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March 2007 E-Newsletter of the
Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and
Toxicologists
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Welcome
to the March issue of the ASCEPT newsletter. In this circular we have a
travel grant report from Dr Alyson Miller who attended the British
Pharmacological Society meeting in December, 2006 and announcements for a
variety of research honours applications including the Amgen Medical
Researcher Award, Rolex Award for Enterprise and the Commonwealth Health
Minister’s Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research. For
details related to ASCEPT funding for seminar series see below. Don’t
forget the 2007 edition for the AMH handbook is now available to ASCEPT
members at reduced prices. If any
would like to contribute any items to eNews, please send it along to Meetings
First for consideration. To view
the very first abstract book from ASCEPT (1967 meeting), please click here. |
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ASCEPT TRAVEL GRANT REPORTWith the generous assistance of
an ASCEPT New Investigator Travel
Award, I was able to attend and present at the recent 75th Anniversary
Meeting of the British Pharmacological Society (18-21 December, 2006) in
Oxford, United Kingdom. The meeting was held at the University of Oxford, the
oldest university in the English-speaking world, boasting claim to nine
centuries of continuous existence. The breathtaking architecture and eerie
presence of days gone past was the perfect setting for the 75th
Anniversary Meeting of one of the most well established pharmacological
societies in the world. The meeting attracted many
internationally renowned researchers and the symposiums I attended were
diverse and stimulating. My current research focuses on the influence of
gender on the novel enzyme system, NADPH-oxidase, in the cerebral
circulation, and the development of cerebrovascular disease. Not surprisingly
the Wednesday morning symposium titled ‘Battle of the sexes: the influence of
gender on cardiovascular disease’ was one of the highlights of the conference
for me. The symposium hosted a number of internationally acclaimed
scientists, such as Professor Sue Duckles, a leader and competitor in the
‘gender cerebral’ field. Professor Duckles presented a jam-packed and
exciting presentation discussing the influence of the female sex hormone,
estrogen, on the generation of reactive oxygen species by mitochondria within
the cerebral circulation. As you can imagine it provided me with lots of good
ideas for my future research. Another fantastic presentation was given by Dr.
Ramona Scotland, a young scientist from University College London. Dr. Scotland
presented an elegant paper discussing the influence of endothelium-derived
hyperpolarizing factor on gender differences in cardiovascular risk. The
symposium evoked in-depth discussion from the audience and not surprisingly
stirred up my passion for this area of research. Following this symposium it
was my turn to get up on the podium to take part in the Trends in Pharmacological Sciences Young Pharmacologist of the
Year competition. My fifteen-minute presentation followed five other young scientists
from the United Kingdom and was entitled “Gender influences the activity,
function and expression of NADPH-oxidase in the cerebral circulation”. It was
an immense honour and pleasure (albeit a little nerve-racking!!) for me to
participate in this prestigious competition, and to share my research with an
international audience. Question presentation proved to very fruitful and
provided me with some good feedback and ideas for the future direction of my
research. In the evening I attended the conference dinner where I had the
opportunity to meet other participants in an informal setting. The highlight
of this evening was when I was awarded first place in the Young
Pharmacologist of the Year competition by Humphrey Rang. Overall, I am immensely grateful
to ASCEPT for providing myself with a Travel Grant to attend this conference
and of course to take part in the Young Pharmacologist of the Year
competition. It has given me the opportunity to further my international
exposure, have my own research critically evaluated by the international
scientific community and has provided me with plenty of new ideas for my
future research. Thank you! Dr. Alyson A.
Miller Department of Pharmacology, Monash University |
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SPONSORSHIP FOR PHARMACOLOGY/TOXICOLOGY SEMINAR SERIES ASCEPT is offering
sponsorship for pharmacology seminar series. As announced at the
2006 AGM, ASCEPT would offer an incentive to departments to encourage or
invite members to present. Once there are eligible
5 members within an institution, the institute will be able to apply for $500
for use in their seminar program. The seminars must have the ASCEPT logo
appear at the start and end of the seminar, by using a PowerPoint slide
provided by the Secretariat and have membership brochures provided available
on the day. Up to 10 members from each institute may apply with a maximum of
$1000 available. ASCEPT will advertise the seminar programs on the ASCEPT
website/e-news. The Institute should nominate a contact person. They can be
student or full members, but their fees must have been paid for 2007. |
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AMGEN MEDICAL RESEARCHER AWARDApplications are being sought for the Amgen Medical Researcher Award
which will be presented in Sydney during ASMR Medical Research Week®
2007.
