Dear AAPS members–
The COVID-19 public health crisis continues to disrupt our lives and our work. For many of us, days of remote working have begun to blend together into a stream of videoconferences, instant-message conversations, and phone calls, punctuated by sudden changes in research priorities and urgent updates to guidance, stay-at-home orders, and the directives that now shape our days. Many of these challenges are the topics of active discussions in our communities this week.
But in the midst of it, I have had moments of real excitement for the work our members are doing. One bright bit of news I received this week is that our journal editors are reporting a significant uptick in scientific article submissions. It seems scientists are using their desk time well, and we can look forward to more great research in our journals.
This coming week is again full of great science to enrich your desk-bound days. We have our Drug Transporters in ADME: from Bench to Bedside workshop on Monday and Tuesday. For me personally, this will be a great learning opportunity, as this is not a field I have worked in during my scientific career. I am especially excited about the opening keynote by AAPS Fellow Jashvant Unadkat . I also echo co-Chair Bjoern Bauer's invitation to attendees: don't miss the virtual posters posted in the workshop's registrants-only community! The presenters look forward to hearing from you!
On Wednesday, we start diving into the COVID topic itself. Many of you will recall that there has been a lot of discussion, and frankly criticism, surrounding the testing for the virus, especially early in the US outbreak, including the lack of test availability, challenges with the initial test kits distributed, and unclear guidance on who should be tested, and when. We are fortunate to have Stephanie Pasas-Farmer take this on in our next eChalk Talk, What We Need to Learn from Failures in COVID-19 Testing. I hope you will be there at 11:15am ET Wednesday to hear her.
Finally, I'd like to look further ahead to the week of April 27, when we kick off a multi-day, 8-part series, COVID-19 - Current Pharmaceutical Developments for Cures and Prevention. This program is a members-only event and free to all current AAPS members! I am personally very grateful and humbled by the tremendous support from so many volunteers and staff in bringing this great program together. I'd like to give a special shout-out here to Victoria Demby, leader of our new community, Regulatory Science, for her support and leadership in helping bring this together.
Another huge debt of gratitude goes to Bill Haseltine for agreeing to be our distinguished keynote session guest. He suggested a fireside chat format for the session with him on the topic of COVID-19 – he literally offered that we can ask him anything! So, I'd like to ask for your help! Please send me your questions – either by replying to this thread, or sending me a private message in the AAPS Communities, or by dropping me a line at morrist@aaps.org.
So, while the weeks may seem long and challenging these days, I hope you are as excited about all the great science that is coming your way at AAPS as I am. I also hope you'll agree that there is always something here to look forward to that can inspire us. With that in mind, please take a look at this great article The Unintentional Career in the AAPS Newsmagazine appreciating the wonderful Alice Till. I met Alice for the first time when she was on the Board of Trustees at USP in the early 2000s and am humbled to follow in her (very large!!) footsteps at AAPS – what an inspirational leader and trail blazer for us women in science!
With that – please stay safe, happy, and inspired.
Tina
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