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April 2007 E-Newsletter of the
Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and
Toxicologists
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Welcome to
the April issue of eNews. In this release we are inviting nominations for the
Australian Museum Eureka prizes and the Prime Ministers prizes for Science,
which include a variety awards for outstanding Australian Science. We
congratulate Professor Albert Frauman following his appointment to the
Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee and Professor Lindon Wing for over
30 years service at Flinders University which is to be celebrated in May in
Adelaide. There is
an update on the joint SEAWP-ASCEPT meeting to be held in Adelaide in
December from the Chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee, Rob Vandenberg
and information regarding CPT. The Annual NZ
Scientific Meeting which will take place 28th – 31st
August 2007 and
further information will be available shortly. Also
WorldPharma has requested ASCEPT members to submit ideas for the meeting in
Copenhagen in 2010. Finally
a reminder that the 2007 Australian Medicines Handbook is still available to
members at a discounted rate. If any would
like to contribute any items to eNews, please send it along to Meetings First
for consideration. |
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2007 AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM EUREKA PRIZES NOW OPEN The
Australian Museum Eureka Prizes are Australia’s largest award scheme for
outstanding Australian Science. Entries and nominations
in the 2007 Eureka Prizes are now open – prizes for Scientific Research
include:
In 2007
the Eureka Prizes include further awards across Scientific Research and
Innovation, Leadership, School Science and Science
Communication and Journalism, which we also invite you to consider. Further
information and details on how to enter are available at: www.australianmuseum.net.au/eureka. Entries close 4 May
2007.
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MEMBERSHIP OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL BENEFITS ADVISORY COMMITTEE I would like to advise you of
recent appointments to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC)
by the minister for Heath and Ageing, Tony Abbott, and to thank the Society
for its nominations for membership of the Committee. The Minister has appointed six new
members to the PBAC for a period of 4 years; Adjunct Professor Michael
Frommer, a clinical epidemiologist; Dr Steven Hambleton, a general
practitioner; Professor Claire Jackson, a general practitioner; Dr Andrew
Roberts, a clinical haematologist; Dr Peter Roberts, a general practitioner;
and Associate Professor Albert
Frauman, a clinical pharmacologist with a special interest in endocrinology.
Dr Jim Buttery, a paediatric and infectious diseases physician has been appointed
for a period of 2 years and Mr Mitchell Messer, the consumer representative
has also been re-appointed for a further 2 years. Your sincerely Diana MacDonell Director, PBAC Secretariat, Pharmaceutical Evaluation Branch |
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AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY FOR
MEDICAL RESEARCH The
ASMR March Newsletter has now been distributed and we would like to draw your
attention to the NHMRC 2007 update, listed below. To view the full Newsletter,
please click here. NHMRC — 2007 Update Peer
review is the heart and soul of NHMRC’s competitive (highly competitive!)
grant schemes, and I am committed to ensuring the best and fairest processes
possible. The time, care and quality that many thousands of health and
medical researchers bring to NHMRC and other funding bodies’ peer review
processes each year is truly humbling. NHMRC’s
peer review processes will include the following changes in 2007, designed to
strengthen review and ensure fairness: ·
Program
Grant applications will go to external review in 2007; ·
Project Grant applications will be
reviewed by two Grant Review Panel (GRP) members, and one external assessor
to review scientific content only; ·
Reviews will be sent to applicants
prior to the GRP for responses/rebuttals; and ·
Selection of GRP members will be made
on the recommendation of NHMRC “selectors” in 2007. These are leading
national researchers who themselves will not be either Chairs or Deputy Chair
of GRP. Further consideration is being given
to the make up of our GRPs for the 2008 round, to ensure that they eflect the
way research is constructed and performed in the 21st century. NHMRC will
issue a proposal for discussion later in 2007. Discussion
on peer review is widespread internationally and is always in the news, with
some stimulating articles in recent editions of Nature, Science, Cell and
other leading journals focussing on US activities. Career Development Awards: New
Developments Last
