https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.116.22

8 – 10 July 2019, Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre, Aberdeen, UK,

Susan Deuchars, Chair of Conferences Committee, The Physiological Society & University of Leeds, UK

It may not have been the warmest of venues if you just consider the temperature but Aberdeen certainly gave physiologists the warmest of welcomes and this is what our Annual Conference is all about! Physiology 2019 was our first “solo” Annual Conference for a number of years and it lived up to a long-standing reputation for presenting the best of physiological research whilst enabling open and wide-ranging discussion on the findings. Stephen Traynelis, one of the distinguished scientists who delivered an inspirational prize lecture, really summed up the ethos of the conference by stating that “findings from one system can translate across the boundaries”. His comment and others from the conference show how much all of us value this sharing of ideas across disciplines as it is critical for research to reach its full potential. It was lovely to hear this sentiment echoed not only by senior researchers but also by physiologists at earlier stages of their career. One PhD student who works in cardiovascular science stated how much she had enjoyed Stephen’s talk on glutamate receptors because she could consider how it could also apply to her work.

With this in mind, there was the potential for all attendees to showcase their research, regardless of their career stage, and with 126 oral communications, we had talks from incredibly composed undergraduate students, PhD students and postdoctoral researchers as well as senior academics. Symposia, all of which had both established and early career scientists speaking with excellent gender balance, ranged in subject from “The cardiovascular implications of air pollution” through to “Nuclear receptors and transcriptional regulation in metabolism and endocrinology.” It was especially pleasing to see such good attendance at the teaching symposia, emphasising how highly physiologists rate the education of future scientists.

A packed programme of workshops at lunchtimes provided opportunities for people to learn about the use and abuse of statistics or the importance of transparency about animal research. For scientists at all points in their career, there were also very well-attended workshops on publishing, grant applications, and CVs, and the feedback has been very positive. There is a great focus at The Society to ensure inclusion of all physiologists and this was highlighted with the first workshop on “LGBT and The Society: Promoting Inclusivity” where a key message was the importance of LGBT allies in ensuring that all our activities are inclusive. Our Equality and Diversity Champions are always happy to learn about future events or support that will encourage attendance and openness at meetings.

Physiology 2019 also saw the introduction of Satellite Symposia and these were very well received, from the science to the social activities. Finally, we could not have a conference in Aberdeen without a ceilidh following the Society dinner. The energetic, if not always step-perfect dancing really allowed people to get rid of energy after a day of scientific discussion, although I defy anyone to try and talk physiology whilst also stripping the willow! Thank you to the local organising committee, especially Guy Bewick and Derek Scott, for their real commitment to boosting the success of this conference, it certainly paid off.

Dariel Burdass, Chief Executive, The Physiological Society

One of the best things about working at The Physiological Society is the opportunity to meet and engage with our Members and I was delighted to be able to do this at our Annual Conference in Aberdeen this year. It was a privilege to be able to hear a range of inspiring and cutting-edge research from our keynote speakers, listen to an impressive range of talks from across our Themes and discuss posters. I was also impressed by the range of professional development opportunities on offer for all stages of physiologists. This was my first Annual Conference and what I most appreciated was the enthusiasm, sense of purpose and inclusiveness – I was proud to be part of this vibrant community that will ensure physiology is flourishing.

Guy Bewick & Derek Scott, Local Organising Committee, University of Aberdeen, UK

Over 850 delegates from all over the world came to Physiology 2019, eager for the “Scottish experience” along with their guaranteed three days of world-class science. Any trepidation in organising such a big meeting was unfounded, as the Events team made it so easy. They did all the “heavy lifting” – advertising, booking venues and accommodation, inviting speakers, organising payments, timetabling the science and the social programme: they handled it all with calm efficiency and fantastic good humour. Keen to incorporate suggestions for creating “local flavour” (whisky tasting, walking tour of Aberdeen, bagpiper welcome and ceilidh dance, to name a few), their wealth of experience also means they have an instinct for what works best (e.g. where and when volunteers are most useful). A highlight for us was the strong involvement from the local universities and colleagues keen to showcase the strength of physiology research and teaching in Aberdeen, from the Principal & Vice Chancellor George Boyne, our Head of School Siladitya Bhattacharya and Heads of the Institutes to the army of undergraduates and early career researcher (ECR) volunteers who contributed hugely to the success and smooth running of the event. Another highlight was the number and variety of Satellite Symposia, many over-subscribed, adding diversity and vitality to the meeting build up. The number of local symposium organisers was another highlight, fantastic opportunities to showcase the breadth of local science.

