ASR Newsletter Archives

September 2006
October 2003
January 2002
October 2000

September, 2006

Summary of the 20th Meeting
September 2-7, 2006, Pacific Grove, CA

Meeting Summary-

The 20th meeting of the American Society for Rickettsiology took place at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, CA on the beautiful Monterey Peninsula.  The meeting was held in conjunction with the 5th International Conference on Bartonella as Emerging Pathogens. The venue of this meeting was not new to many members of the ASR since the 12th National Meeting was held at this location in 1996.  The organizing committee, together with the Veterinary Medical Continuing Education group at Kansas State University, worked hard to ensure a scientifically stimulating and enjoyable meeting. 

The conference was kicked off on the evening of September 2 with a keynote address by Dr. David Relman of Stanford University followed by a welcome reception for all participants.  Dr. Relman gave an outstanding talk entitled, 'Efforts to Understand an Eradicated Pathogen before it is too Late'.  The main conference included 11 oral presentation sessions: 1) Emerging Pathogens and Bioterrorism, 2) Genetics, Genomics & Proteomics, 3) Pathogenesis I, 4) Pathogenesis II, 5) Infection in Animals, 6) Immunity, 7) Genetics and Vaccine Development, 8) Genetics, Physiology and Metabolism, 9) Ecology & Epidemiology, 10) Clinical Aspects, Diagnosis & Treatment, and 11) Host, Vector & Pathogen Interactions.  In addition, three poster sessions were organized. Together, a total of 65 oral presentations and 126 poster presentations were given in four and a half days.

The meeting also included a very informative session on 'Research Opportunities' presented by Dr. Sam Perdue from the National Institutes of Health (USA) who gave an excellent overview and perspective of funding opportunities at the NIH.  Attendance at the meeting included 203 participants representing 22 countries.  It was an excellent forum for exchange of the most recent scientific developments on all topics related to Rickettsia and Bartonella research.  The meeting received generous support from the National Institutes of Health in the form of a Conference grant.  These funds made a very significant difference in that they permitted many young scientists, including graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as scientists new to the field of rickettsiology, to attend the conference.  The NIH grant funds provided support for 38 individual ASR travel grants.  The recipients of these travel awards represented 14 different countries.

The ASR is grateful to the members of the planning committee, and especially, Marci Ritter and Linda Johnson, Continuing Education, Kansas State University for their hard work in organizing this highly successful and enjoyable meeting.

Minutes of the Business Meeting-

1) Comments were made by the president, David Silverman.

2) A finance report* was given by the Secretary/Treasurer, Roman Ganta.

3) Roman Ganta presented the ASR travel awards ($750 per award) to the 38 awardees.

4) Nominations were solicited for honorary membership in ASR. Two individuals were nominated and both nominees** were approved by the ASR membership.

5) Nominees for the offices of President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and Councilor-at-Large, were presented by Marina Eremeeva, chair of the nominating committee.  The ASR members elected the new Executive committee by secret ballot***. 

6) The outgoing President, David Silverman and Vice President-elect, James Samuel opened a forum for discussion of forthcoming meetings.  Jim Samuel also addressed the society and thanked the outgoing Executive Committee and the Planning Committee for organizing an excellent meeting.  

7) After very extensive discussion, a consensus was reached to have annual meetings instead of sesquiannual meetings; the plan is to organize two consecutive national meetings followed by an international meeting that would be held in collaboration with colleagues from other countries.  The society felt that annual meetings would allow students, post-doctoral students and young faculty members a better opportunity to attend the conferences and present their research.

8) Roman Ganta agreed to host the 21st national meeting in September, 2007.  A decision was also made to hold the 22nd ASR meeting in association with the next International Meeting on Rickettsiae and Rickettsial Diseases that will be held in the summer of 2008 in Marseille, France.

9) The meeting was adjourned. 

 

*FINANCE REPORT (As of January 20, 2007)

INCOME

Balance Forward (from 1/22/04	$ 32,075.76
NIH R13 conference grant award (2005)	$ 15,000.00
NIH R13 conference grant award (2006)	$ 30,000.00
Intervet sponsorship	$ 1,500.00
20th ASR meeting registration	$ 60,530.00
ASR membership dues	$ 4,150.00
Interest income	$ 1,207.56
Total funds	$144,462.00

EXPENSES

19th ASR (Spain 2005) meeting sponsorship	$ 2,000.00
ASR travel awards (2005 Spain meeting)	$ 17,000.00
ASR travel awards (2006 Asilomar meeting)	$ 28,500.00
20th ASR meeting organization expenses	$ 65,557.97
Total expenses	$113,057.97
Available balance (as of January 19, 2007)	$ 31,404.35

**New Honorary Members- Michael Ascher and Herbert Thompson

***Results of the election:
President:                       Michael Minnick
VicePresident:                James Samuel
Secretary /Treasurer:      Roman Ganta
Councilor-at-Large:          Kelly Brayton

 

October, 2003

Summary of the 18 th Meeting
Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort
Cumberland , Maryland
September 28 – October 1, 2003

Meeting Summary-

The 18th meeting of the ASR took place at the Rocky Gap Lodge and Resort in Cumberland , Maryland . The hardwood forests along the shores of Lake Habeeb served as a backdrop for the meeting. Autumn colors and cool morning temperatures invigorated the participants (especially the golfers). The conference was preceded by a satellite meeting on Saturday the 27 th , focusing on Bacterial Genomics and Proteomics as Related to Biodefense. Claire Fraser and Victoria Sutton gave excellent keynote addresses on comparative bacterial genomics and bioterrorism. Special Thanks to Abdu Azad for planning the satellite meeting and to NIAID for sponsoring the event.

