E-Board No. 75

February 6, 2009

ISDCI OFFICER ELECTION

Dear ISDCI colleagues;

The nominations for the new ISDCI Officers for 2009-2012 are now in and mini-biographies of the candidates standing for each position are pasted below.

In the next day or two an e-mail with ballot papers will be sent out directly to all current (ie paid up) members of the Society. If you do not receive this message by 12th February), please check that you are a paid up member. Norman Miller (nmiller@microbio.umsmed.edu) can advise if you are unsure. You may renew your membership either on-line via the Prague Congress site or the ISDCI site or directly through Norman. Any other queries please contact me directly on vjs1@st-andrews.ac.uk. The following URLs will take you to membership renewal.

http://www.congressprague.cz/en/kongresy/isdci2009/registrace.html
http://www.isdci.org/renew.html

Voting privileges are for current members only. Both pre/post members and and full members may vote.

The deadline for casting of votes is March 1st 2009. The results will be announced in the March eBoard. Please use your right to vote!

With thanks and looking forward to seeing you in Prague this summer.

Val Smith
ISDCI President Elect.

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ISDCI New Officer Elections 2009-2012

MIRODRAG BELOSEVIC
Candidate for President Elect:

Present Position: University Professor of Biological Sciences and Public Health Sciences and Stream Leader, Environmental Health Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.

Education: B.Sc (Honours) (University of Manitoba, 1976); M.Sc. (University of Manitoba, 1979); Ph.D. (with distinction) (McGill University, 1985); PDF, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Washington DC (1986-1988).

Honours and Awards: Recipient of more than 25 awards including Clark P. Read Mentor Award, American Society of Parasitologists (2009); Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2008); University Professor, University of Alberta (2008); University Cup, University of Alberta (2006); Alberta Centennial Medal, Province of Alberta, Canada (2005); Killam Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Killam Trust (2004); Alberta Science and Technology Foundation Award (ASTech) (2003); Wardle Medal, Canadian Society of Zoologists (2002); Rudolph Hering Medal, American Society of Civil Engineers (2002); Killam Annual Professorship, Killam Trust and University of Alberta (2001); McCalla Research Professorship, University of Alberta (1999).

Administration: Scientific Community: President, Canadian Society of Zoologists (2005-2006); Member of the Executive, Canadian Society of Zoologists (2003-2007); Grant Selection Panels: Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (Cell Biology, 1998-2001, 2004-2005) Canadian Institutes for Health Research (Chair and member of various panels, 2000-2008); Alberta Ingenuity Foundation (scholarships, 2006-2008). Editorial Boards: Developmental and Comparative Immunology; Fish and Shellfish Immunology; Diseases of Aquatic Organisms; Journal of Environmental Engineering & Science. Service to University: Member of various senior committees including General Faculties Council; General Faculties Council Executive; Academic Planning Committee, General Appeals Committee.

Membership in Learned Societies: American Society of Parasitologists (1978); Canadian Society of Zoologists (1980); Canadian Society of Immunologists (1987); American Association of Immunologists (1990); Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (1990); International Society for Developmental and Comparative Immunology (1992); American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (2006); Royal Society of Canada (2008).

Research: Main research interests include elucidation of mechanisms of innate immunity in fish, antimicrobial functions of fish macrophages and control of waterborne infectious diseases. Publications: >220 refereed research publications, >100 research presentations/seminars, >200 conference presentations.

Teaching: Undergraduate: Principles of Parasitism, Biology of Public Health; Graduated: 10 PDFs; 14 PhD, 15 MSc, and 15 BSc Honours thesis students.


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MIKI NAKAO
Candidate for President Elect

The main interest of my reseach has been on the complement system in bony fish, using the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) as a major model animal. In particular, I am trying to understand outstanding diversity of the compement component isotypes in bony fish. and its biological significance as an innate defence factor. The works at the protein and molecular levels have been published in J. Immunol., Dev. Comp. Immunol., Mol. Immunol. and Fish & Shellfish Immunol. As a biologist with a background of fisheries science, I have been interested also in applied aspects of fish immunology, such as analysis of the immunological response of fish against bacterial infection and stimulation with immunostimulant through collaboration with Drs. Chris Bayne and Kazuhiro Fujiki. Other collaborations on the phylogenetic studies have been performed with Drs. Masaru Nonaka (Tokyo), Alister Dodds (Oxford), Sylvia Smith (Miami), and Valerie Smith (St. Andrews). Current reseach projects of my group is aimed to clarify biological significance of diversity of the immune-relevant genes in bony fish, using carp, zebrafish, and clonal crucian carp.

