beneficiary of our association with ADG. Through Nancy Dieter's efforts, we saved $8000 in journal costs and through Clarissa Wilson's efforts, we added $6,000 in revenue from new exhibitors at this year's meeting. Second, to support the efforts of ADG, Tony Scialli is in the process of reorganizing and consolidating the Finance Committee, Financial Affairs Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee Financial Advisory Committee into one standing committee, so that the society can move forward aggressively to address our financial needs as dictated by our new mission statement. Although our strategic planning initiative has not been completed, we have made a significant beginning. The task of all of us now is to "keep the ball rolling." In that light, I encourage each of you to become active in some initiative related to the four priorities identified by the Strategic Planning Committee. On behalf of the Committee, I also invite your suggestions, concerns and criticisms so that we can make the improvements we all want.
Web sites seem to be subject to entropy as surely as everything else in the universe, and the Teratology Society Web site is no exception! Since going on-line on August 14, 1997, a tremendous amount of information has been added to the Web site pages. Consequently, the "look and feel" of the site became as different as the many people who have contributed their time and effort to keeping the data on the Web site current. Commercial companies exist that can update your Web site for you, but the cost is prohibitive. Therefore, the ad hoc Web Site Committee decided to see what they could do to improve the visual appeal and improve the utility of the Web site for the layperson visitor. If you haven't stopped by recently, please do. We hope that you will like the site's new facelift! Appearances are not everything and you will find updates in many of the pages of the Member's Section of the Web site. In particular, additions to the Regulatory Guidelines page may take you to resources that you did not know exist. Links exist that will enable you to download the latest drafts of the U.S. EPA Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances Harmonized Guidelines for the conduct of Developmental Toxicity, Reproductive Toxicity, and Developmental Neurotoxicity Studies. Additional drafts of international harmonized guidelines for reproductive toxicity tests can be found using the link to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines page. If you don't conduct studies, but instead are interested in risk assessment, two new links can take you to the U.S. EPA Guidelines for Reproductive Toxicity Risk Assessment. Interested in pharmaceuticals instead of chemicals? Try the link to the International Conference on Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. This site contains the tripartite (i.e., Europe, the USA., and Japan) Harmonized ICH Guidelines which were finalized in June, 1993. These guidelines give guidance on tests for reproductive toxicity in order to better reflect human exposure to medicinal products and allow more specific identification of stages at risk. In the near future, all available documents and links related to the issues of Pregnancy Labeling Categories of Human Prescription Drugs will be posted. Regulations constantly change and the field of reproductive and developmental toxicology has been caught up in one of the largest new regulatory research programs in more than a decade. Links have been added to the Regulatory Guidelines page to take you directly to the core of the emerging field of endocrine disrupter testing. Both the U.S. EPA and the OECD have extensive documentation about advances in the development of screening and testing regimens for endocrine disrupters and this information is freely available on the Web! The Teratology Society ad hoc Web Site Committee hopes that you will take the time to save time by using the resources they have assembled for you on the Teratology Web site. As always, suggestions for new content, new links, and new services are appreciated. Please call, fax, or e-mail a committee member:
The Middle Atlantic Reproduction and Teratology Association (MARTA) and the Midwest Teratology Association (MTA) are pleased to announce the opening of the Historical Control Database (HCD) of Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity on the World Wide Web (http://hcd.org). This database allows the entry of password-protected cesarean section, delivery, and fetal abnormality data from participating laboratories. Only GLP studies with at least 15 pregnancies are allowed to be included in the database. This database is open to all laboratories in the world and is free for all users. Each laboratory will be assigned a company code number upon request and all entries are password-protected. All data are required to be independently verified by the respective company before they are included in the main database. Each participating company can perform searches of their own database using their own company and study codes or perform a search of the whole database. Individual laboratories may use this database for their in-house historical control data. Any individual may perform a search for specific data, either by company or to obtain an overall average or incidence. Search results are dated and printable. For further information or to receive a company code, please contact: Kok-Wah
Hew (kok-wah.hew@pharma.novartis.com;
(973) 781-3020)
The Teratology Society Web site is creating a page to provide information on consulting services in our discipline. Any member of the Teratology Society who wishes to advertise their services may do so for a nominal annual fee. The advertisement can include your area of expertise, e-mail address, a link to your Web site (should you have one) in addition to your name, name of your company, address and telephone number. For additional information, please contact Terry Fico at theresa_fico@fmc.com or 609-951-3723 or David Wise at david_wise@merck.com or 215-652-6974.
