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News and Reviews President's Message A Message from the President of IUTOX, Ali Esat Karakaya (April 2006)
Dear IUTOX Member,A quarter of a century has elapsed since the founding of the International Union of Toxicology. IUTOX began with only 9 member societies in 1980 and has grown to a global association harboring 47 national and regional member societies representing more than 20,000 toxicologists from 5 continents. Seeking the promotion of toxicology in all corners of the globe, IUTOX, through her member societies, engages in a variety of activities that you can find on our web site. Despite this global reach of our union, there are 13 national societies that have completed their organization but which are still not members of IUTOX. These societies include: the Austrian, Belgian, Czech, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Macedonian and Ukrainian societies from Europe; the Peruvian, Uruguayan and Chilean societies from Latin America; and the Georgian and Kazakh toxicological societies from Central Asia and Caucasia. We invite each one of these societies to become member societies and, by participating in IUTOX’s global activities, to make invaluable contributions to toxicology. In addition, there are no toxicological societies in over 100 countries, among which are large countries with populations in excess of 100 million such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria. We may assume that the existence of a national toxicology society depends on the number of toxicologists in that country and on whether or not the science of toxicology has reached a certain level of development in terms of education and activity. The fact is that billions of people in the world are unable to enjoy most of the benefits deriving from the implementation of knowledge generated by the science of toxicology. As is implied by these facts, in the next twenty-five years of our existence as IUTOX, I believe that there is much our Union can do to fulfill its substantial responsibilities regarding the promotion of toxicology throughout the world and that the agenda concerning this important cause is not only an extensive one addressing vital issues that have bearing on human health and the environment, but it also embraces a worthy and great challenge. As for some of our current activities: We are now some 5 months away from the EUROTOX 2006 / 6 CTDC Congress to be held in Croatia, 20-24 September 2006. I trust you are planning to participate in this exciting congress. Meanwhile the preparatory work for one of the most important IUTOX activities in 2007, namely the ICT XI Montreal Meeting, is being successfully conducted by our Canadian colleagues. The success of any scientific society depends on the active participation of its members in the activities as well as in the planning and decision processes of the society. As IUTOX, we need your thoughts and your inputs in order to further improve the impact of our activities. Your suggestions and criticisms will be very much appreciated. With my best regards, Nominating Committee Call for Nominees The IUTOX Nominating Committee will soon be soliciting candidates for IUTOX elected positions. Each member society should begin discussions on appropriate candidates and be ready for further information in the summer. Full Nominating Committee Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are posted on the IUTOX web site at http://www.iutox.org/nominating_sops.asp. 2004–2007 Committees, Comissions, and Task Force Reports (April 2006) IUTOX
Finance Commission Report General comment: Current assets are $311,493 as of December 2005. Although IUTOX finances are still acceptable IUTOX must stabilize the Union’s finances by increasing income and reducing costs. Over the last years, there was a trend toward lower revenue from member dues based on reduced head count in member societies. An institutional membership campaign has been initiated, with six members to date. Institutional membership is $1500 per year. While this is an encouraging development, many more institutional members must be recruited. Specific tasks
Communications
Commission Report Scientific Commission: Kevin Chipman, Barbara Hales, Tohru Inoue and Robert Kroes. The Scientific Commission’s general objectives are to follow up on scientific developments and to incorporate these developments where relevant, feasible and/or necessary in the overall scientific strategy of IUTOX and of the global strategy on science (ICSU – International Council of Sciences). IUTOX will, in particular, focus on scientific activities in developing countries and will stimulate these countries to participate in forthcoming scientific meetings. In addition, the Scientific Commission will actively participate in the scientific programming of meetings organized under the umbrella of IUTOX (CTDC and ICT). IUTOX representatives
(Prof.dr. Erik Dybing, Prof.dr. Sylvia Barros and Prof.dr. R. Kroes) participated
in the Scientific Program Committee of the CTDC6/Eurotox 2006 Congress
to be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, September 20-24, 2006. Robert Kroes
Developing Countries Committee Report Dr. Barros reported that invitations to join IUTOX had been sent to national societies in several developing countries, including Chile, Uruguay and Peru. Several other countries had been identified for contact. The organization