I have been a member of ISDCI since 1994, when I first attended the ISDCI congress in Wageningen, The Netherlands, and served as a VP Asia and Oceania of ISDCI from 1996. Once approved as a President-Elect, I would like to serve myself to tighten relationship among the ISDCI members, creating more chance of communication through e-mail and web sites. To activate communication in ISDCI, VPs may play more active roles, for example, managing regional mailing list. In addition, I would like to make efforts to have more members from Asia and Africa to expand ISDCI community, and also several domestic organizations of ISDCI can be connected more closely to ISDCI.


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JACQUES ROBERT
Candidate for VP Americas

Jacques Robert, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology and is affiliated with the Immunology, Microbiology and Virology cluster, at the University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York. He obtained his Ph.D. for research on differential gene expression during Xenopus metamorphosis under the guidance of Dr. Hans-Rudi Kobel at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He then became interested in comparative immunology, and was trained by Dr. Louis Du Pasquier at the Basel Institute for Immunology (Switzerland) where he was a member for five years. He pursued his training in Rochester with Dr. Nicholas Cohen for several years before building his own research group. He has been a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the Journal of Developmental and Comparative Immunology since 2005, and of the Open Transplantation Journal since 2007; he has also served as an invited Managing Editor of Frontiers in Bioscience. He frequently serves as an ad hoc scientific reviewer for several U.S. and international funding agencies, and numerous journals. He serves as advisor or co-investigator in several international research teams, and is an active member of a multinational and multidisciplinary consortium to investigate various aspects of the amphibian decline problem. He has published more than 50 research papers, reviews, and book chapters. He has been a member of ISDCI since 1995. He is also very active in training students at all levels of education, with an emphasis on those who are underprivileged and/or underrepresented minorities.

His research interests focus on the evolutionary aspects of immune surveillance, specifically tumor and viral immunity. He has published extensively in the area of thymocyte differentiation; immunomodulation and anti-tumor immune responses elicited by heat shock proteins; molecular evolution of immunologically relevant genes (e.g., heat shock proteins, NK cell receptors, non-classical MHC class Ib molecules); and phylogeny of cellular immunity. A large part of his research has focused on Xenopus, which he has developed as a unique and useful comparative model system to study immunity to tumors, and more recently immunity to emerging infectious diseases implicated in amphibian decline. He has developed and maintains an NIH-NIAID-funded Xenopus laevis research resource that is the world's most comprehensive facility specializing in the use of this species for immunological research and providing technical assistance, animals, and reagents to the scientific community.


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ORIOL SUNYER
Candidate for VP Americas

I obtained my Biology degree in 1992 at the Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona. My PhD studies focused on the characterization of the complement system of teleost fish and its regulation by stress. After finishing my PhD in 1995, my postdoctoral work at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, US) focused on the structural and functional characterization of complement components from fish. In 1999 I got my first academic appointment as an Assistant Professor in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2005, I was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. My lab's research initially focused on the role complement in the development of an inflammatory response in fish. Later on, our studies led to the fundamental discovery that B cells of teleost fish and amphibians have a high phagocytic capacity and can kill internalized microbes. Our current studies focus on the characterization of different subsets of teleost fish B cells and their role in innate and adaptive immunity. In addition, we are presently devoting significant efforts towards the discovery of new adjuvant molecules and vaccination strategies with the goal of improving the effectiveness of current and future fish vaccines.

If I am given the chance to serve as the ISDCI VP of the Americas, there are a number of priorities that I would like to focus on. First, to foster the involvement and interchange of young investigators in our field. Second, to significantly increase the participation of MS and PhD students in our society's meeting. Third, to stimulate recruitment of new ISDCI members. Fourth, to contribute to the continued improvement of our well-respected journal (DCI) and to look into strategies to further increase its visibility and impact factor. And fifth, to advocate for the funding of comparative immunology research by the National Institute of Health (NIH) through a variety of strategies such as forming a panel of comparative immunologists with the goal of promoting the establishment of new mechanisms of funding by the NIH, and to strongly advocate for the creation of a study section specific for comparative/evolutionary immunology. I look forward to the opportunity of serving the ISDCI.


