ISAC E-News ISAC E-Newsletter ISAC E-NEWS – June 2005 
| Flow cytometry NEWS |
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| ISAC E-NEWS – June 2005 |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Jun 14, 2005 at 12:40 PM | |
ISAC E-NEWS June 2005
Strategic Planning/Council Meeting, May 3-6, 2005The Strategic Planning meeting was truly an amazing event on a variety of fronts. Many in ISAC leadership positions took time from their normally hectic schedules to devote an evening and two full days of intense discussion to create a roadmap for the future of the Society. However, this process, of necessity, required leadership and direction, which was provided by Stefan Ogrodzinski of Ogrodzinski Consultants. It was he who drove us to focus on our strategic plan by helping us to identify the Society’s strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats, to rank these according to importance, to understand our current position and to create alternative strategies. This was no mean feat considering it required harnessing and focusing the disparate personalities that filled the room. That this could be done in two days was somewhat of a miracle in itself. ISAC E-NEWS – June 2005
Strategic Planning/Council Meeting, May 3-6, 2005The Strategic Planning meeting was truly an amazing event on a variety of fronts. Many in ISAC leadership positions took time from their normally hectic schedules to devote an evening and two full days of intense discussion to create a roadmap for the future of the Society. However, this process, of necessity, required leadership and direction, which was provided by Stefan Ogrodzinski of Ogrodzinski Consultants. It was he who drove us to focus on our strategic plan by helping us to identify the Society’s strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats, to rank these according to importance, to understand our current position and to create alternative strategies. This was no mean feat considering it required harnessing and focusing the disparate personalities that filled the room. That this could be done in two days was somewhat of a miracle in itself. "I think everyone felt that though it was important to identify the issues it was even more important to establish how we could assign performance indicators by which we could judge our success or failure in the various initiatives. This along with a defined calendar going forward for evaluating performance were what differentiated this process from the one we went through in 2001. The tools are now in place, having identified three or more important initiatives among seven key strategic directions, to implement a plan to increase the relevance and importance of ISAC both to its members and the wider scientific community. While there are likely to be important decisions ahead, especially since many of the strategies will involve substantial commitments of funds, I think everyone ended the meeting with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment and expectations of a stronger and more dynamic society." Frank Traganos, Treasurer. “… what was wonderful to see was the empowerment of the members of the council, several of whom have never previously been in leadership positions in ISAC - I think that they were given the opportunity to serve the membership and they did it with integrity.” Paul Robinson, President-Elect "....it was great to be reminded that ISAC has enthusiasm at its core...this will serve us well as we take the Society forward." Paul J Smith, Councilor "I was honored to be a part of planning for the future direction of our Society. The process has left me with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and vigor! As we move forward with our action plans, there will be plenty of opportunities for members to share their enthusiasm by actively participating in ISAC's key initiatives." Lori Krueger, Councilor "It is very encouraging to see how passionately we all still feel about ISAC...and I look forward to our continued efforts to keep ISAC at the forefront of cellular analysis." Julie Auger, Councilor "It has been apparent for some time that ISAC has outgrown the ability of its leadership structure to respond to the changing science landscape and its evolving membership base. The end result of this is that many ISAC volunteers have worked very hard, yet tangible benefits to the membership have been far too slow in coming to make one feel the hard work has been worth it. Making strategic planning a formal part of ISAC Council activities is probably the only way to ensure that the needs and strengths of a society as diverse as ISAC are objectively evaluated and prioritized, so that the efforts of the large number of ISAC members who volunteer their time to the Society are well directed. I expect that by the next Congress (2006) in Quebec the effects of this effort will be apparent to all members." John Nolan, Councilor "Implementation and planned monitoring of the strategic plan will be vital to its success. Like any good experiment, we have to pay attention, follow through and think ahead. Both anticipated and unforeseen problems will need to be addressed. However, we now have a working structure that can be used to more effectively meet these challenges and provide much needed continuity of purpose. Thanks to Stefan, the two Paul's and Maria for the effective leadership - much appreciated. I believe we have the resolve and the collective wisdom to turn ISAC into a superb and model international society that provides value to its membership and reaches out to new constituencies." Alex Nakeff, Councilor