of a RASS like course in other idioms, like Spanish, Arabic and Russian
was discussed. A roundtable on Certification and Registration of Toxicologists in Latin America will be held at the ALATOX meeting in August of 2006, hosted by IUTOX and PAHO. During that meeting, toxicologists from countries without a toxicology society will be identified and asked to consider developing one. At that opportunity the proposal of the Certification and Registration task force will be presented. As a member of the 6CTDC Program Committee, Dr. Barros is working to ensure that many topics of interest to developing countries are presented at the 6CTDC. A survey was circulated to developing countries, but received limited feedback. Two countries have proposed hosting the 7CTDC Meeting: India and South Africa. Member
News The Society of Toxicology (SOT) is an international scientific and professional organization dedicated to advancing the science of toxicology to enhance human, animal, and environmental health. Founded in 1961 as a not-for-profit scientific society, the SOT has grown to over 5,800 members from the United States and 45 other countries worldwide. The membership draws from academic, government, industry and other organizations bringing a broad perspective and expertise to the business of the Society. The SOT is governed by an 11-person elected council and managed by administrative offices located in the Washington, D.C. area. The activities of SOT touch on most all elements of the science of toxicology and are carried out by over 25 elected and appointed committees and task forces. In addition, the Society sponsors more than 20 Specialty Sections focusing on specific areas such as metals, inhalation, immunology, reproductive, mechanistic, and risk assessment. There are also 18 Regional Chapters that foster the scientific exchange of ideas at both the national and local levels throughout the year. More recently has been the creation of Special Interest Groups that serve to encourage participation and advancement of under-represented groups within the Society. The official peer-reviewed journal of SOT, Toxicological Sciences, has established itself as one of the leading publications in toxicology and a definitive resource for the disseminating results of cutting edge research. The journal is available on-line at www.oxfordjournals.org/toxsci/. SOT also publishes a quarterly Newsletter, the Communiqué, whose purpose is to keep the membership appraised of the latest business and achievements of the Society. The Annual Meeting of SOT is held each March. Member and non-member scientists capitalize on this opportunity to exchange ideas and present their most significant and recent research findings in toxicology to a large audience of interested colleagues. The annual meeting also affords the chance to participate in continuing education courses, workshops, and symposia, round-tables and assorted other venues for discussion and exchange. The Annual Meeting, which in 2005 attracted over 6,400 participants, is also an opportunity to explore over 400 exhibitors offering the latest in instruments, equipment, supplies, and services. SOT has a strong commitment to professional and public education through its publications, annual meeting, other scientific meetings, and its Web site. SOT coordinates several community outreach programs including training programs for teachers in K–12 grades. Programs are also offered to attract undergraduate students into toxicology. Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows are supported and encouraged to actively participate in SOT activities. A high priority is placed on the Society being inclusive in encouraging and supporting all of its members, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or career stage. SOT members are recognized nationally and internationally for their expertise in a variety of areas within toxicology. As such they are able to offer assistance to congressional offices including briefings to members and staff, government agencies seeking expert input on complex scientific issues, journalists in search of authoritative information on critical health issues and the public at-large with questions related to the potential risks from chemical exposures. . Special efforts are made to provide the public with a better awareness of what toxicology is and how it can assist them in understanding the health issues associated with exposures to chemicals in a variety of situations. SOT members communicate their research findings to scientific and lay audiences throughout the world. They publish their results in leading scientific journals and present their findings at national and international meetings and conferences. They also serve as advisors to governmental agencies in the U.S. and worldwide on matters pertaining to human, animal, and environmental health. The SOT is proud to co-sponsor a number of additional meetings held throughout the world by sister societies and other organizations, including being an active and contributing member of IUTOX. Learn more about the Society of Toxicology at www.toxicology.org. The Italian Society
of Toxicology (SITOX)was established in 1967 with the objective of promoting
and disseminating within Italy as well as internationally the toxicological
sciences while developing the scientific approach in risk assessment.
