President's Message

Jean Schwarzbauer, Princeton University

   Dear Fellow Matrix Biologists,

   I'm well into my first year as president and focused on the major activity of our society, the        biennial meeting.  This meeting will be special as our first joint effort with another group, the Society  for Glycobiology (SfG).  In San Diego, November 11-14, 2012, you will see a program and other  activities that blend together two groups with distinct, yet significantly overlapping scientific  interests.  While this is an experiment, the preliminary data look promising in that the program co-chairs  Jeff Davidson and Hudson Freeze, Presidents-elect for ASMB and SfG, respectively, and their  Program Committee have already made significant progress on putting together an exciting program. 

The process of combining the interests of two groups into one conference got me thinking about the role of the ASMB.  After all, with the interdisciplinary nature of science these days, many of us belong to more than one society.  What is it that the ASMB offers to matrix biologists that we can't get from another society?  Here are some thoughts. 

The ASMB meeting is THE place to meet for the community of matrix biologists.  Our biennial meeting is the one event that brings together scientists from all areas of matrix biology.  Various tissues and diseases, stages of development and aging, bench to biotech or bedside, all are represented in plenary, concurrent and poster sessions.  While there are many excellent Gordon conferences, FASEB meetings and the like that focus on specific aspects of ECM biology, only the ASMB meeting covers such a broad range of matrix topics, making it the place to be every other year for anyone who wants to keep up to date on what's new and exciting in the broad field of matrix biology. 

Networking works best in person, and our meeting is a great place to do that.  Formal talks and less formal poster discussions provide us with new ideas for experiments and projects.  Presenting our work helps us to make new connections and establish collaborations. If you are a student, this meeting is a great place to look for a mentor for the next stage of your career.  If you are a post-doc, you can make contacts that may help you land an independent position.  If you are already independent, no matter what your age or stage, this is a great way to publicize to others what's going on in your lab, at your company, or in your clinic.  

The 2012 meeting, in particular, will provide many opportunities for interactions not only with other scientists but also with other societies.  It is being jointly organized with the SfG, a society of about the same size as ASMB.  The Distinguished Investigator of the International Society for Matrix Biology (ISMB) will speak in a special awards session.  Plus several special Sunday afternoon Guest Society sessions are in the planning stages and will be announced later this year.    

Membership has its benefits.  The most cost-effective way to attend the ASMB/SfG meeting in 2012 is as an ASMB member since membership provides you with a discounted registration fee.  As a member, you are eligible to be nominated for the Junior or Senior Investigator award, which honors up-and-coming or already-there matrix biologists.  Plus, all member abstract submissions are considered for travel awards to support oral and poster presentations at the meeting.      

Another perk of membership is the ASMB Newsletter.  Marian Young (NIH) has graciously agreed to become editor-in-chief of the Newsletter and is working with a dedicated committee that includes Ambra Pozzi, Audrey McAlinden, and Bob Mecham.  The Newsletter is published five times over two years and is emailed to all members.  In it, you will read highlights of interesting research articles, info on what's happening in other societies, postings for job openings, news about the meeting, and more. 

Committee service is a rewarding way to spend your spare time. Help out the ASMB and have input into our goals and mission by volunteering to serve on one of the society's committees (http://www.asmb.net/committees.php).  Or put your name in for an elected office.  In fact, we will be holding elections for two Council seats in early 2012.

Helping young matrix biologists develop their careers is a relatively new, but very important, activity of the ASMB.  Our Professional Development committee chaired by Amy Bradshaw ran a very successful mentoring breakfast at the 2010 meeting, and we already have plans for mentoring sessions at the 2012 meeting.  Amy's term on Council ends this year but we will continue what she has started.  It will truly benefit young scientists if we are available to offer them career and professional help and advice.  Therefore, one of my goals for the coming year is to develop ways to provide mentoring and career advice via the ASMB website so that we can offer our services to all interested young matrix biologists throughout the year.   

I hope that by pointing out a few benefits of ASMB membership, I have given the members who are reading this some incentive to recruit new members.  For any non-members who happened to get ahold of this Newsletter, maybe I have whetted your appetite sufficiently so that you look into joining. 

The ASMB is our community and it has a lot to offer to matrix biologists at all career stages.  We should be proud of it, promote it, and help it to thrive.

I am always happy to hear from anyone interested in the ASMB so feel free to email me with ideas, comments, and questions.

 

Thanks and best wishes,

Jean Schwarzbauer

ASMB President