Nick Boross-Toby
Physiological Society Director, Events and Marketing

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.87.18

Brilliantly sunny San Diego, fish tacos and Arrogant B*****d ale greeted Members of the Executive Committee and staff who travelled to this year’s Experimental Biology (EB) for high-level meetings with our American Physiological Society (APS) counterparts.

This year marked the 125th anniversary of the founding of the APS, which has grown over that time from 28 members to more than 11,000. The local mayor proclaimed the 21 April to be ‘American Physiological Society Day’ throughout San Diego County. Our Society’s President, Mike Spyer, presented APS President, Joey Granger, with a Society Dog, inscribed ‘In celebration of the 125th anniversary of the American Physiological Society and our continuing partnership. From the Council and Members of The Physiological Society’. Readers of The Journal of Physiology will also have seen the congratulatory editorial written by Kim Barrett and David Paterson (15 April 2012, J Physiol 590, 1771–1772).

Our regular attendance at EB, now facilitated by formal guest society status, allowed us to take part in a number of strategic discussions of mutual benefit to our two societies. From a joint meeting of executive committees, to attendance at the programme, policy, publication, ethics and education committees, a number of continuing strategic priorities and activities were reported on and a number of new areas were identified to explore in the future. In addition, The Society, as an exhibitor, took the opportunity to meet with a couple of hundred scientists to showcase our journals, Member benefits, forthcoming events and the first of our Journal of Physiology Consulting Editor videos.

The Society will once again be a guest society at EB2013 in Boston. Members are reminded that they will benefit from APS member rates when they register. See you there next year for Red Sox, clam chowder and Samuel Adams!

“I am grateful indeed to my counterpart Martin Frank and to the entire APS executive and council for their very kind invitation to join them on the occasion of their 125th anniversary celebrations in San Diego. There is simply no substitute for these kinds of regular, face-to-face collaborations and, as a result of this visit, both Societies have discussed and agreed a number of very exciting initiatives which we hope will take more concrete form over the coming months.” -Philip Wright, Chief Executive