Currently, SITOX is comprised of more than 500 active members throughout Italy and abroad. Holding a national congress every three years, this year's meeting held in Rome resulted in record attendance as the scientific program featured topics of great interest to the attending audience. The three day event, held February 6-9, covered areas such as "Regulatory aspects and evaluation of security and risk", "Biotransformation of pharmaceuticals and xenobiotics", and "Persisting environmental contaminants", just to name a few. SITOX publishes a newsletter, “SITOX Informa," every four months. The editor is Patrizia Hrelia from the Department of Pharmacology at The University of Bologna. With the aim of creating an Information Technology tool, SITOX has prepared a database (accessible from our website) on the toxicology research in Italy. Prof. Marina Marinovich from the Department of Pharmacological Sciences at The University of Milan contributed to the realization of this database. Hosted within the SITOX structure, but completely independent, is RENTIC -- the Italian Register of Toxicology. Currently it features 35 registered toxicologists. Lead by the president in charge, Prof. Giorgio Cantelli Forti, from the Department of Pharmacology at The University of Bologna, SITOX is affiliated with the Federation of European Toxicologist & European Societies of Toxicology European Register (EUROTOX) and with the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX). For more information, please visit our website at www.sitox.org. The Brazilian Society of Toxicology The Brazilian Society of Toxicology (SBTox) was founded as a scientific society in 1972 by a group of Brazilian toxicologists including pharmacists and medical doctors many of them from academia. The main objective was to promote toxicology in Brazil as a science and a professional field. The Society has grown in the past mainly in the areas of analytical and clinical toxicology including many aspects as forensic, occupational, emergency, poison control and food toxicology. Environmental toxicology
is also a growing area in the Society. During these 33 years the Society
has held fourteen national biennial meetings (Brazilian Congress of Toxicology)
with the participation of both Brazilian and international toxicologists.
The last Congress had around 800 participants with approximately 400 posters.
The Congress constitutes the only Brazilian meeting dedicated to all areas
of toxicology. Since 1988 the Society has sponsored the Brazilian Journal
of Toxicology (Revista Brasileira de Toxicologia) with two fascicles per
year/volume and the publication of At present the Society has 250 active members. Iranian Society of Toxicology (IST) The Iranian Society of Toxicology (IST) was established in 1990 . The main objectives include advancement of toxicology, scientific contacts between toxicologists and other scientific societies, study of health effects of poisons and chemicals, and advice to the regulatory authorities . IST is a member of the International Union of Toxicology (IUTOX). IST supports the scientific and professional development of its members by organizing education courses that are well attended by toxicologists, physicians and pharmacists. IST with the help of Iranian Universities of Medical Science has organized seven National and International Congresses with the concession of these congresses being sent to the Iranian authorities for their consideration. IST welcomes new members, even international members. Most Iranian toxicologists, who are primarily pharmacists or physicians with a specialty in toxicology, pharmacology, anesthesiology, pediatrics, internal medicine, or legal medicine, are members of IST. The exact number of patients suffering from poisonings per year in Iran is unknown but is similar to other countries. There are both acute and chronic cases of poisonings and the vast majority of them relates to drugs and pesticides. Almost all emergency units and the majority of intensive care units (ICU) treat intoxications but there are only three ICUs in Iran (in Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan) with a primary focus on toxicological cases. There are very strong departments of toxicology in the Faculties of Pharmacy in the Medical Universities of Iran that cooperate with IST. These departments usually graduate pharmacists and physicians with a PhD in toxicology. In 1988, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS) started to train pharmacists and physicians in toxicology and five years later Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences followed by Mashhad, Ahwaz, and Kerman Universities of Medical Sciences joined in toxicology education at the PhD and MSc levels. The Medical Universities also train physicians in residency program of forensic toxicology. Recently, a residency program of emergency medicine has been established in Iran in which physicians are trained to manage poisoning cases. In addition a fellowship of clinical toxicology is being approved by authorities to train toxicologists in higher levels. Added to these, there are pediatricians, anaesthesiologists, internalists, and forensic medicine specialists who are active in management of poisonings in Iran. In Iran Drug and Poison Information Centers (DPICs) are under the supervision of the Medical Universities and the Food and Drug Deputy of the Ministry of Health (MOH). The role of DPICs that are mainly supervised by pharmacists trained in