year, a review of NHMRC’s Career Development Awards (CDA) revealed that the
vast majority of awards were made to applicants in the last couple of years
of eligibility: that is, 8–9 years postdoctoral. To ensure a better “fit”
between NHMRC awards and the needs to develop researchers for Australia’s
future, we have split the CDA scheme into two levels, CDA1 (for 2–6 years
postdoctoral),and CDA2 (for 7–12 years postdoctoral), with allowance made for
career interruptions should these have occurred. The duration for both will
be 4 years. The previous Industry Fellowships and the Howard Florey Centenary
Fellowship will be incorporated within this expanded system. The
postdoctoral years are crucial in the development of researchers and there
can be wide differences in the career paths now between biomedical, clinical,
public health and health services research approaches. Flexibility of schemes
is therefore required, so that we can identify and support the most
outstanding researchers for the benefit of Australia’s health. |
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WORLD CONFERENCE ON CLINICAL
PHARMACOLOGY AND THERAPEUTICS -
CPT2008 The Organizing Committee, the
Canadian Society for Clinical Pharmacology (CSCP) and the International Union
of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology (IUPHAR), look forward to welcoming
in 2008 a broad cross-section of those interested in clinical pharmacology,
clinical pharmacy, pharmacology and toxicology and improved therapeutics to
support better health outcomes. The Scientific Committee has put together an
exciting program that will appeal to attendees whose interests range from the
molecular to community health. New sciences of pharmacogenomics and
proteomics will be well represented.
Rob Vandenberg |
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WORLDPHARMA 2010 The organisers of WorldPharma 2010
have written to ASCEPT asking for suggestions for the meeting in
Copenhagen. They are seeking input into the scientific program and have
sent a couple of documents outlining their plans for the meeting. The
scientific advisory committee are working on coming up with suggestions, but
we would also appreciate suggestions from all ASCEPT members.
Copenhagen is a wonderful place to visit and so if you want the science to be
just as worthwhile, then I suggest that as many of you as possible send in
your suggestions. The SAC will coordinate the submission and so we
would be grateful if you could send in your suggestions to Meetings First.
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JOINT
SEAWP – ASCEPT MEETING 2007
On behalf of the Southeast Asian Western Pacific (SEAWP)
Regional Federation of Pharmacologists and the Australasian Society of
Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT), we would
like to invite you to participate in the combined Scientific Meeting of the
two societies. For further
information please click here. Accommodation Accommodation has been reserved at the Adelaide Hilton for
the nights of Monday December 3 - Thursday December 6, 2007. We suggest you
book accommodation as soon as possible – rumours are that there will be a
cricket test in Adelaide during the same week. Please email
ascept@meetingsfirst.com.au if you would like to reserve a room. Please mark these three key dates into your
diaries! September 12 - Abstract deadline October 5 - Accommodation bookings close October 31 - Early bird
registrations close ASCEPT Scientific Advisory Committee, Chair |
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ASCEPT
SYMPOSIUM: GLUTAMATE IN THE VINEYARDS, JULY 8-10, 2007 An International
Conference on the Neuropharmacology of Glutamate. The conference will be held
at the Hunter Valley Resort in the picturesque Hunter Valley, North of
Sydney, immediately prior to the 2007
IBRO Meeting in Melbourne. The program includes sessions on: Glutamate
Transporters, Metabotropic Receptors, Glutamate Metabolism, Learning and Memory,
Glutamate and Schizophrenia, Glutamate and Disease. The program will include
talks by invited speakers as well as submitted talks and posters. For more
information please click here. Rob Vandenberg |
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PRIZES, AWARDS, PRIZES,
MONEY, RECOGNITION ...
The Prime Minister's Prizes for
Science are a national tribute to excellent and dedicated work in Australian science
and science teaching. Each comprises a cash grant, a medallion and a lapel
pin of the nature of those worn by recipients of Australian Honours such as
the AO. The major Prize, the Prime
Minister's Prize for Science, is one of the nation’s most highly-regarded
awards and the premier national award for scientific achievement. It is
awarded for an outstanding specific achievement in any area of science
advancing human welfare or benefiting society, and has been awarded
previously to such luminaries of Australian science as Frank Fenner, Donald
Metcalf and Jacques Miller.
