By Tina Morris, Ph.D., AAPS Executive Director
Dear AAPS members –
Thanks to the energy and dedication of members and staff, the science machine never stops running at AAPS!
This week marked the deadline to submit poster abstracts for the National Biotechnology Conference (NBC) in Philadelphia. Everybody is extremely excited that submissions have exceeded last year's, as has interest in helping with screening abstracts. This just adds to my already high levels of anticipation for an excellent conference this spring. Please continue checking the conference program -- we'll make sure to inform you when the accepted abstracts can be viewed online.
I hope you are registered already-I look forward to seeing you in April!
If you are an early career scientist, and you think the research you plan on presenting at NBC is going to yield an exciting publication, you may want to consider submitting it to the AAPS Journal's open call for papers for the 2023 Theme issue: Celebrating Ascendant Pharmaceutical Researchers. You have until June 30 to submit your publication. That is plenty of time after the NBC to incorporate all the good feedback you received from your discussions at the conference and polish your work into a great paper!
The planning meetings for our Summer Scientific Forum have begun, so I am paying close attention to hot topics in the bioanalysis and pharmaceutical analysis fields as the tracks and themes for that exciting meeting take shape. One of the regulatory hot topics that I already see continuing through 2023 is the new ICH M10 bioanalytical guideline on regulated assays. If you have not checked out the January issue of the AAPS Newsmagazine, you should definitely read the excellent cover story Impact on Regulated Assays by the New ICH M10 Bioanalytical Guideline.
I hope you notice that the AAPS Newsmagazine links you directly to ongoing conversations on these hot topics in our AAPS Communities. Participating in our communities offers a way for members to join in scientific discussions outside of conferences and workshops. This leverages the power of connection that makes AAPS such a strong association! I encourage you to find a community that fits your interest and join the discussion. Some communities are looking for input on topics of interest and are currently surveying community members. For example, you can take part in the Manufacturing Science and Engineering Community's survey and help community leader Jennifer Chu set the direction for engaging discussions throughout the year.
Meanwhile, the reading pile keeps growing! I am thrilled to see so much happening in my specialty of analytical, CMC, and quality. At the top of my reading list right now is a commentary in the AAPS Journal by Jennifer Maguire and her colleagues from FDA on Lessons from CDER's Quality Management Maturity Pilot Programs. This is a critical topic that I hope will get picked up at one of our programs this year as it has so much relevance for the implementation of the latest ICH quality guidelines, especially Q12.
I hope you are as excited as I am for all the scientific activity at AAPS and that our science continues to inspire you to look up and ahead for new discoveries.