The International Federation of Teratology announces its Student Fellowship Program. The purpose of the Program is to foster education of students in teratology and enhance communication and cooperation among the memberships of the constituent societies of the IFTS. There will be one fellowship available annually in the amount of $5000 (US). The applicant must be a graduate student or postdoctoral fellow with a minimum of one year's study in teratology and be a regular or student member of one of the constituent societies of the IFTS. It is not meant for those who already have permanent positions, nor is it intended for travel between those countries customarily covered within any one of the constituent societies. The application (10 pages maximum) is to include a description of the proposed project, the methods to be used, background information including references to work already done by the applicant or others, and the aims of the project. The applicant's resume or curriculum vitae is to be submitted with the application. A detailed description of how the award money is to be spent must also be included. The fellowship is intended to support travel and living expenses, as well as expenses related to the fellow's project. However, funds are not to be used for capital expenditures for the host laboratory. The application (in English) is to be completed jointly by the applicant and the host supervisor. The language of communication during the fellowship must be specified. The host supervisor must be a regular member of one of the constituent societies, and there must be agreement by the applicant's current supervisor. Funds will be paid to the host laboratory, for payment to the fellow. The deadline for application is March 31, 1999. The award is to be made by May 31, 1999 and can start as early as July 1, 1999. The minimum period of the fellowship will be 3 months, and it must be completed by June 30, of the following year. Within 3 months of completion of the fellowship, a detailed report of the project, including an accounting of the expenditure of award money, is to be submitted to the central office of the IFTS. Five copies of the application are to be submitted (one for a representative of each constituent society and one to be retained in a central file by the Secretary-Treasurer). Designated IFTS representatives will determine who within their societies will serve as reviewers of the fellowship proposals. These reviews will be submitted to the central office for overall ranking and award of the fellowship by the Fellowship Committee. While there is no mandate for a publication to result from the fellowship project, any publication that does result from the work done under the fellowship should acknowledge the support of the IFTS. Correspondence and applications are to be directed to: Elisabeth
Robert, M.D., Ph.D.
Children's
Vulnerability to Toxic Substances Open: June 30, 1998 Closing: September 30, 1998 For
solicitation and application instructions, contact:
The Teratology Society Web site is creating a page to provide information on undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral training programs in our discipline. Any university, college or program that wishes to advertise their training program in teratology may do so on the Teratology Society Web site. The advertisement can include brief a program summary, E-mail address, a link to your Web site (should you have one) and the name, address and telephone number of a contact person. For additional information, please contact Terry Fico at theresa_fico@fmc.com or 609-951-3723 or David Wise at david_wise@merck.com or 215-652-6974.
Submitted by Phil Mirkes, Chair This new section of the newsletter will summarize the most recent Council meeting in an attempt to keep the membership up-to-date on Council deliberations. The full text of the Council Minutes can be read on the Society Web site. This first issue of Council Highlights will focus on the Council meetings that were held during the 1998 Annual Meeting in San Diego. Several initiatives came to fruition this year, thanks to the hard work of several members. A major effort of the Society involved implementing new initiatives that address the four priorities identified by the Strategic Planning Committee. Details concerning these initiatives are presented on page 9 of this newsletter. Through the efforts led by George Daston, the Teratology Society is now an Associate Member of the Federation of American Societies of Experimental Biology (FASEB). FASEB has, in recent years, had a significant impact on increasing the federal budget for biomedical research. In addition, FASEB regularly convenes a variety of consensus conferences; the most recent one was a conference on Human Cloning: Research Opportunities and Regulatory Responsibilities. As an Associate Member of FASEB, we are entitled to have two representatives on all funding and consensus committees (currently Elaine Francis and Tom Knudsen). In this way, the Teratology Society has a voice in influencing issues directly and indirectly affecting the mission of our Society. Thanks to the efforts of George Dearlove, we now have the F. Clarke Fraser Young Investigator Award. This award was established in honor of F. Clarke Fraser, an esteemed member and founding father of the Teratology Society. Ed Lammer, the first recipient of this award, was presented with a beautiful plaque at this year's Annual Meeting, commemorating his many outstanding contributions to the field of teratology. Because of the efforts of Barbara Hales, plans are now underway to produce a Handbook of Teratology. This handbook will be written by members of the Society and targeted to first-year medical students/graduate students. The goal of the handbook is to introduce the field of teratology to future professionals and thereby encourage them to become teratologists. Initial plans are to post the book on our Web site and, if sponsors can be found, to produce and distribute a hard copy. With appreciation to David Wise and his Committee, the Teratology Society Web site continues to develop new and useful additions. Plans for 1999 include: adding on-line abstract submission, and annual meeting registration, an on-line membership application; past meeting highlights; and a searchable membership directory. Finally, Tom Shepard and his Committee are continuing their efforts to update the history of the Teratology Society, to be published in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Teratology Society in the year 2000. |
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