toxicology is to help both health professionals and the general public in reducing the risks of poisonings. These centers collect and distribute data on hazardous products and poisoning risks. In addition, DPICs in Iran are very active in continuing medical education programs especially in toxicology. Most DPICs are involved in scientific projects by documenting important intoxications in the medical literature. Almost all provinces of Iran have officially notified DPIC. Some states have more than one center. In total 28 DPIC exist in Iran. Only Medical and Pharmacy doctors who are primarily educated and experienced in toxicology and drug information provide advice by telephone, email, and fax. Iran has very good cooperation with WHO/IPCS program and is one of the official collaborative centers of the INTOX project. There are not many laboratories in Iran providing toxicology services. Some hospital laboratories provide analytical services for poisonings. Although there is no critical problem in this field,Iran needs to establish more special toxicology laboratories and to improve the present status. One of the future challenges of IST is to cooperate more with IUTOX in holding international workshops and seminars on special topics of toxicology of interest in Iran. The next IST Congress of Toxicology will be held in Shiraz, the historical city of Iran, in cooperation with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences in 2007. Information will be soon available in the Iranian Society of Toxicology website and will be sent to IUTOX members. Sunday, 26 March 2006 Society of Toxicology India (STOX) Attached is an announcement concerning the 26th Annual Meeting and International Conference of Society of Toxicology, India. If you would like your society meeting highlighted, please send your announcement to IUTOX HQ. Meeting Flyer. New IUTOX Institutional Members IUTOX Institutional Members demonstrate commitment to toxicology and aid IUTOX in funding its outreach programs. IUTOX is pleased to welcome its newest institutional member, Amgen. Amgen, a pioneer in biotechnology, harnesses the power of cellular and molecular biology and medicinal chemistry to discover, develop and deliver innovative human therapeutics. For more than 25 years, Amgen science has generated important medical discoveries, resulting in medicines that have helped millions of patients fight cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses. Scientific innovation is the Amgen heritage and future. With a deep and broad pipeline of potential new therapeutic candidates, and active research programs in oncology, inflammation, metabolic and bone disorders, hematology, nephrology, and neuroscience, Amgen is dedicated to advancing science to help patients. That dedication shows in Amgen's interdisciplinary and modality-independent approach to research and development. Amgen scientists first identify a disease target and then select the best modality - protein, small molecule, or antibody—to interact with that target to block the disease process. To fully realize the promise of biotechnology to dramatically improve people's lives. Amgen extends science beyond the lab and clinic, into the production plant. Amgen is recognized worldwide for unparalleled expertise in the complex field of biologics manufacturing. Amgen currently produces more than a third of the world's non-vaccine and non-insulin protein therapeutics, and we adhere to the highest standards of quality and consistency to ensure a reliable supply of vital medicines for the many patients who need them. Headquartered in Southern California, with offices or subsidiaries in 31 countries, Amgen is traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol AMGN. Amgen is committed to its mission to serve patients—a mission that unites our 15,000 staff members around the world. For more information about Amgen, its pioneering science, and its vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com. A full list of IUTOX institutional members can be found at: http://www.iutox.org/institutional_members.asp Awards and Fellowships International Union of Toxicology Merit Award The IUTOX Merit Award is presented to an individual in recognition of a long and distinguished career in toxicology at the international level. Achievements in academia, public service or industry may be recognized. Emphasis should be on contributions that have strengthened the field of toxicology. The award consists of a plaque and a cash stipend. Past IUTOX Merit Award Winners: 2004 IUTOX Merit Award:
Iain Purchase Application Process: Applications for the IUTOX Merit Award should be submitted to the Secretary-General, IUTOX, IUTOX Headquarters: 1821 Michael Faraday Drive, Suite 300, Reston, VA 20190 or by e-mail (iutoxhq@iutox.org). IUTOX Merit Award applications must reach IUTOX by February 1 of the year in which an International Congress of Toxicology is held and must include, at a minimum, the following information:
AstraZeneca / SOT Travel Fellowships to Attend the 2007 Society of Toxicology, USA Meeting IUTOX announces the availability of four (4) fellowship awards sponsored by AstraZeneca and five (5) fellowship awards sponsored by the Society of Toxicology US, each of $2,000 USD, to attend the 2007 Society of Toxicology, USA (SOT) meeting. The meeting will be held in Charlotte, NC, USA on March 25-29, 2007. The awardees must be senior scientists from a country where toxicology is underrepresented and have an active research program or currently be active in the practice of toxicology. The following criteria will be used to select recipients of the awards:
Submission begins July 15 and must be received no later than October 9, 2006. Previous AstraZeneca awardees and recipients of 2004, 2005, or 2006 ICT and CTDC fellowships are NOT eligible. For more information, visit http://www.iutox.org/astrazeneca.asp
Robert L. Dixon Award, sponsored by the Toxicology Education Foundation, takes applications from graduate students in the area of reproductive toxicology. The award carries a stipend of $2,000 for travel costs to enable a student to attend the International Congress of Toxicology meeting. The application deadline for awards to the 2007 ICT XI meeting has been extended to December 31, 2006. Full details can be found at http://www.toxedfoundation.org/dixon_award.html. Calendar of Upcoming Meetings and Member Meeting News Since the fall of 2005, planning activities for the 11th International Congress of Toxicology (ICT XI) have focused largely on the scientific program of the Congress. Both the National Scientific Program Committee and the International Scientific Program Committee (ISPC) have had active roles in the development of this program. The ISPC, composed of 29 members from 15 countries, and representing different subdisciplines of toxicology, participated in the initial ratings of proposals for scientific symposia, debates, round tables and continuing education courses. Together with members of the National Program Committee, ISPC members also served on subcommittees responsible for selecting topics and speakers within each selected session. A draft program was prepared in December 2005 and presented in turn to the ICT XI Organizing Committee and the ISPC for review and comment. Further rounds of review and revision took place during the first two months of 2006 and a final program was presented by Daniel Cyr (Chair of the Scientific Program Committee) to the ISPC during the SOT meeting in San Diego. Continuing education courses will be offered during the day on Sunday July 15th preceding the official opening of the Congress. Following the opening ceremonies on Sunday evening, the Deichmann lecture will be presented by Allan Okey, from the University of Toronto, who will be speaking on “An Ah Receptor Odyssey to the Shores of Toxicology”. The rest of the scientific program over the next three and a half days will include 4 plenary lectures, 35 scientific symposia, 2 roundtables, 1 debate session, and 3 full days of posters. The first announcement for ICT XI was distributed electronically to over 90,000 email addresses in October 2005. Nearly 17,000 of the messages were viewed within the first four hours, demonstrating the power of electronic dissemination! The ICT XI website (www.ict2007.org) continues to be the main source of up-to-date information on the Congress and we are grateful to many other toxicology organizations that have set up links from their websites. The Local Arrangements
Committee has started planning the congress events and social program.
In addition to the opening and closing ceremonies, a student evening is
being planned for Monday July 16th, and a social evening for all registrants
and accompanying persons is planned for Tuesday evening, with a choice
of several different water-related activities (cruise boat, water rafting
or kayaking, etc.). The Congress banquet will be held on Wednesday evening.
Dear Colleagues, On behalf of the Croatian Toxicological Society we have pleasure in inviting you to participate in the 43rd Congress of European Societies of Toxicology and 6th Congress of Toxicology in Developing Countries (EUROTOX 2006/6 CTDC Congress), which will be held from 20-24, September 2006. in Cavtat/Dubrovnik. We are particularly honoured to announce not only the first visit of these prestigious meetings to our region but also the first occasion that the two Congresses are to be held as a fully integrated meeting. We believe that this will provide an opportunity to cover a wide range of topics representing latest scientific developments as well as toxicological problems in developing countries. Due to its natural beauty and rich cultural heritage Cavtat is a unique town on the Adriatic. It is in close vicinity to Dubrovnik, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. The whole of Cavtat is surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation, with evergreen pine and cypress trees. It is situated on the coast between two peninsulas, with more than 5 miles (7 km) of sandy beaches, clean seawater and picturesque bays. The Congress venue is the Hotel "Croatia," a five star hotel with excellent business and meeting facilities, which hosts several international congresses each year. It is located in a beautiful position on a peninsula overlooking the Adriatic on one side and the picturesque old City of Cavtat on the other, and the world famous medieval walls of the City of Dubrovnik can be seen from some hotel terraces. Mark this date on your calendar: EUROTOX 2006/6 CTDC, Cavtat/Dubrovnik, Croatia, September 20-24, 2006! We hope you will join us for a full program that will also include enjoyable social events in Croatia's warm and sunny climate. Full meeting details may be found at http://www.spektar-putovanja.hr/spektar/eurotox2006/default.asp. We look forward
to seeing you in Croatia in 2006! Newsletter Archives:
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