The ASR meeting was kicked off the following day by Michael Ascher's seminar on the public health response to the threat of bioterrorism. Michael's talk was followed by a difficult pop quiz for the participants and a reception. The meeting continued with over two days of excellent presentations. ASR travel grants were awarded to four outstanding graduate student / postdoctoral presenters including Jeffrey R. Abbott, Jose C. Garcia-Garcia, Amanda Loftis and Jennifer Carmichael. Congratulations again to these award recipients!

Approximately 150 scientists from around the world were in attendance. A combined total of 122 presentations (54 oral presentations, 58 posters and 10 invited talks) covered topics including genetics, genomics, proteomics and molecular biology; pathogenesis and immunity; host cell interactions / metabolism; ecology and epidemiology; and animal models of disease and immunity. The presentations covered a wide range of Rickettsia , related organisms and their vectors. The quality of this year's talks was exceptional, and it was especially encouraging to see so many young scientists in attendance. The ASR is especially grateful to Burt Anderson , members of the organizing committee and Nancy Gilliam for creating a memorable event.

Minutes of the Business Meeting-

1) An introduction was made by the president, Burt Anderson .

2) A finance report* was given by the secretary- treasurer, Mike Minnick .

3) Burt Anderson presented four $500 ASR Travel Grants to the awardees.

4) Five honorary ASR members were nominated by Herb Thompson, Abdu Azad, Dave Walker and Didier Raoult. All nominees** were approved by ballot.

5) Four ASR officer nominees were brought forth by Wendy Brown on behalf of the nominating committee. An additional councilor-at-large nominee was included on the ballot.

6) President-elect Dave Silverman addressed the society and thanked Burt for an excellent meeting.

7) Jose Oteo discussed the June 2005 ASR meeting slated for Logrono, Spain. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the Fourth International Conference on Rickettsia and Rickettsial Diseases.

8) It was decided that the subsequent ASR meeting would be held in Asilomar, California, in the Fall of 2006.

9) A call was made by the president elect for any new business. The location of Logrono Spain was discussed (3 hours by car from Madrid ). The Bartonella meeting slated for August 2004, and the Latin American Rickettsiology meeting planned for September 2004 were mentioned.

10) Results of the election:

President - Dave Silverman
Vice President - Mike Minnick
Secretary /Treasurer - Roman Reddy Ganta
Councilor-at-Large - Suzana Radulovic

**New Honorary Members- Phil Baker, Hui-Min Feng, Karim Hechemy, Barrie Marmion and Mike Stoker

11) The meeting was adjourned.

 

*FINANCE REPORT

(AS OF SEPTEMBER 29, 2003 )

INCOME-

$ 35,354.24 Balance Forward (from finance report of 1/11/02 )

$ 612.50 Interest (First Interstate Bank)

$ 25.00 Off-season membership dues

$ 35,991.74 TOTAL

EXPENSES-

$ 3,000.00 ASR Travel Grants ( Slovenia , Rocky Gap)

$ 233.25 Database management (Phronesis Technologies)

$ 18.40 Copying charges

$ 250.00 Check 224 (finally cashed by 2001 meeting attendee)

$ 3,501.65 TOTAL EXPENSES

AVAILABLE BALANCE-

$32,490.09

 

January 2002

Summary of the 2001 ASR / Bartonella Joint Conference
Big Sky, Montana
August 17 - August 22, 2001

Meeting Summary-

The 16th meeting of the ASR took place at Big Sky Resort in Big Sky, Montana. The scenic backdrop of the Rocky Mountains provided a conducive environment to exchange data, interact with colleagues and meet new friends. Most of those in attendance took time out to enjoy Yellowstone National Park, with its incredible wildlife, geothermal wonders and breathtaking scenery. Highlights of the meeting included an eclectic assortment of door prizes, custom-made T-shirts, free dance lessons by "Chameleon"- a country-western band that entertained following the BBQ, a custom flyrod that was raffled off (and won by Jerry Gaywee!) to generate money for the ASR graduate student travel fund, and several outdoor meals in the shadow of Lone Peak.