More generally, we enjoyed the truly world-class and high-profile scientists delivering the prize lectures, particularly the truly stunning Paton Prize Lecture by Kevin Fong, Sylvia Arber’s beautifully clear exposition at the Annual Prize Lecture of her ground-breaking work on motor control, Lora Heisler’s Annual Public Lecture reminding us all to exercise more and eat less, and the celebrated textbook author Dee Silverthorn’s wonderfully whole-hearted commitment to the meeting – not only in the tremendously popular teaching symposium but also at the ceilidh at the Beach Ballroom after the conference dinner.

Finally, some advice for anyone tempted to host future events – start early (we began with Physiology Friday 2017), get local buy-in from your department (let them know it is happening, email deadlines). We ran a “best local abstract” competition to sponsor attendance. Use social media and wider community promotion groups (e.g. tourist information), local press and your public engagement office. Then, post your activities on social media accounts both personal and university. And, most especially, involve the undergraduate and ECR community – who for us were outstanding in their enthusiasm and commitment – from UG membership recruitment campaigns through public engagement and manning the registration desk, to befriending first-time attendees. We, the local organising committee, all had 
a brilliant time. Thanks to all involved at every level, whether organising or attending. Would we do it again? In a heartbeat. The Society Council and staff made it all so easy – so a very special and final thank you to them.

Katarina Miteva, University of Leeds, UK

As a former University of Aberdeen student, I remember once someone told me that Aberdeen is like Marmite – you either love it or hate it – mainly because of the consistent grey colour scheme and unpredictable weather. In my case, Aberdeen will always feel like a warm hug and a home. That’s why I was very excited to return to Granite City to attend and present my research at Physiology 2019.

Physiology 2019 was the first time I attended an Annual Conference organised by The Physiological Society. From the Satellite Symposia to the Prize Lectures, I was very impressed by the diversity and quality of research presented. I really enjoyed the inspirational Paton Prize Lecture delivered by Kevin Fong, OBE, on the extreme limits of human physiology and of course, my personal favourite – the Hodgkin-Huxley-Katz Prize Lecture delivered by Stephen Traynelis who presented his exceptional new data which truly pushes the boundaries of what we know about ion channels. The AECC main area was a perfect fit for the dynamic poster sessions and fostered several successful networking encounters (and whisky tasting!). What made my experience in Aberdeen even more amazing was the fact that I was awarded the Vascular and Smooth Muscle Physiology Prize for the Early Career Competition. I would like to thank the judges and The Physiological Society for the award as well as for supporting my attendance with a travel grant.

Morag Mansley, The University of Edinburgh, UK, Epithelia and Membrane Transport Theme Lead & Satellite Symposium Organiser

Mike Althaus, Newcastle University, UK, Epithelia and Membrane Transport Theme Lead

As Theme Leads for Epithelia and Membrane Transport (EMT), we both thoroughly enjoyed Physiology 2019 in Aberdeen. Over the three-day meeting we had fantastic oral communications, symposia and poster sessions covering a wide range of research into cellular and epithelial transport systems.

On Monday morning, our first session of oral communications provided some fascinating research into the role of membrane potentials in axial regeneration in planaria flatworms, the therapeutic value of gene editing in cystic fibrosis, as well as the regulation of pancreatic stellate cell proliferation by calcium transport. The afternoon symposium, “A nasty case of the vapours – E-cigarettes friend or foe?” organised by Deborah Baines, St. George’s University of London, was highly topical and we heard from four researchers who presented their novel findings into the pathophysiological effects of vaping. We arranged an informal dinner with Scottish tapas where scientific (as well as some non-scientific discussions) between students, early career researchers and senior scientists continued late into the evening. The opportunity for more informal networking was a genuine highlight and promoted our network of Epithelia and Membrane Transport physiologists.

Tuesday got off to a great start with the Joan Mott Prize Lecture “Mind the gap: connexions and cell communication in the kidney” by Claire Hills, University of Lincoln. This was a fantastic lecture highlighting the critical role of gap junction signalling in the progression of diabetic nephropathy and how this might be targeted therapeutically in the future. Following on from this was our second session of oral communications where we heard about circadian rhythms of sodium transport within the kidney, modulating mucosal pH in the lung as a possible therapy in cystic fibrosis, as well as novel functions of the delta subunit of the epithelial sodium channel. The following Hodgkin-Huxley-Katz Prize Lecture “Allosteric regulation of glutamate receptors” by Stephen Traynelis, Emory University gave deep and fascinating insight into the structural basis and regulation of glutamate receptor ion channel function. In the afternoon, the symposium “Lung epithelial stem cells in human lung homeostasis and disease” chaired by James Garnett, Newcastle University highlighted an exciting new field in lung epithelial biology, with speakers addressing the role of epithelial stem cells in lung development and epithelial cell differentiation.

