ASN's Renal Express
- May 2005 -
Publisher: American Society of Nephrology       Email: email@asn-online.org

In This Issue...

  1. May President's Message
    Dr. Berl shares his mid-year report of ASN activities.

  2. Registration is Open for the Official ASN 10th Annual BRC
    Join the ASN from August 27 – September 2, 2005 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, and help us celebrate our 10th Anniversary!

  3. Last Call for Committee Nominations
    The Council for the American Society of Nephrology is again seeking nominations for open positions on ASN standing committees and advisory groups; nominations must be submitted by Wednesday, May 25, 2005.

  4. ASN Selects 2005 Award Recipients
    The ASN shares its 2005 award recipients and details about both the awards and recipients.

  5. Save the Dates for Renal Week 2005!
    Join us November 8-13 for Renal Week 2005 in Philadelphia, PA. Learn more about the meeting and its meeting dates.

  6. Renal Week Abstracts
    Don't forget– time is running out to submit your abstracts for Renal Week 2005. All abstracts must be submitted electronically through the ASN website by Wednesday, June 15, 2005, 11:59 pm CT at www.asn-online.org.

  7. JASN Online Update
    The ASN shares details on ASN's JASN back issues and the re-designed JASN homepage.


1. May President's Message

Dear Members of the ASN:

Six months have elapsed since Renal Week 2004, and Renal Week 2005 is exactly six months hence. I write to you to provide a brief mid-year report of events from the various fronts of the ASN.

Soon after I assumed the presidency, we concluded a series of research retreats designed to provide funding agencies, in this era of severely restricted budgets, what we view as the research priorities for the next 5 to 10 years. The report from these retreats was subsequently presented to the leadership of NIDDK and NHLBI, who were appreciative of the Society's input. The message of these retreats and the importance of maintaining robust funding for renal research have also been presented to various key committees in Congress, and will culminate in the introduction of congressional language to direct the above named institutes to heed our suggestions. The Renal Research Retreat Report will be published in its entirety in JASN July 2005. A summary of the recommendations as presented to Congress is available here and online, as is an outline of the major developments in nephrology (available here).

Initial steps have been taken to implement the Council's decision to publish an accompanying clinical journal that will be comprised of clinical reviews, debates, updates, and CPCs, among other topics of clinical relevance. The appointment of a distinguished Editor in Chief, Dr. William Bennett, bodes well for the successful launch of this initiative. Look for CJASN as part of your ASN benefits by early 2006.

The educational programs of the Society remain robust and highly successful. Six regional "Renal Week Highlights" meetings were conducted in the early part of the year; all received highest praise from the attendees. ASN's Renal Week Highlights will be presented for the first time at the European Renal Meetings in June. We have also appointed Assistant Educational Directors (Drs. Lynda Szczech, Paul Kimmel, and Stanley Goldfarb) to work with Dr. Robert Narins on various aspects of our expanding and comprehensive educational agenda.

In addition to its advocacy for research in kidney disease, the Society is increasingly addressing issues of public policy that affect professional practice. The Society put forth an exceptional document that addresses the issues revolving around outcome-based reimbursement (available here). This is a topic of great interest both in Congress and at CMS. This document has been presented to interested individuals in Congress and to the head of CMS, Dr. Mark McClellan. We also took the opportunity provided by our face to face meeting with Dr. McClellan to address other issues of importance to the practice of nephrology, and to seek a voice in the process that leads to the formulation of policy. We strongly feel that we are in the position to provide information and data to the agency and can assist in better formulating the changes that will profoundly affect our practice.

In my President's Message for April's Renal Express, available here, I provided a preview of the meeting we are actively planning for Philadelphia, November 8-13. Since that report, the individuals who will receive special recognition at the meeting have been identified: Dr. Walter Boron (Homer Smith Award), Dr. Eric Neilson (Peters Award), Dr. William Bennett (Scribner Award), and Dr. Raghu Kalluri (Young Investigator Award). Click here to read additional information about each award and the recipients. I thank the committees that assisted in the selection of this distinguished group of scientists and clinicians. I hope all of you will join me in Philadelphia to congratulate them personally.

