News from the Regional Societies

Eastern Society for Pediatric Research (ESPR)

The ESPR held its annual meeting on February 26 - February 28, 1999 at the Marriott Seaview Resort just outside Atlantic City, NJ. Once again, the meeting was well attended and extremely successful. There were abstract driven sessions in General Pediatrics, Endocrinology/Metabolism, Gastroenterology, Infectious Disease, Renal, Pediatric/Neonatal Pulmonary, Developmental Biology and Neonatology. The Educational Session included the Third Annual District III Perinatal Pediatrics Conference, "Hot Issues in Neonatology," organized and moderated by Thomas E. Wiswell, M.D., FAAP. At this meeting, Mitchell J. Kresch, M.D. assumed the position of president of the ESPR from Ira Gewolb, M.D., who held that position for the past three years. Dr. Gewolb’s enthusiasm and tireless efforts were acknowledged and are greatly appreciated by the members of this society.

With the continued success of this year’s meeting, next year’s annual meeting will again be held at the Marriott Seaview Resort in Atlantic City, March 17-19. Abstract forms will be available in September 1999. The deadline for submission of abstracts will be in November. We expect that next year’s meeting will be bigger and better than ever. Mark your calendars. If you haven’t received an announcement about the meeting yet and you are interested in submitting an abstract and/or attending the meeting, contact M. Susan Moyer, M.D., Secretary/Treasurer of the ESPR, at the address listed below.

At last count, there are 457 members of the ESPR. Our members hail from the Northeastern part of the North American continent, from Washington, D.C. to Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Anyone interested in information about the ESPR or becoming a member of the ESPR should contact:

Dr. M. Susan Moyer, Secretary-Treasurer, ESPR
Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine
PO Box 208064, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520
Phone (203) 785-4649 - Fax (203) 737-1384
e-mail: susanmoyer@yale.edu

Officers
President: Dr. Mitchell J. Kresch, Farmington, CT
Past President: Dr. Ira H. Gewolb, Baltimore, MD
Secretary-Treasurer: Dr. M. Susan Moyer, New Haven, CT

Council Members
Dr. Philip L. Ballard, Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Howard Bauchner, Boston, MA
Dr. David H. Carver, New Brunswick, NJ
Dr. Bruce Gelb, New York, NY
Dr. Frederick J. Kaskel, Bronx, NY
Dr. Genevieve A. Losonsky, Baltimore, MD
Dr. Judith L. Ross, Philadelphia, PA
Dr. Linda Van Marter, Boston, MA

Midwest Society for Pediatric Research (MWSPR)

The Midwest Society for Pediatric Research has 400+ members. Our 1999 annual meeting was again held concurrently with the Midwest Section of the American Federation for Medical Research, the Central Society for Clinical Research, the Midwest Region of the Society of General Internal Medicine, the Society for Investigative Dermatology, and other Midwestern Academic Medical Societies at the Drake Hotel in Chicago on September 15-17, 1999. In addition to our own Society plenary sessions and subspecialty platform session on Developmental Biology, invited State-of-the-Art speakers included Drs. Humberto Sariono of Northwestern University ("Liver Cell Transplantation: From Bench to Bedside"), James E. Trosko of Michigan State University ("Cloning of Human Stem Cells: Scientific, Therapeutic, Philosophical, and Ethical Issues"), and Harry T. Chugani of Wayne State University ("Applications of Positron Emission Tomography". A workshop on "FDA Procedures and policies for Approval of Drugs and Devices for Pediatric Patients" was offered by Dr. Bascom F. Anthony of the Federal Food and Drug Administration, while a seminar on "Coding in Neonatology" was offered by the Perinatal Pediatrics Sections of Districts V and VI of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Annual Founders’ Award was presented to Dr. Robert T. Hall of the University of Missouri at Kansas City and the Children’s Mercy Hospital for his many contributions to pediatric research, the Midwest Society, and neonatal-perinatal medicine. Two award luncheons honored trainees and junior faculty members who won several research prizes. There were again a trainee breakfast on academic career development with the invited speakers and Society officers and a breakfast for academic training program directors.