http://www.asmr.org.au/news/Awards/Index.html |
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THE ROLEX AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE Last year marine scientist Brad Norman
became the first Australian in 25 years to be honoured with a Rolex Award for
Enterprise. The 2008 Awards are now open for applications from Australians. The Rolex Awards
recognise the spirit of enterprise in visionary individuals, providing
financial support and recognition for projects that advance human knowledge
and well-being. The Awards, worth
US$100,000 each, are presented every two years in five areas: Science and
Medicine, Technology and Innovation, Exploration and Discovery, The
Environment and Cultural Heritage. However, projects may be submitted in
almost any field, provided it contributes to the betterment of humankind.
Anyone of any age or background is eligible to apply. Applications for
2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise close on May 31, 2007. Application forms
can be downloaded from: http://www.rolexawards.com. Application kits are also available from 61 2 9251 8988. With best wishes Professor Julian
Cribb FTSE Rolex Awards for Enterprise (Australia) |
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CALL FOR ASCEPT MEMBERS TO BE NOMINATED Health Minister, The Hon Tony Abbott MP has called for nominations for the Commonwealth Health Minister's Award for Excellence in Health and Medical Research, 2007. The annual Award of $50,000 and presentation medal is made in
recognition of outstanding individual achievement in health and medical
research in Australia. The announcement of this year's winner will be
in June 2007. Nominations for the year 2007 Award close - 5pm Friday,
30 March 2007
Full information is
available from the website: http://www.nhmrc.gov.au/news/noticeboard/notice07/_files/excellence.htm Associate Professor Maria Kavallaris, President The Australian Society for Medical Research (ASMR) |
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JOINT SEAWP – ASCEPT MEETING 2007The Asian Western Pacific Regional
meeting of Pharmacologists (SEAWP) and ASCEPT conference
will be held at the Adelaide Hilton Hotel from Monday December 3 to Thursday
December 6, 2007. The meeting will
also run with the Annual Scientific Meeting of the HBPRCA on December 6 and
7. There will be two joint symposia with HBPRCA – on Wednesday afternoon and
Thursday morning. The theme of the meeting is ‘drug and chemical safety’. For further information regarding the program outline please click here. Please mark these three key dates into your diaries! September 12 - Abstract deadline October 5 - Accommodation bookings close October
31 - Early bird registrations close |
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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
provisional 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. |
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4TH INTERNATIONAL "MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY OF G
PROTEIN-COUPLED RECEPTORS" MEETING We are pleased to announce that
the 4th international "Molecular Pharmacology of G Protein-Coupled
Receptors" meeting will be held on July 18th & 19th, this year - immediately
after the IBRO meeting in Melbourne, Australia. This year's meeting has
an expanded format, spanning two full 2 days, and will be held in Cossar Hall
at the Victorian College of Pharmacy in Parkville. The meeting
features symposial presentations from 17 leading international researchers in
the field, plus expanded poster viewing and selected short talks. There will
also be prizes for the best poster from a student, best poster from a
post-doctoral researcher and best oral presentation from a student
(short-listed from the abstracts). Please pass along this
information to colleagues who may be interested in attending the
meeting. Further details for the meeting
can be found at: http://www.monash.edu.au/cmo/molecular/index.html We look forward
to seeing you in July. Kind regards Patrick Sexton and Arthur
Christopoulos On behalf of the International
and Local organising committees |
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MEDSAFE NEW ZEALAND: NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE A TENDER TO
ESTABLISH A NEW MEDICINES APPLICATIONS EXTERNAL EVALUATION PANEL Medsafe is the regulator for therapeutic products in New Zealand
and its responsibilities include the pre-market evaluation of medicines.