Finally, I want to welcome three new ASN staff members. Ms. Susan Owens has joined the staff, replacing Ben Schuster as Dr. Campbell's assistant. Ben is leaving in June to attend Law School , and we wish him much success. We also welcome our new Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Robert Fulcher, who is joining us after having served many years at the American Pharmacists Association. His primary areas of expertise are in publication, membership, and marketing. I'd finally like to welcome Nancy Sweatt who will lend assistance to ASN's CME Administrator, Ms. Gisela Deuter. We look forward to working with all of these new staff members and are certain their skills will make a significant contribution to ASN!

Sincerely yours,

Tomas Berl, MD

2. Registration is Open for the Official ASN 10th Annual BRC

Join the ASN from August 27 – September 2, 2005 at The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, and help us celebrate our 10th Anniversary! The ASN's Board Review Course & Update has become a "Renal Rite of Passage" AND CAN BE CUSTOMIZED TO MEET YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS! An intensive review and update for ALL and a MUST for Certification & Re-Certification. The timing of the ASN Board Review Course & Update in late August maximizes attendees' readiness for the October Nephrology Board certification and recertification examinations of the American Board of Internal Medicine. After completion of the course and the self-assessment test on September 2, participants have a full two months to fill in any gaps in their knowledge. It's August, It's San Francisco, So it must be the ASN's Board Review Course! Register Today!

3. Last Call for Committee Nominations

The Council for the American Society of Nephrology is again seeking nominations for open positions on ASN standing committees and advisory groups. Nominations must be submitted no later than Wednesday, May 25, 2005.

The Council invites all ASN members to indicate their interest in serving on an ASN standing committee or advisory group. You may also nominate another ASN member for committee participation. Much of the work of ASN is accomplished through the energetic activity and input of committees, so this is a great way for you to become involved in future planning and decisions that will influence the effectiveness and quality of membership services offered to all ASN members.

ASN's website, www.asn-online.org, provides additional information about each of the ASN committees and advisory groups, including current members, the committee's charge, membership criteria and terms of appointments. Committee membership becomes effective with each year's Annual Meeting. In addition, there is a Council and a Staff liaison listed for each committee, either of whom can be contacted for additional information or clarification on committee activities and responsibilities.

Please think carefully about your interest in the areas listed below, and forward nominations and a current CV of the nominee to Karen L. Campbell, PhD, ASN Executive Director at kcampbell@asn-online.org no later than Wednesday, May 25, 2005.

Committees for which ASN is seeking new members are listed below; descriptions for each committee are available by clicking on the appropriate committee.

Awards Committee
Homer Smith Award Committee
Young Investigator Award Committee
Basic Science Committee
Clinical Science Committee
Grants Review Committee
Policy and Public Affairs Committee
Renal Informatics Committee
Acute Renal Failure Advisory Group
Chronic Kidney Disease Advisory Group
Dialysis Advisory Group
Hypertension Advisory Group
Transplant Advisory Group

4. ASN Selects 2005 Award Recipients

The American Society of Nephrology is pleased to announce its 2005 award recipients, all of whom have made outstanding contributions to the field of nephrology. Congratulations to the following award recipients, who will accept their award during ASN's Renal Week 2005:

Eric Neilson, MD, of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine will be awarded the John P. Peters Award, which recognizes individuals who have made substantial research contributions to the discipline of nephrology and have sustained achievements in one or more domains of academic medicine including clinical care, education and leadership. Dr. Neilson, the founding president of ASP (The Association of Subspecialty Professors), has personally trained dozens graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, published more than 230 scientific articles and reviews, and co-edited a major medical textbook. His research focuses on understanding the nephritogenic immune response in autoimmune renal disease.

