Dear AAPS members–
I continue to be amazed by the energy and enthusiasm our members bring to our events and our scientific causes. This week's workshop – Vaccine Stability Considerations to Enable Rapid Development and Deployment – was one example! Lively discussions were carried forward from the workshop's presentations into the AAPS Communities, and I hope they will spark additional ideas for future programming and other scientific outputs as the year progresses. The recordings will soon be available if you missed the event.
Right now, I hope you are actively thinking about your submissions for this year's PharmSci 360! @Mark Arnold and the entire Scientific Programming Committee are excited about the ideas that are already pouring in, but they need more! The deadline for submissions of scientific symposia, Hot Topic sessions, and career development programming is next week – Thursday, April 1! Do not miss it!
Speaking of career development, as movement in our field is especially dynamic and fueled by our industry's ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, thinking about your career trajectory and your next move is particularly important. I am proud of the work that the Career Development Committee has put into developing sessions, articles, and events that help scientists navigate their careers. Our association has made a commitment to provide support to pharmaceutical scientists across their entire career and expertise spectrum – a commitment that is reinforced in our new strategic plan – but we cover an enormous remit within the umbrella of our science and all the scientists working in it.
To continue this great work for the AAPS membership, we need additional volunteers! Committee Chair @Brian Dow and his colleagues on the Career Development Committee are taking volunteer applications. The committee frequently brainstorms topics, recruits speakers and writers, and discusses soft skills in leadership and management that pharmaceutical scientists seek to develop. AAPS now seeks applicants for as many as five seats on the committee, and applicants for the role of Vice Chair.
While you are perusing the volunteer opportunities page, you will also see the two new committees that the AAPS Board of Directors will be seating this spring: the Scientific Advisory Committees (SAC) and the Horizon Planning Committee (HPC). Both will play a critical role in charting a successful future for our organization by making sure that AAPS continues to bring value to its members through cutting edge science and relevance to our field. The SAC application and nomination deadline is next Wednesday, so don't delay if you are interested or would like to nominate an eminent colleague.
AAPS' peer-reviewed journals are a reliable way to stay current on key developments in our field. For me personally, they continue to be a great resource to expand my understanding of areas in drug development and research that are "outside my wheelhouse," e.g., advances in transdermal drug delivery. There is an interesting article published just this week by @Chi Lee and colleagues about the use of A Data-Mining Approach for the Quantitative Assessment of Physicochemical Properties of Molecular Compounds in the Skin Flux.
Reading an excellent paper reminds me to tell you that you should also be thinking about our 2021 award nominations – outstanding manuscripts represent just one of the many award categories for consideration. @Gigi Portlock and AAPS Awards Committee chaired by @Otilia Koo are hoping to hear from you by May 5 with your nominations. I am already looking forward to celebrating with this year's honorees at the 2021 PharmSci 360 meeting in Philadelphia. Last year's acceptance speeches were deeply moving and inspiring. We all know colleagues who belong on the stage in 2021. Please nominate them.
On the much, much nearer horizon, I look forward to the discussion at the AAPS 2021 Leadership Retreat next week, where our leadership will gather to discuss the strategic plan and AAPS' future. I hope they – and you – will let our science inspire you to look up and ahead.
Tina
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