JUNE 27, 2002

 

 

Thursday, June 27

 

            The meeting was called to order by Bill Slikker at approximately 1:15.

 

Council members present were Wm. Slikker, President; R. Tyl, Vice President; K. Jones, Vice-President-Elect; J. Friedman, Past President; J. Rogers, Treasurer; G. Dearlove, Secretary; C. Chambers, Chair of Public Affairs Committee; Councilors J. Graham and P. Wier; and T. Masson, Executive Director. 

 

1.  J. Cordero began the meeting with a special presentation regarding ways for the Teratology Society to enhance out interactions with the CDC in Atlanta.  J. Cordero is to head a new center within CDC and informed Council about an upcoming meeting (First CDC Conference on Birth Defects, Developmental Disabilities, and Disability and Health) to which the Society should consider sending or table top display booth.  The intention is to expand our contacts within the CDC so we can play a greater role in education, training and research through greater collaborations.

 

The need for a more active public relations component of the Society was noted and Jose indicated that the CDC will work with the Society to help get news releases out.  The long-range goal is to have the Society members push Congress for more funding.  A goal would be for the new Birth Defects division to get about $50 million to stimulate interests of students.  This would be a major undertaking and each member would be asked to write to his/her congress person.

 

There are a number of possible areas in which the CDC can assist the Society in training grant applications, etc.  A number of these were discussed.

 

2.  Wm. Slikker then announced his Committee suggestions for the Nominations and Elections Committee (C. Moore, D. Hansen, M. Christian, K-W Hew, M.A Smith, Chair, and J. Friedman).  The suggested committee members were approved by unanimous vote of Council.  The offices for which candidates will be required are Vice President, Secretary and Councilor.

 

For the Education Committee, Bill indicated that D. Shuey will be chair, even though her term is up, as she is taking over the unexpired term of D. Clarke.  Other Committee members were announced and approved.

 

3.  Publications Committee restructuring was discussed.  The new Committee is to have eight members, each of whom will serve a maximum of a four year term.  We will need to appoint one person for a one year term, one person for a two year term, one person for a three year term and two people for four year terms to assist the current committee which will have K. Augustine as Chair and B. Abbott as Vice Chair.  S. Tyl will send names of suggested members to Bill.

 

The issue with the new contract with the publisher was discussed.  The contract will be reviewed by legal experts and Bill and Jan will review it and sign (if Bill can sign as a Government employee.  If not, then Jan will sign)  Approved by unanimous vote.

 

4.  Public Affairs Update was presented by Tina Chambers. 

• T. Masson is to get AIM proposal for PR assistance for the annual meeting.
• The consensus workshop idea is progressing and people are willing to commit time and money to get it into the meeting for next year.  The FDA is willing to help and the FDA, EPA and CDC may be able to assist financially.  Tina to follow up.
• Fetal Alcohol Syndrome paper to be a Teratology Society statement that we will ask the FAS task force to co-indorse.  The intent is to publish in Part A of Journal and to post on the CDC web site and see if we can also publish in JAMA. 
• Post Marketing Surveillance has more input coming from OTIS and others.  Council members are to get comments to Tina if they want input or changes.  E.g. Do we want the CDC to assume more responsibility as a Public Policy position? This could be an issue for the great debate next year: industry vs. clinical position on post marketing surveillance.  Discussion followed and the sense of Council was that more input was required.

 

5.  G. Dearlove reported on the results of the suggestion box survey, the Liaison Breakfast and asked for volunteers to set up the Teratology Society booth at the CDC meeting in September.  Results of the suggestion box survey are as follows:

á      Simultaneous Sessions should be better balanced and not so many sessions that cover the non clinical area at the same time - 6 votes

á      Add juice or fruit as an option for breakfast - 4 votes

á      Reduce the price of the Journal Issue with the program from $10.00 to $5.00 at the meeting - 1 vote

á      More meetings in cities to cut costs - 1 vote

á      Separate "mechanism" papers from sessions with "descriptive" talks - 1 vote

á      Have speakers preload presentations to save time between talks - 1 vote

á      Add and epidemiology session to the Wiley-Liss symposium - 1 vote

á      Have name badges with strings and/or pins as well as clips - 1 vote

á      Have working group sessions for genomics/ data base accumulation -1 vote (B. Abbott)

á      Have micro array committee or group -1 vote (B. Hales)

á      Posters are manned for too long a time.  Reduce hours to SOT format - 1 vote

á      Increase member dues and use increase to cut cost of meeting registration -1 vote

á      Establish a real program for spouses - 1 vote

á      Mention K. Sulik made bag for gavel when indicating C. Grabowski made gavel - 1 vote

á      Keep mission statement paramount in the new journal  format - 1 vote

 

Members attending the Liaison breakfast were 

á      Tony Scialli for MOD

á      George Daston for SOT Repro and Development Specialty Section

á      Jack Bishop for EMS

á      Jeanne Manson for FASEB

á      John Graham for Dave Smith Workshop, European Dysmorphology and the Manchester Birth Defects Meetings

á      Dee Quinn for OTIS

á      Carrie McMahon for OTIS

á      Robert Felix fore OTIS

á      William Slikker for SOT Neurotox Specialty Section

á      Karen Acuff for NBTS

á      Jan Friedman for ASHG

George Dearlove and Tonia Masson for TS to discuss the proposed duties of the Liaison position.  These will be posted in the newsletter.

 

6.  Plans for the 2003 meeting in Philadelphia were discussed by Wm. Slikker and R. Tyl.  Workshop plans are taking shape with the Public Affairs workshop, a technical how to program for Seg II studies in the planning stages and the Neurobehavior workshop being planned in conjunction with BTS and NBTS by Wm. Slikker.  Additionally, Jeff Peters is going to function as the Ad Hoc chair for a program for High School Teachers.

 

7.  Annual Meeting Survey Results were presented by T. Masson.  The results indicated that the membership in attendance preferred Developmental Biology>Society of Toxicology>FASEB>Perinatal Epidemiology>other choices for a combined meeting in the future.  The reason people attend the meeting are for education>networking>location.  The preference for month to hold the annual meeting was June>May>July and the location preferences was Alternate between a city and a resort>city>resort.  The majority of attendees preferred a 5-day duration for a meeting with 4 days a close second.  There was no overwhelming choice for a site for future meetings (no city received more than 4 votes, but the state of California was indicated on 11 ballots).

 

The meeting adjourned without having an exact time or location for the midyear Council meeting.  T. Masson was to poll Council members later to determine availability and preference.