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AUSTRALIAN MEDICINES HANDBOOK ASCEPT Members can save up to $77 when they buy AHM, the
independent medicines reference preferred by Australian health professionals. Australian
Medicines Handbook has become the preferred independent, evidence-based
medicines reference for Australian health professionals. The
print version of our 2006 edition went to a second printing less than six
months after its release – and still sold out in record time. AMH has
tens of thousands of users throughout the health-case system, including
pharmacies, medical practices, hospitals, aged care facilities, universities
(including medicine, pharmacy and nursing facilities) and a wide range of
health professionals with an interest in the Quality Use of Medicines. Our
independence provides assurance in an uncertain world. AMH has no
advertising, sponsorship or editorial input from drug manufacturers or any
other commercial organisations. Our
editorial staff, reviewers and Editorial Advisory Board members are all
Australia-based pharmacists, medical practitioners, scientists, researchers
and academics. AMH
includes information on drug classes, as well as individual drug monographs
containing new/revised evidence and comparative data covering indications,
dosage information, formulations, adverse effects, practice points, special
populations, etc. The appendices include a substantial drug interactions
guide. AMH is a joint project of the Australasian Society of Clinical
and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT), the
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) and the Royal Australian College of
General Practitioners (RACGP). Please
visit www.amh.net.au
or email amh@amh.net.au
to order. |
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LINDON WING FESTSCHRIFT
2007
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FORTHCOMING CONFERENCES Please
click here for a list of meetings that may be of interest to
members. These are displayed on the ASCEPT website. ASCEPT Meetings Joint SEAWP:
ASCEPT Meeting 2007, 3-6 December 2007, Adelaide ASCEPT symposium: Glutamate in the
Vineyards, July 8-10, 2007 RACP Congress, 6-10 May 2007, Melbourne Pharmacovigilance Forum 2007 , 8-9 May 2007,
London Primary
Resources Forum, 8 May 2007, Thorndon, Wellington |
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NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS Please
click on the relevant links for any news from other organisations that may be
of interest to ASCEPT members. Australasian Biotechnology Newsletter Vol 2 April 2007 Medical Industry Association of Australia (MIAA), Media
Release, 28 March 2007 FASTS Opinion piece- Voters Want Scientists to identify and
reducerisks in an uncertain world NPS "Common colds need common sense, not
antibiotics" Campaign RACP
The NSW Clinical Excellence
Commission in collaboration with NSW TAG has recently launched two new tools
designed to assist hospitals in developing safer medication systems. They
have asked for members to consider the tools as they are seeking endorsement
by RACP. NSW TAG seeking
endorsement from RACP ROYAL SOCIETY OF NEW
ZEALAND Have
Your Say on Science, 23 March 2007 BioAustralis Fine Chemicals: Your supplier of rare microbial metabolites for
laboratory use - diverse range of high purity metabolites produced in our
laboratories in stock now; competitively priced. Go to www.bioaustralis.com
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POSITIONS VACANT Looking for a new job? Listed
below is a position currently vacant that you may be eligible to apply for.
Please click on the link for jobs you’re interested in. Lecturer/Senior
Lecturer, Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical and
Health Sciences, University of Auckland, CLOSES 30 APRIL 2007 Medical
Scientist, Toxicology, Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science, South
Australia Senior
Lecturer/Lecturer, University of Melbourne, Department of Pharmacology,
CLOSES 27 APRIL 2007 |
INFORMATION FROM PREVIOUS ISSUESPlease click here for more news, jobs and information that have appeared in past issues
of the ASCEPT newsletter that are now displayed on our ASCEPT website. |
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The next E-News will be sent
out on Wednesday 16 May 2007. If there is information you would like to
include, please email it to athina@meetingsfirst.com.au by Wednesday 9 May 2007.
ASCEPT Newsletter Editor
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Please do not hesitate to
contact Meetings First, our ASCEPT Secretariat, if you have any
queries: Angela, Athina and Jennifer Phone +61
3 9739 7697 Fax +61
3 9739 7076 Email ascept@meetingsfirst.com.au
Web www.ascept.org |