Wednesday morning began with our final session of oral communications, with the hardy but slightly weary delegates in attendance following the excellent conference dinner and ceilidh on Tuesday evening at the Beach Ballroom. We heard about the role of the farnesoid receptor X both as a target for intestinal disease as well as its ability to regulate cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance, and the role of haem oxygenase and carbon monoxide as regulators of ion transport and cytokine release within the airways. Our final symposium was the excellent “Milestone achievements in anion transporter research” organised by Ursula Seidler, Hannover Medical School and Vinciane Saint-Criq, Newcastle University. We heard some great talks covering the structural basis of ion permeation in anion channels up to the physiological regulation of various anion channels across a wide range of cells and systems.

We would like to extend our thanks to all of the EMT delegates who attended Physiology 2019 and made it such a vibrant meeting. We are already looking forward to Europhysiology in Berlin next year!

Laura Rich, University of Nottingham, UK

Physiology 2019 is the best conference I have attended in my career so far. Throughout the conference I enjoyed being exposed to a wide range of research, which encouraged me to think about my own work from different angles. I certainly came away with plenty of notes. A particular highlight was the first day poster session. The opportunity to visit other posters can be limited when presenting your own, so I was looking forward to speaking to other researchers about their work. This was an insightful experience, allowing the opportunity to not only hear about some fascinating science, but also to pick up tips on ways of presenting posters, a useful opportunity for any student. I was then fortunate to have a very positive poster session on the second day; interesting discussions with lots of people have really increased my confidence in my work.

After encouragement from my supervisor I decided to attend the conference dinner and I’m so glad I did. I ended up at a really welcoming and interesting table where we embraced Scotland throughout all three courses of the meal, topped off with a ceilidh. Thank you to everyone for putting up with my terrible coordination! The growing importance of social media in science communication prompted me to embrace Twitter, starting at Physiology 2019. The ongoing enthusiasm portrayed in many tweets enhanced the conference experience. In particular, the reactions on social media to the session promoting inclusivity in STEM were encouraging – a topic explored in the recent Diversity Special Issue of Physiology News. I came away feeling inspired and fortunate to be part of such a welcoming Society, so I think all that is left to say is thank you to all the organisers. I can’t wait for the next conference.

Susan Currie & Margaret Cunningham, Satellite Symposium organisers, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK

It was a pleasure to organise the Satellite Symposium “Cellular mechanisms of anti-cancer induced cardiotoxicity” as part of the recent meeting in Aberdeen. The team from The Physiological Society provided ongoing highly professional support which ensured the whole process ran very smoothly. The invited speakers came from across Europe and all delivered excellent presentations that highlighted not only recent research achievements, but also different challenges for the growing field of cardio-oncology. Having this focused forum that brought together basic science and medicine was invaluable and we enjoyed sharing our research and gaining insight into the different approaches across laboratories. There was plenty of time for discussion during the poster session that followed and the whisky tasting that rounded off the evening. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed that – especially with the contributions from local distilleries!

As a result of this symposium, we intend to keep the momentum going and aim to build a European network in the area of anti-cancer cardiotoxicity. We hope to start by organising another meeting next year and to build our collaborative links with both the participants and delegates we’ve already met and those we have yet to meet. A big thank you to The Physiological Society for providing us with the opportunity to hold this symposium.

Caitlin Daniels, Sutton Grammar School, UK

I’ve always had a keen interest in science and biology, but I had never really been aware of the field of physiology until my mum introduced me to it last year. I was immediately intrigued because it combines all of the best bits of biology, chemistry, and physics. I was excited to learn about the new and exciting examples of research and the idea of travelling for a conference sounded incredibly grown up and official – and I was not disappointed. I had an amazing few days and learned so much from all of the talks I attended, in particular the symposia entitled “Pain: Nociception to perception” and “A nasty case of the vapours: E-cigarette friend or foe”, which even I, although limited to my A Level knowledge, could see were wonderful examples of how physiology ranges from the very small, single-cell level, right up to the global scale; studying the impact of the smallest particles through to the impact of social attitudes towards science.

It was such a warm, friendly environment; scientists are definitely not the cold, calculating 
types sometimes portrayed in the media. Everyone was so friendly and the sense of community was almost overwhelming. I hope 
to have made some good, long-lasting connections. Finally, it was refreshing to see the range of people represented at this event – from different backgrounds, generations and countries – all brought together by a common interest. I also really enjoyed seeing how many female scientists were talking and displaying their research, especially in higher-level positions, clearly having succeeded in their chosen field. It has given me a lot more confidence in my potential career path, knowing that it is possible to go as far as you want. All in all, it was an eye-opening and enjoyable way to spend a week, especially making fools of ourselves attempting to dance at the cèilidh. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in physiology, to come along next time if possible. It is totally worth it.