https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.25.12

At the end of 2021, we held our first day of in-person events in almost two years. The Royal Society was host to our Member Forum, followed by an Award Ceremony and The President’s Lecture. These events were a true celebration of our community and the fantastic work of physiologists all around the world… and beyond. Indeed, this year, our President’s Lecture “Experimenting in microgravity: Full circle for a scientist turned astronaut” was given by NASA astronaut and physiologist, Dr Jessica U. Meir.

Member Forum: putting visibility, inclusivity, and sustainability at the heart of The Society

Every year, our Member Forum provides a great opportunity to reflect on the year gone by and to look ahead to our exciting plans. In his President’s report, Professor David Paterson summarised The Society’s focus: connection – referring to both the reconnection with our long-standing members, as well as looking towards the future generation of physiologists and connecting with new members.

“We want to be seen as an inclusive and prominent society and use this position to continue to bolster the discipline.”

The Member Forum also saw updates from the Chief Executive, Dariel Burdass, a financial summary, and journal updates. Finally, it was an opportunity to thank demitting Trustees and Trustee Chairs and to welcome their successors.

Award Ceremony and The President’s Lecture: celebrating outstanding physiologists and physiology

It was fantastic to be able to recognise excellence in physiology in person at our Award Ceremony. Awards were given to our 2020 and 2021 Rob Clarke winners: undergraduates who had completed outstanding research projects and had presented at our scientific conference.

We also celebrated our new distinguished Fellow Members, and prestigious Honorary Fellows (read more about our latest Honorary Fellows in this issue).

The Award Ceremony was followed by the 2021 President’s Lecture, given this year by astronaut and physiologist, Dr Jessica U. Meir. Dr Meir’s talk was as informative as it was inspirational – giving a glimpse into her fascinating career, which ranged from investigating oxygen depletion in marine mammals and birds to being part of the first all-woman space walk and the physiological challenges and triumphs of time spent in microgravity.

After many months of not being able to meet face to face, it was a pleasure to be able to connect with friends and colleagues and to celebrate our worldwide community of physiologists together.