ISAC Council Meeting
by Paul Robinson Summary of the key decisions taken at the ISAC Council meeting held on May 6, 2005 Membership: There are currently 1274 paid up members. Fifteen percent of the membership decided to take Cytometry electronically instead of the hard copy. It should be noted that while we frequently have a low membership in the early part of the year, this low number is much lower than it should be. Members should make every effort to renew their membership. Paul Smith presented a summary of the strategic planning meeting held May 3-5. Stefan Ogrodzinski moderated the strategic planning session. A full report will be submitted to the membership as soon as possible and includes many very exciting proposals that the Council believes will be important for the Society’s growth and stability. Cytometry Journal—A considerable discussion took place as to the possibility of changing the name of the journal. It was decided that if it were changed, we would have an opportunity to re-launch it and identify new potential groups to publish in the journal. The Society journal is one of the most important activities we have in ISAC and it is vital that its presence in the scientific community be significant. Increasing the number of high quality papers is important. A survey of the membership will be conducted regarding a possible name change to the Journal of Cell Analysis, the Journal of Cell Analysis and Informatics, or …fill in the blank. As a survey this process would be advisory to the Council but not binding. Membership categories: It was also proposed that ISAC create a new free category of “associated membership” for members of ISAC who are linked because of their membership in an associated society. This would have enhanced benefits to associated societies many of whom look to ISAC as an important link to the broader science via the Society journal. Important Decisions:
Discussion on the importance of education and training: Education is concerned with improving understanding; Training is concerned with improving competence. These need to be more emphasized in the Society. Biological Imaging: ISAC should create a joint task force with relevant imaging societies to develop image standards. Strategic Planning: Implement an annual strategic planning calendar to allow an annual review mechanism for ISAC strategic plans. One council member was appointed as the champion for each strategic area.
Key Decisions:
ISAC Purpose (A reminder) Update ISAC XXIII Congress 2006May 20-24, 2006, Quebec City Convention Center, Quebec City, Canada Planning is also underway for the Scientific Tutorial Program at the 2006 Congress. The Scientific Tutorials have always been a popular part of the Congress, and efforts are underway to make them better than ever in 2006. Check the ISAC 2006 Web site for more information or to suggest a tutorial topic. Contact John Nolan at jnolan@ljbi.org. Reports from ISAC Committees and Task ForceBiosafety Issues Surveillance Committee Recently, the committee conducted a survey posted on the Purdue Website to poll cell sorting laboratories about their current safety practices. The most striking results are summarized here. The committee is planning to publish a more detailed analysis in Cytometry at a later date. Of the 105 survey responders, 65% were members of ISAC.
These results clearly convey the lack of appropriate safety measures in many sorting facilities and make it imperative that ISAC provide education and guidance for its members by disseminating existing biosafety information for flow cytometry laboratories (Cytometry 28:99, 1997; Cytometry Part A:113, 2003; Methods in Cell Biology 75:221, 2004) and updates as they become available. Recommendations Requested for Leadership Roles in ISAC The Nominating Committee is requesting recommendations from the membership for potential candidates for the offices of President-elect and Treasurer, as well as one candidate each for Analytical and Clinical Councilor positions and two names for Technical Councilors positions. The slate of selected candidates, two for each position, will appear on the ballots presented to the membership for voting in January 2006, about eight months from now, and the results of the election will be announced prior to the next ISAC Congress in Quebec City, Canada in May 2006. It is very important that members who have displayed leadership capabilities, as exemplified by their contributions to the Society, fill these positions. Suggestions for potential candidates should be sent to Scott Cram, lxc@lanl.gov, Jan Gratama, j.w.gratama@erasmusmc.nl, Rachel Errington, erringtonrj@cardiff.ac.uk or Harry Crissman, hcriss@adelphia.net. Please include a brief paragraph describing the attributes of the individual; their contributions to the Society and any other information that you feel could be of value to the selection process. The selected candidates, 12 in all, will be contacted to ascertain their willingness to run for the office and, if so, then requested to submit photos and resumes, relating to their goals for the Society. This requires some time and effort. Therefore, the committee would like to obtain recommendations from the membership as soon as possible so as to complete the selection process by the end of this year. Thanks in advance for your consideration and assistance. Please note that nominations by petition will require 30 signatures from ISAC members. Petitions are due to ISAC Headquarters by the close of business on 3 October 2005. Petitions by e-mail sent to (rkoepke@isac-net.org) will