William Bennett, MD, of Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital will receive the Belding H. Scriber Award, presented annually to one or more individuals who have made outstanding contributions that have a direct impact on the care of patients with renal disorders or have substantially changed the clinical practice of nephrology. This award honors the physician who developed the arteriovenous shunt that first made long-term hemodialysis for chronic renal failure possible. Dr. Bennett's research in drug metabolism, nephrotoxicity, cystic kidney disease and renal transplantation is a prime example of practicing "bench to bedside" medicine. He is the author of over 350 peer-reviewed articles, five books, and multiple book chapters and recently became Editor-in-Chief of ASN's new Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Walter Boron, MD, PhD of Yale University School of Medicine will be awarded the Homer Smith Award, presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions, which fundamentally affect the science of nephrology, broadly defined, but not limited to, the pathobiology, cellular and molecular mechanisms and genetic influences on the functions and diseases of the kidney. Dr. Boron is the Editor of Physiology and co-wrote Medical Physiology, a textbook for medical and graduate students, with Professor Emile Boulpaep. His work focuses on the ion-transport processes involved in regulation of intracellular pH (pHi) and how these transporters are regulated by cell volume, hormones, and oncogenes.

Raghu Kalluri, PhD of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center is this year's recipient of the Young Investigator Award, presented annually to an individual with an outstanding record of achievement and creativity in basic or patient-oriented research related to the functions and diseases of the kidney. This award is co-sponsored by the Council on the Kidney of the American Heart Association and is limited to individuals who are less than 41 years of age on the first day of the ASN meeting at which the award is presented. Dr. Kalluri's work on the cellular microenvironment as determined by extra cellular matrix (ECM) and basement membranes (BM) includes a focus on utilizing genetic, biochemical, and cell biological approaches to study the glomerular filtration apparatus and its relationship to kidney disease. He has published more than 93 manuscripts and 22 reviews.

5. Save the Dates for Renal Week 2005!

November 8 - 13, 2005
Pennsylvania Convention Center
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Preliminary Program: Watch your mailbox towards the end of June for a copy of our Preliminary Program, which will include registration, housing, and program information and stay tuned to the ASN website at www.asn-online.org for additional information.

Schedule Change: Renal Week will take place from Tuesday, November 8 through Sunday, November 13, which is a change from previous years, when Renal Week took place Wednesday through Monday. The Advances in Research Conference and Postgraduate Education Courses will occur on Tuesday, November 8 and Wednesday, November 9 and the 38th Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition will occur from Thursday, November 10 through Sunday, November 13.

6. Renal Week Abstracts

Call for Abstracts: Don't forget– time is running out to submit your abstracts for Renal Week 2005. All abstracts must be submitted electronically through the ASN website by Wednesday, June 15, 2005, 11:59 pm CT at www.asn-online.org. The ASN is no longer accepting paper submissions. Abstracts received after June 15 will not be accepted or reviewed. No exceptions will be made. To submit an abstract, simply create a user name and password the first time you enter the abstract site. You may complete your abstract submission on your first visit or return to the site, by using the user name and password you previously created.Abstracts must be submitted or sponsored by an active ASN member (dues paid through December 2005). Please visit the ASN website for additional details about abstract submission.

Abstract Book Pre-Order: To provide you with additional time to submit your abstracts, the abstract supplement to JASN will once again be distributed onsite in Philadelphia. All members who cannot attend Renal Week will receive their copy by mail after the conclusion of the meeting in November. We will continue to host our Program and Abstracts-On-Line, which will be available in early October, through the ASN website and include the complete program and submitted abstracts for Renal Week 2005. You may pre-order an advance copy of ASN's Abstract Book for Renal Week 2005 for $50 plus shipping and handling. To pre-order the book, watch the ASN website for the order form and fax the completed form to 202-659-0709. Incomplete forms will not be processed. The deadline for pre-ordering the Abstract Book is Monday, October 10, and the book will be shipped on Friday, October 14. As with last year's meeting, you will still receive a free copy of the Abstract Book onsite in Philadelphia, whether or not you pre-order it.

7. JASN Online Update

Back Issues Online: The ASN is pleased to announce that all back issues of JASN are now available online; just click on the JASN Archived Issues link on www.jasn.org.  All articles are in PDF format, and the text is fully searchable. The archive project is a joint effort between HighWire Press and Google, the online search engine. Funding for the scanning of all the back issues and programming for searchability was provided by Google.   

JASN Homepage Redesigned: JASN's homepage has been redesigned to complement the redesigned cover of the printed journal.  A cleaner look and more user-friendly placement of links will help you navigate the site and locate needed information more efficiently.  You may need to click on the “refresh” button on your browser to update the homepage.

 

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Website: www.asn-online.org

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