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ANLONG XU
Candidate for VP Oceania

Anlong Xu was awarded a government scholarship to study in the United States after his B.S. degree from Zhongshan (Sun Yatsen) University in 1985. He went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in Sept. 1986 to pursue his graduate study in immunogenetics under Dr. Harris Lewin's supervision and obtained his Ph.D. from UIUC in 1992. Dr. Xu then did his postdoctoral research in Dr. Helen M. Ranney's lab at the University of California, San Diego for 2 year. Dr. Xu joined a San Diego-based Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp from 1994-1996 and worked on new drug discovery. After 10 years of study and research work in the U.S., he joined the faculty of the Department of Biochemistry at the College of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen (Zhongshan) University, his alma mater, in 1996. Dr. Xu currently is a professor in molecular biology and immunology, Director of State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Director of National Center for Marine Biotechnology of South China Sea. Dr. Xu was promoted to Vice-President for research and development of Sun Yatsen University in 2008 after serving as Dean of the College of Life Sciences for 9 years. Dr. Xu has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed international journals, such as N. Engl J Med, Genome Research, A J Hum Genet, J Immunol, E J Immunol, FEBS Lett, Mol Immunol, Genomics, Dev Comp Immunol, Immunogenetics, Fish & Shellfish Immunol. Dr. Xu is currently member of American Association of Immunologist, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Chinese Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chinese Society of Immunology, and is currently Vice-President for Chinese Society of Marine Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and President of Guangdong Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. His main research is focusing on the functional genomics for understanding the origin and evolution of vertebrate immune system. Dr. Xu can be reached at e-mail of lssxal@mail sysu.edu.cn


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SHUN-ICHIRO KAWABATA
Candidate for Vice-President (Asia/Oceania)

One of the main scientific projects in my laboratory at Kyushu University is the molecular mechanism of immune responses in invertebrates, especially in the horseshoe crab Tachypleus tridentatus. In 1991, I started my academic activities on this project with Professor Sadaaki Iwanaga by trying to isolate and characterize many kinds of defense molecules from hemocytes and plasma of the horseshoe crab, such as lectins, serine protease zymogens, serine protease inhibitors, antimicrobial proteins, transglutaminase and its substrates. The structure-function studies of these proteins have been published mainly in the journal of biological chemistry, as shown in my curriculum vitae. I have been a member of the editorial advisory board in Developmental & Comparative Immunology since 2000, and also a member of ISDCI since 2008. It is a great honor for me to be nominated, and I am willing to extend ISDCI membership in Asia/Oceania and to encourage the member in these regions to activate their research.


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MARTIN BILEJ
Candidate for Secretary Treasurer

I defended my PhD thesis on the innate immunity in earthworms in 1991 and in 2001 I received DSc. degree from the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic. Except regular stays at the Free University Brussels (VUB) as a postdoctoral fellow and later on based on common projects I have not changed my employer rendering faithful service to the Institute of Microbiology of the Academy of Sciences. Our small research group is oriented on earthworm immunity and we have described some novel proteins involved in the innate defense. I helped to organize some meetings including NATO Advanced Workshop on Antimicrobial Peptides in 2001 (together with Edwin L. Cooper) and EMBO Workshop on Pattern Recognition Molecules in 2003 (together with Kenneth Söderhäll). And right now we are busy to organize the 11th Congress of ISDCI in Prague. I am a member of ISDCI for more than 10 years and for six years I am a member of the Editorial Board of Dev. Comp. Immunol. As a Secretary Treasurer I would like to introduce a user-friendly, simple and secure application for the payment of membership dues via website of our Institute (similar application is already working on ISDCI Congress website).



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Dear ISDCI Members:

In the past, ISDCI members have received a paper invoice from Elsevier to pay their annual membership dues. This will not happen this year. In stead, you have just recently received an email from Dr. Norm Miller, our ISDCI treasurer, requesting that dues be paid. He attached a form to his email that should be filled out and returned with your payment.