be accepted. Resource Managers Task Force Milestone – Update As reported in the Fall ISAC E-News, one of the milestones identified by ISAC was for our Task Force to develop a plan that “allows resource managers to engage fully in the society.” The Task Force submitted the following report in December, 2004. In order to engage resource managers more fully in ISAC, the Society must provide some benefit to the membership in this area. After numerous discussions with resource managers over the past six months, the immediate needs have distilled down to, but are not limited to: improved communication tools, networking opportunities, educational opportunities and validation of a resource manager’s role within the scientific community to enhance career options for technical personnel. In order to address these needs, the Resource Manager’s Task Force proposes the following goals for the next year:
While the Task Force recognizes these are ambitious goals, they are also quite realistic if resource managers can be engaged to help develop these goals. If you are interested in helping to develop one of these areas, and have not already volunteered, please contact Julie Auger (jauger@flowcity.bsd.uchicago.edu) or any member of the Task Force. Treasurer’s Report, 2004 Budget and Congress ISAC has ended 2004 in good financial shape. The initial 2004 budget accepted by Council was expected to result in a loss of about $90,000 USD aside from any profit or loss from investments. This budget included the ISAC Congress in Montpellier. The budget for that Congress created at year before was expected to be relatively revenue neutral (a loss of $8,000 USD out of a budget in excess of $900,000 USD). Expenses for the meeting were negatively impacted both by the costs of dealing with the VAT situation and the dramatic worsening of the dollar-to-euro conversion rate between the creation of the budget and the Congress. Alternatively, increased sale of exhibitor space and sponsorship of the meeting helped offset the increased expenses leading to a total deficit for the meeting of about $30,000 USD. Nevertheless, the year ended on a bright note inasmuch as profits from our investments returned nearly $73,000 USD and increased royalties from the sale of Current Protocols (about $29,000 USD) resulted in a modest surplus for the year ($15,500 USD). It should be noted that ISAC continues to maintain an emergency fund of $300,000. This account is used to guard against a last minute cancellation of an international congress as happened to AACR when their meeting in Toronto in 2003 had to be cancelled due to SARS. In addition, at the end of 2004 the Society had an additional $660,000 USD in a reserve fund invested in large, mid and small cap companies and international equities (at a ratio of 50:15:15:20%). In all, ISAC had total assets in excess of $1,375,000 USD at the close of 2004. Budget for 2005 Strategic Planning Initiative Upcoming MeetingsStem Cells in the Age of Fluorescence Technology: 2005 ISAC Samuel A. Latt Conference incorporating the Annual Conferences of the Australia Stem Cell Center & the Australasian Flow Cytometry Group, 6-9 November 2005. Conrad Jupiters, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Abstract deadline 12 September for oral presentation, poster presentations only thereafter. Early bird registration rate closes 5 August. For more information see www.stemcells2005.org The 18th Annual Clinical Course in Flow Cytometry: 24-29 July 2005 at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY. The Course emphasizes hands-on laboratory and computer work in small groups led by expert faculty, lectures on a variety of general and advanced topics, and many opportunities for informal discussion. The focus will be divided between basic flow theory, current practice in the clinical laboratory, and frontiers for the future. For additional information contact Paul Wallace course@RPCIFlow.org or on the Web at www.rpciflowcytometry.com/flowcourse.html. Cytometry Development Workshop: 27-29 October, 2005. Plans are proceeding for the Cytometry Development Workshop to be held at the beautiful Asilomar Conference Grounds.The EARLY REGISTRATION DEADLINE has been extended to June 15th. Information on the workshop can be found at http://murphylab.web.cmu.edu/CDW/. The workshop registration fee increases from $100 to $250 after the early registration deadline. Please note that STUDENTS can receive FREE housing/meals if they apply by the early registration deadline. There is also no workshop registration fee for students or new attendees if they register by 15 June. This year's program will feature SPECIAL SESSIONS being organized by JohnNolan on new developments in FLOW CYTOMETRY and Jeff Price on AUTOMATED MICROSCOPY. If you have an idea for a special session that you would like to organize, please let Bob Murphy (murphy@andrew.cmu.edu) or Howard Shapiro (hms@shapirolab.com), workshop chairs, know. Boston Users Group for Cytometry's [BUG] fall meeting; "New Frontiers in Flow and Image Cytometry." The meeting will be held once again at the New Research Building at Harvard Medical School http://www.theconfcenter.hms.harvard.edu/ 23 September 2005, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.. This promises to be another great BUG meeting at a very nice venue. Having a meeting on a Friday also lends itself to a post meeting gathering at a local pub and for the out-of-town visitors a chance to enjoy Boston for the weekend. Contact: Richard F. Konz, Jr., President, Boston Users Group for Cytometry, Email: Richard.Konz@umassmed.edu, or