2019 AAPS President Dale Eric Wurster, Ph.D., emphasizes access to scientific content.
By Dale Eric Wurster, Ph.D., FAAPS, President
Being president of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) is a tremendous honor, and I thank you for putting your trust and confidence in me to lead this organization. In 1986, I was one of the first 300 people to join the newly formed AAPS. From that time forward, AAPS has been my primary scientific society; the AAPS fall meeting was the one conference of the year that I simply would not miss. Ninety percent of the off-campus scientific presentations that my graduate students have made have been at AAPS meetings. For all of the foregoing reasons, I am deeply honored to be able to repay AAPS in a substantive manner for what the organization has provided to my career and the careers of my students.
As a long-term member of AAPS, I have enjoyed the many benefits of the association, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight offerings that give members access to high-value science. As we work to fulfill our mission to advance the capacity of pharmaceutical scientists to develop products and therapies that improve global health, learning is a key component. Members have access to AAPS journals, elearning, information shared on the AAPS Communities, and our annual event, PharmSci 360.
AAPS journals cover a wide range of pharmaceutical topics involving the discovery, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical products and therapies. All four AAPS journals are peer reviewed and have high impact and high readership. Impact factors for these AAPS’ eligible journals are 3.804 for The AAPS Journal, 2.666 for AAPS PharmSciTech, and 3.335 for Pharmaceutical Research. Here are some of the most-read articles for 2018:
The AAPS Journal
- Rational Selection, Criticality Assessment, and Tiering of Quality Attributes and Test Methods for Analytical Similarity Evaluation of Biosimilars by Kristof Vanderkerckhove et al
- Therapeutic Potential of Engineered Extracellular Vesicles by Kyle I. Mentkowski et al
AAPS PharmSciTech
- Effects of Formulation Variables on the Particle Size and Drug Encapsulation of Imatinib-Loaded Solid Lipid Nanoparticles by Biki Gupta et al
- Paediatric Drug Development and Formulation Design—a European Perspective by Diana A. Van Riet-Nales et al
AAPS Open
- Solid form changes during drug development: good, bad, and ugly case studies by Ann Newman and Robert Wenslow
Pharmaceutical Research
- 3D Printing in Pharmaceutical and Medical Applications —Recent Achievements and Challenges by Witold Jamróz, Joanna Szafraniec, Mateusz Kurek, and Renata Jachowicz
I urge you to take advantage of AAPS journals, both as a scientific resource and as a platform to publish your own research.
AAPS supports members who seek training and skills to advance their careers with online learning. Members will find both on-demand and live elearning experiences on a variety of topics presented by some of the foremost thought leaders. With AAPS webinars, members can interact with experts from around the globe in real time or on-demand while learning the latest information and research on a variety of topics. Our two most popular webinars in 2018 were IVIVC: Current Perspectives on Models and Practices and Bioanalytical Methods in Support of Biosimilar Drug Development. AAPS ecourses feature lectures by leaders in the field and provide practical perspectives from practicing scientists, in-depth study, and the convenience of self-paced learning. Our newest ecourse, Essentials of Regulatory Compliance for Pharmaceutical Scientists, is already very popular.
The recently created AAPS Communities offer a unique opportunity to learn from others. In the communities, members can share knowledge, ask questions, and find resources specific to their field. I am happy to report that the AAPS Communities now have more than 40 groups that are active and sharing resources and expertise. Some of the more lively discussions include the following:
- The Bioanalytical Community has been discussing first impressions of the Food and Drug Administration’s 2018 Bioanalytical Method Validation Guidance. Also, in its Library, it has a white paper entitled Toward decision-based acceptance criteria for Bioanalytical Method Validation: a proposal for discussion from the European Bioanalysis Forum.
- The Stability Community had a recent discussion on forced degradation studies and ANVISA, the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency.
- The Biopharmaceutical Product Attributes and Biological Consequences Community discussed the conformation of proteins in aggregates. In its Library, it has slides from a workshop on Insights into Manufacturing and Siliconization-Induced Aggregates and Particles.
As you can see, the AAPS Communities are a useful resource for finding information, posing questions, and discussing current issues in your field. I thank members who are already participating and sharing, and I urge everyone to get involved.
AAPS’ new event, PharmSci 360, was designed in response to member surveys. It combined chemical and biological science sessions in five tracks so members could either drill down in their chosen field or gain a wider perspective across scientific fields. In addition, this new meeting featured keynote addresses in all five tracks, posters, career development sessions, presentations from our exhibiting partners, workshops, short courses, and rapid fire presentations. The latter constitute a new feature with short presentations on hot topics, emerging trends, preliminary research, and controversial or debatable opinions. This new meeting was greeted with enthusiasm, and its inaugural appearance was a success.
To extend the learning from the meeting, AAPS members and event attendees will have exclusive access to both recordings and proceedings from the 2018 AAPS PharmSci 360 in early 2019. Recordings of scientific symposia and keynotes for all five scientific tracks are available on demand. Proceedings include abstracts and posters that authors approved for inclusion in the collection.
I am happy to report that registration opens later this month for the 2019 AAPS PharmSci 360 in San Antonio, Texas, on November 3–6. Be sure to get this unique event on your calendar, and visit the AAPS website to learn more.