Medsafe wishes to establish a New Medicines Applications External Evaluation
Panel (the Panel). Medsafe intends to issue a Request for Tenders in mid
March for New Medicines Applications evaluation services. The timeframe for
responding to the tender will be short (no more than three weeks) and this
early notification is intended to assist you to respond to the tender in a
timely manner. Medsafe’s tender will invite interested organisations and
individuals with specific expertise and qualifications in a variety of
technical specialties to submit a tender to provide New Medicines
Applications evaluation services. All successful tenderers will be appointed
to the Panel and be available to undertake evaluation services for Medsafe on
an “as required” basis. The panel will comprise providers with the following technical
specialties. Predominately: -
Chemistry -
Medicine application assessment -
Pharmaceutical Chemistry / Pharmacology -
Biochemistry -
Quality of pharmaceutical therapeutic
goods / Pharmaceutical Manufacturing. But, also include: -
Clinical -
Toxicological -
Biostatics Evaluation services to be provided by Panel members will
include: -
Evaluating specific data and prepared
final reports for Medsafe’s (or its relevant committees’) consideration; -
Conducing safety and/or efficacy
evaluations for medicines; -
Undertaking research, collecting data,
analysing and preparing statistical reports in biostatistics. Details of how the Panel will work and related contractual
arrangements will be set out in the Request for Tenders document. The Request
for Tenders will be issued in mid March via the Government Electronic Tender
Service (GETS). To access the tender documents you will need to register with
GETS. Please refer to the GETS website www.gets.govt.nz. |
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NPS 2007 NATIONAL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN Consumer Antibiotic Program – Common Colds Need Common Sense campaignImplementation from May – August. The NPS
annual winter campaign is now in its 7th year. We will be focusing
on the appropriate us eof antibiotics and treating upper respiratory tract
infections and infection control. Recourses will be provided to consumers and
health professionals. Get to know your Medicines campaign Implementation from August – October. This campaign
will promote QUM to seniors with chronic conditions who take multiple
medicines and their carers. Generic Medicines campaign Implementation from October – November. The national generics
medicines campaign will target consumers and health professionals to support
the use of generics when it is safe to do so. |
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AUSBIOTECH UPCOMING EVENTS |
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NSW Events Diary Notice March 27 2007 Intellectual
Property & Grants – and other publicly funded Infrastructure Diary Notice QLD Events Wednesday 21 February 2007 Late registrations cannot be guaranteed a place For more information please click here. CEO Forum SA Events 21-23 February 2007 Business Development Forum How to Finance, Grow and Sell your
Opportunities Venue: Stamford Grand, Glenelg, South Australia AusBiotech and BioInnovation SA have partnered
to present the inaugural Business Development forum with a vision to provide
a national event that addresses the specific needs of Business Development
and Commercialisation Executives. For registration please click here. For Program information please click here. TAS Events More events coming soon... VIC Events 20-22 March 2007 For more information please click here. WA Events More events coming soon... |
National
Events Business
Development Forum
How to Finance, Grow and Sell your
Opportunities Stamford Grand, Glenelg, South Australia For registration please click here. For Program information please click here. CEO Forum AusBiotech National Conference
2007 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 21-24 October 2007 More information to follow... Other Events March 2007 Doing Biotechnology
Business in China For more information
please click here. March 6th 2007 ATPi-Biznet Club
2007 business seminar For more information
please click here. The Australian Stem
Cell Summit Hilton on the Park,
Melbourne Tina Larssen 02 9080 4338 visit www.informa.com.au/stemcell07 April 3rd 2007 For more information please click here. For more information on any of the above events please visit www.ausbiotech.org or contact Industry Development
Officer- Mandie Lammens (03) 9828 1450 or Events Manager
- Hayley Johnson (03) 9828 1406 |
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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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FORTHCOMING CONFERENCES Please
click here for a list of meetings that we think may be of interest
to our 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 Other Meetings |
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NEWS FROM OTHER ORGANISATIONS Please
click on the relevant links for any news from other organisations we thought
our ASCEPT members might be interested in. AusBiotech Trade
Mission to Indiana and Boston - MAY 2007 (Incorporating BIO 07 in Boston) |
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FASTS News
Science media Parliamentary news service What science is hot in the mainstream media? |
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Royal Society Of New Zealand |
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RACP
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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. |
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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 Monday 16 April 2007. If there is information you would like to include,
please email it to athina@meetingsfirst.com.au by Monday 9 April 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 |
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