MWSPR Meeting Dates and Locations:
September 20-22, 2000 — To be determined

Southern Society for Pediatric Research (SSPR)

The Southern Society for Pediatric Research (SSPR) was organized in 1960 to provide a forum for pediatric investigators from the South to present their work and is comprised of approximately 825 active members. The SSPR meets each year in New Orleans, LA, in conjunction with regions VII and VIII of the Ambulatory Pediatrics Association, the Southern Section of the American Federation for Medical Research, the Southern Society for Clinical Investigation, the Southern Society for General Internal Medicine, and the Southern Section of the American Physiological Society. The 2000 meeting of the SSPR and other Southern Societies will take place from February 17-19, 2000, at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans. The deadline for abstract submission for the 2000 meeting will be Friday, October 22, 1999.

The SSPR sponsors a Basic and a Clinical Young Investigators’ Award competition each year and also has an active Trainee Travel Award program to encourage meeting attendance by students, house officers, and fellows. The SSPR also provides two or more workshops on important research and academic skills each year. The 2000 meeting of the Southern Societies will feature SSPR-sponsored workshops on Evidence-Based Pediatrics and on Manuscript Preparation.

1999 SSPR Officers
President
Dr. Fernando R. Moya
Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas, 6431 Fannin, Suite 3.242, Houston, Texas 77030
Phone: (713) 500-5727 Fax: (713) 500-5794
e-mail: fmoya@ped1.med.uth.tmc.edu

President-Elect
Dr. David Oelberg
Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, 601 Children’s Lane, Norfolk, VA 23507
Phone: (757) 668-7456 Fax: (757) 668-9255
e-mail: dgo@cpr-ndb4.evms.edu

Secretary-Treasurer
Dr. B. Keith English
Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Memphis, Crippled Children’s Foundation Research Center
Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, 50 North Dunlap, Box 62, Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: (901) 572-5376 Fax: (901) 572-5036
e-mail: kenglish@utmem1.utmem.edu

SSPR Meeting Dates and Locations
February 17-19, 2000 Fairmont Hotel, New Orleans, LA
March 1-3, 2001 Fairmont Hotel, New Orleans, LA

Active Members: approximately 825

Abstract Deadline for 2000 SSPR Meeting: Friday, October 22, 1999

Western Society for Pediatric Research (WSPR)

Greetings from the Pacific Northwest! Cynthia Curry, our irreplaceable Secretary-Treasurer for the past four years, has reluctantly passed the torch up the coast to Seattle. Fear not though, because she remains in close contact behind the scenes to ensure the continued growth and success of our unique Society.

As you will recall, the 1999 Carmel meetings were pushed forward into January by our good golfing friends. However, we had the last laugh as sunny skies returned to our meeting (remember 1998?) while the golfers were weathered out. In 2000 we return to our more familiar second week in February format for what promises to be an outstanding scientific session providing young investigators a memorable venue to share their work with more established colleagues.

You are again urged to arrive in Carmel Wednesday afternoon in order to meet members of our affiliated organizations at the Intersociety Cocktail Party that evening. This gathering is open to all and has been growing in popularity the past several years.

Read on for further meeting information. Two key points to remember:
1) CME credit will again be offered
2) Don’t forget to pay your current and any past dues.
Plan now to begin the New Millennium with your academic
colleagues in the stimulating yet peaceful setting of
Carmel-by-the-Sea!

1999 Officers
President
Dr. Ronald G. Rosenfeld
Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health Sciences University
Phone: 503-494-5135 Fax: 503-494-4468
e-mail: rosenfer@ohsu.edu

Past President
Dr. Kenneth Lyons Jones
University of California San Diego Medical Center
Phone: 619-543-2040 Fax: 619-543-5642

Secretary-Treasurer
Dr. Forrest C. Bennett
CHDD, Box 357920, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-7920
Phone: 425-238-4126 (Message #) Fax: 206-543-5771
e-mail: fbennett@u.washington.edu

WSPR Meeting Date: February 9-12, 2000

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