I addition to responding to Dr. Miller’s email, there are other options for paying your ISDCI dues. Membership fees can be paid through the ISDCI Congress website (http://www.congressprague.cz/en/kongresy/isdci2009.html). If you do not intend to register for the Congress, you can still use the Congress registration form to pay your ISDCI dues online. From the meeting homepage, go to and tick the appropriate boxes just for paying your membership dues. If you will be attending the Congress, you can pay your dues when you register for the Congress.

Membership dues can also be paid using a form that is available on the www.isdci.org website under .

Fill out the form and send it to
Norman W. Miller, Ph.D, Secretary/Treasurer, ISDCI
Dept. of Microbiology,
University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 N. State St.
Jackson, MS 39216
USA

You can also fax the form to Dr. Miller at 601-984-1708
or send it to him as an email; nmiller@microbio.umsmed.edu


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IUIS Central Office
Mag. Gerlinde M. Jahn Vienna Academy of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research

January 7th, 2008

To all Societies members of IUIS;

The Education Committee of IUIS is actively involved in supporting the organization of Immunology Courses in the developing world. We are often asked for names of immunologists who would be willing to travel to different corners of the world and teach in those courses. The experience is most rewarding as the students are particularly eager to learn and appreciative.
As you know, the financial constraints in developing countries are such that they cannot pay travel expenses of the teaching staff. However, local organizers generally pay for most accommodation costs. Therefore, you have to be willing to pay for your own travel expenses. Often, thecourses are in the context of an International Federation Meeting and those have been excellent and provided opportunities to expand our network of colleagues and foreign trainees.

We would like you to circulate this letter to the members of your Immunological Federation and Society and encourage them to respond promptly. Please contact Michelle Letarte at mablab@sickkids.ca to receive a form so you can provide your expertise. For more information on the Education Committee, consult the IUIS website at www.iuisonline.org

Many thanks for considering our request,

Michelle Letarte
Chair of the Education Committee, IUIS
Hospital for Sick Children
555 University Ave
Toronto, Canada, M5G1X8

Mohamed R. Daha
Secretary General, IUIS
Leiden University Medical Center
Postbox 9600
2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands


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Job Opening

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
DIRECTORATE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
DIVISION OF MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOSCIENCES

The National Science Foundation’s Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences (MCB) is seeking qualified candidates for two permanent PROGRAM DIRECTOR positions with expertise in any of the research areas supported by the Division. Program Directors are responsible for program planning and administration, and for furthering the goals of the NSF and the Division. Information about MCB and the research areas it supports can be found at http://www.nsf.gov/bio/mcb/about.jsp. The Division is particularly interested in recruiting persons with expertise in metabolic biology (especially as related to energy and the environment), and in molecular computational biology, including analysis of molecular networks, but encourages all qualified individuals to apply.

You must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent experience in molecular or cellular biology or a related field with an emphasis in one of the areas listed above. You must also have at least six years of successful research, research administration, or scientific or academic managerial experience beyond the Ph.D. in one of these areas. Familiarity with NSF policies and practices, administrative experience, and recognized stature among peers are desirable. Annual salary range is $120,721.00 - 160,078.00 depending on qualification and experience. Interested individuals should submit an application through the USAJOBS link (see below) by February 13, 2009. For details regarding terms of employment, contact: Seth Mann, telephone: 703-292-8449. For scientific or programmatic information about MCB, contact Dr. Joanne Tornow, Acting Division Director, MCB (703-292-8440 or jtornow@nsf.gov).

USAJOBS link: http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobId=78370709&AVSDM=2009-01-05+00%3A03%3A00&org=NSF

NSF is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

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Dr. Greg Warr Elected as a Fellow of the AAAS

Every year the members of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) nominate and elect new fellows, which is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers. Fellows are recognized for meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications.

The announcement of the new fellows appeared in Science in mid December 2008, and one of our colleagues was elected. Dr. Greg Warr was elected based on his “contributions to research and teaching as Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina and as Editor-in-Chief of Developmental and Comparative Immunology.”

Congratulations Greg!!

E-Board Archive

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