A total of 196 scientists from around the world were in attendance. A combined total of 165 presentations (45 slide presentations, 90 posters and 30 invited talks) covered a wide range of topics including genomics, epidemiology, genetics and pathogenesis of Rickettsia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and Bartonella. A keynote lecture by Gary Olsen on bacterial evolution was particularly fascinating. Phil Baker's synopsis of NIH funding provided useful information and was much appreciated. The ASR and Bartonella societies are grateful to the organizing committee and Sherrill Morris (Big Sky Resort) whose efforts resulted in a memorable meeting.

Minutes of the Business Meeting-

1) Phil Baker provided information and statistics on current NIH funding for research on Rickettsia and Rickettsia-like organisms.
2) The society approved a motion to hold the next meeting as an international conference in Slovenia (for more information see: www.rickettsia.org).
3) Joe McDade and Bob Quackenbush were elected honorary members of the society.
4) The nominating committee was chaired by Steve Dumler, and elections were held by ballot.

Results of the 2001 / 2002 election include the following officers:
President- Burt Anderson
Vice President- Dave Silverman
Secretary /Treasurer- Mike Minnick
Councilor-at-Large- William Nicholson

-FINANCE REPORT-

(AS OF JANUARY 11, 2002)

INCOME-

$ 14,968.36 Balance Forward (from previous finance report)
$ 4,750.00 Donations from sponsors
$ 4,998.47 NSF-EPSCoR grant awarded to Minnick for meeting
$ 845.00 Flyrod raffle (for student travel grant fund)
$ 1,250.65 Interest (First Interstate Bank)
$ 58,056.00 Registration fees, membership fees, T-shirts
$ 84,868.48 Total

TOTAL EXPENSES-

$(49,514.24) Resort, honoraria, websites, keynote speaker, etc.

AVAILABLE BALANCE-

$ 35,354.24

October 2000

Summary of the 15th Sesquiannual ASR Meeting
Captiva Island, Florida
April 30 - May 3, 2000

Meeting Summary-

The 15th meeting of the ASR was held in sunny Florida along the Gulf of Mexico. The meeting was a great success as measured by relaxation and a rich exchange of scientific data. A total of 143 scientists from around the world were in attendance. A combined total of 105 presentations (49 slide presentations and 56 posters) covered a wide range of topics including the molecular biology, pathogenesis, diagnosis / treatment and epidemiology / ecology of Bartonella, Coxiella, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, etc. Posters continue to grow in favor with presenters and were well attended by the crowd. Keynote lectures by Dr. Tom Schwan (NIH) and Dr. Jorge Galan (Yale University) provided exciting overviews of transmission-associated proteins in Borrelia spp. and utilization of the actin cytoskeleton by Salmonella during infection, respectively. The society is grateful to the organizing committee (Burt and his gang), who did a terrific job in managing the meeting and its many events.

Minutes of the Business Meeting-

1) Burt Anderson urged all in attendance to submit current contact information to update the ASR member directory. It was agreed that members who have not been actively attending meetings and/or paying dues would be purged from the database. Once completed, the updated directory would be posted on the ASR website. A hard copy of the directory would be made available at the next ASR meeting.

2) It was decided that ASR Newsletters would be e-mailed to active members and posted on the ASR website to help reduce costs associated with mailing and printing paper copies.

3) The society raised dues from $15 per year to $25 per 18 months of membership. Dues will be paid when members submit their meeting registration fees.

4) Dr. Oz Baca was selected as an honorary member of the society.

5) The society decided that the next meeting would be an international joint conference of the ASR and the Bartonella as an Emerging Pathogen Group. Yellowstone National Park was selected as the next meeting site.

6) The nominating committee was chaired by Ted Hackstadt, and elections were held by ballot. Results for the 2000 / 2001 Officers include President Steve Dumler, Vice President Burt Anderson, Secretary-Treasurer Mike Minnick and
Councilor-at-Large Bob Heinzen.

-Joint Conference of the American Society for Rickettsiology
& Bartonella as an Emerging Pathogen Group-

*Big Sky Resort, Big Sky Montana*
August 17-22, 2001

Big Sky, Montana will serve as the site for the 2001 ASR meeting. Big Sky Resort is a scenic one-hour drive south of Bozeman, along the Gallatin River- a favorite destination for flyfishermen, rafters and kayakers. The resort has excellent amenities and services (see: http://www.bigskyresort.com/) and is only 47 miles from the west entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone's geysers, abundant wildlife and scenic beauty are legendary. The weather should be warm (90oF), with nice cool evenings (50oF). We are looking forward to a great meeting and hope you will attend the conference!

For more information on the joint conference, we urge you to occasionally check the website (http://biology.dbs.umt.edu/asr2/index.htm) for details regarding registration, conference schedules, airline information, etc. Changes will be made periodically.

-FINANCE REPORT-
(AS OF OCTOBER 20, 2000)

INCOME-

$ 11,981.96 Balance Forward from previous secretary-treasurer
$ 5,543.00 Deposit from 2000 ASR meeting
$ 68.40 Interest
$ 17,593.36 Total

EXPENSES-

$ 125.00 Fee- Website contractor
$ 2,500.00 Deposit- Big Sky Resort
$ (2,625.00) Total

BALANCE-

$ 14,968.36