http://www.umassmed.edu/facslab "Strategies for the Diagnostic Monitoring of the Specific Immune Response," 7-9 October 2005, Bremen/Germany. A flow cytometry course organized by The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) with the support of Beckman Coulter. The faculty and steering committee of the course with lectures and hands-on-practicals include: Mario Arpinati (Bologna, IT), Brigitte Autran (Paris, FR), Dirk van Bockstaele (Antwerp, BE), Thomas Brinkmann (Nyon, CH), Albert Donnenberg (Pittsburgh, US), Kristine Kuus-Reichel (San Diego, US), Markus Maeurer (Mainz, DE), Alberto Orfao (Salamanca, ES), Stephen J. Richards (Leeds, UK), Gregor Rothe (Bremen, DE), Thomas Tötterman (Uppsala, SE), Eric Vivier (Marseille, FR). Contact: Gregor Rothe, (gregor.rothe@laborzentrum-bremen.de), tel. 49 421 222 7011. Added information at www.ifcc.org/emd.asp German Society for Cytometry, DGfZ, 19-22 October 2005, Leipzig, Germany. Visit our Website for detailed information at www.dgfz.org. This year’s highlights include: an extended program of tutorials from basics to the cutting edge in cytometry and clinical cytometry, practical hands-on courses, publication of accepted submitted abstracts in the journal Cell Proliferation, and publication of peer-reviewed short articles from selected abstracts. Contact: Attila Tarnok, President of the DGfZ, Universität Leipzig, Tel.: +49-(0)341-8 65 24 30 Meeting Reports Resource Managers Workshops Held In order to address a key Resource Managers need, a series of workshops have been organized in conjunction with regional flow cytometry meetings – GLIIFCA last October, Metroflow in February and at the Dako Cytomation Life Sciences Users Group meeting in April. We hope to have workshops take place in other regions of the world within the next 6 months. In addition to serving a primary need of networking, the workshops have proved to be a great forum for Resource Managers to express opinions on how ISAC can continue to engage Managers in the society. GLIIFCA Meeting:
Metroflow Meeting: Core facility planning, instrumentation and setup The format was a presentation with discussion. Information was also presented on the new ISAC Resource Managers Initiative. Approximately 35 attendees were present and all expressed great interest in the ISAC effort. Particular interest was expressed in the possibility of developing a management course for Core Directors that would provide some instruction in such issues as cost analysis, as well as standard management processes. It was pointed out that this is the area that is of critical importance to resource laboratory operation but is the least supported in any venue. DakoCytomation LSUG Meeting: The response to the workshops has been very good. The Resource Managers Task Force will continue to develop these forums. We anticipate that the workshops will also provide specific training opportunities for core managers. Input from any member is welcome. If you would like a workshop to take place in your region, please contact Julie Auger (jauger@flowcity.bsd.uchicago.edu) or any member of the Task Force. Royal Microscopical Society Since the last E-news, the Cytometry Section of the Royal Microscopical Society has held two of our well-established meetings. In early April there was our Clinical BenchtopCytometer meeting held at the University of Newcastle, which attracted more than 80 delegates from clinical laboratories and company representatives. This was organized by Dr. Brian Shenton who, unfortunately due to illness was unable to attend. We are grateful to Ian Harvey and Susan Stamp for taking over the organization at the last minute. In early May Ricardo Morilla hosted his annual Immunophenotyping Course in London. As usual this was well attended with over 70 registrants and sponsors including Beckman Coulter, Becton Dickinson, DakoCytomation, Caltag, GRI and Miltenyi. Looking forward, we are holding a joint symposium with the Pathological Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland at their meeting in Newcastle in July. This is entitled "Applications of Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy in Pathology" and further details may be found at the Website (here). Finally, more advance warning about the popular Flow Cytometry Course that we run at the University of York. This is a week-long course consisting of lectures and practical demonstrations and the chance to speak to some of the UK's leading flow cytometrists in a relaxed and informal environment. There are basic and advanced elements as well as clinical and research applications. Details are on the RMS Web site: http://www.rms.org.uk/cgi-bin/events_details.cgi?id=flo06361650 Chesapeake Cytometry Meeting Chesapeake Cytometry Consortium held another great meeting on Monday, 18 April 2005 at NCI-Frederick in Maryland. We had three outstanding speakers who gave very stimulating talks, and the vendors, as always, exhibited their latest products and techniques. CCC's list of attendees continues to grow and we are very encouraged by that. You can check the CCC Website at www.ccc-flow.org for the details on our past meetings. We are in the process of organizing a full-day meeting in September 2005, so stay tuned. The CCC is also working on forming a Steering Committee for the group and interested individuals are encouraged to contact Mehrnoosh Abshari at absharim@niaid.nih.gov. Well there wasn’t any oil to be found but hopefully you found a few things of interest and worthwhile reading. SC, ed.
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