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2002 Business Meeting Minutes
ASHG Business Meeting
Baltimore, Maryland
October 18, 2002
MINUTES
ASHG president, P. Michael
Conneally, opened the meeting by thanking
the ASHG administrative staff for its
professionalism and outstanding support
throughout the year. He then asked for a
moment of silence in memory of two deceased
members, Ed Hodes and Michael John Singer.
Conneally welcomed new board members Diana
Bianchi, Bronya Keats, and Cynthia Morton,
and congratulated the new president-elect,
Robert Nussbaum*. He presented gifts and
thanked the members who were leaving the
board: Directors Jane Gitscher, Lou Kunkel
and Jim Lupski, and Past President Ron
Worton.
SECRETARY'S REPORT –
Ann Walker
Ann Walker asked for a motion
to approve 2001 business meeting minutes
from San Diego, posted on the ASHG Web site
in September 2002. The motion was seconded.
There were no objections.
For the 2002 election, Walker thanked
members of the Nominating Committee: Max
Muenke, chair; Debra Driscoll; Thomas Hart;
Mary Claire King; Bruce Korf; David
Ledbetter; and Ann Matthews. In 2002, there
were 4,772 ballots mailed to members in good
standing. 1,326 members voted resulting in a
27.8 percent return rate, which was slightly
lower than last year. Walker mentioned the
future possibility of voting on the Web,
which could lead to increased member
participation in the election process.
As of October 2002, there were 7,283 paid
ASHG members, including 1,200 student
members and overseas trainees. "Overseas
trainee" is a new category this year. There
are 78 new members who formerly would have
joined as "overseas affiliates." Walker
reported that ASHG is making efforts to
attract international students.
This year 1,078 memberships lapsed, an
increase of almost 57 percent from last
year, although membership compared to last
year increased by five percent. The increase
may be due to the ease of renewing
membership on the Web. Walker said that
members can also change their contact
information for the online directory via the
ASHG Web site. At the Board meeting this
year, a committee was appointed to study
what demographic information would be needed
to improve methods of tracking members at
ASHG annual meetings. Walker asked members
to contact her by e-mail with suggestions on
collecting useful data. An audience member
pointed out that she was able to access and
change other people's data on the ACMG Web
site and wanted ASHG to make certain that
its system is secure.
Walker presented data on annual meeting
preregistration figures as of September 17,
2002. At that time, there were 4,014
preregistrants. Of all preregistrants, 70
percent were either regular or trainee
members. Seventy-four percent were from the
US; five percent were from Canada. Fifty-one
other nations are represented at the
meeting. Approximately 66 percent of
preregistrants reported that their primary
activity was either basic or clinical
research; approximately 20 percent said they
were involved in patient care activities.
This year for the first time attendees could
register on the Web up to a few days before
the meeting, so it is difficult to compare
registration figures with previous years.
TREASURER'S REPORT –
Jan Friedman
Friedman summarized actual
expenses and revenue for 2001. Revenue from
the general activity fund decreased
substantially, reflecting an $86,000 loss in
ASHG's stock portfolio. Membership figures
were nearly the same or increased slightly.
There was a $10 increase in membership dues
last year. The Journal institutional
subscription rate was increased by $100
between 2001 and 2002, with a similar
increase between 2002 and 2003. In terms of
projected revenue, the annual meeting
remains the same. General activity expenses
increased substantially between 2001 and
2002 due to establishing the office of the
executive vice president, as well as making
major changes and improvements to the ASHG
Web site. Membership expenses remained
unchanged.
Journal expenses increased in 2002 and will
increase again in 2003 because of costs at
the University of Chicago, which have been
reviewed and approved by the Board of
Directors.
Meeting expenses are approximately the same
as last year because of favorable rental
agreements with the Baltimore Convention
Center this year and an even more favorable
agreement with the Los Angeles Convention
Center next year.
Friedman concluded that the Society
continues to be in a healthy financial
state.
EDITOR'S REPORT –
Stephen Warren
Warren reported that
circulation of the Journal is doing well
with approximately 5,684 member and 1,500
institutional subscriptions. He thanked
retiring editorial board members Chris Amos,
Allen Bale, Bernice Morrow and Steven Narod.
New editorial board members are Joan
Bailey-Wilson, Hal Dietz, Eleanor Feingold
and Bruce Korf.
There were 35 eligible papers submitted for
the Cotterman Award. Awardees are Anachera
Finale and Harold Boring. This award was
established to provide an incentive to ASHG
members who are students and fellows. In
addition to 35 eligible manuscripts, many
more were submitted by nonmember authors.
Membership applications will be sent to them
next year. Warren asked members with
students and fellows in their programs to
encourage them to apply for ASHG membership
and compete for the award.
Manuscript submissions this year are
projected to be 1,120, a slight dip after
1999. There is a 25 percent acceptance rate,
compared with a previous 30 percent
acceptance rate. The journal citation rank
has remained relatively stable; AJHG is now
ranked seventh. Nature Review Genetics,
primarily a review-based publication, has
inched ahead. Publications of this type
generally are cited more often than
literature publications. However, AJHG ranks
third in publishing primary research. In
journals primarily featuring articles on
human genetics, AJHG is ranked second
following Nature Genetics, and it is
anticipated that this ranking will continue.
The Journal office staff continues to work
on reducing time for manuscript processing,
which currently takes approximately 53 days
from submission to acceptance (a small
decrease from last year). Time from
submission to rejection (including
rejections with and without review) is
approximately two weeks.
Warren said that his office continues on the
fast track with manuscripts of unusual
significance. The average time for these
manuscripts from submission to first
decision is 11 days, from submission to
acceptance is 22 days, and from submission
to electronic publication is 42 days. Since
beginning the fast track option, the
editorial office has received an increase in
the number of manuscripts requesting this
service without justification. Authors of
those manuscripts are now offered a slightly
more rapid review process than normal. The
most rapid track for manuscript processing
is as follows: from submission to first
decision, 4 days; from submission to
acceptance, 7 days; from submission to
electronic publication, 14 days. In 2003,
the editorial office is planning to
implement complete electronic manuscript
submission and review. Warren said that
those parameters are being looked at
presently, and he hopes that the program
will be phased in within the next couple of
months.
Warren thanked Kate Beauregard, Kathy Alden,
Carissa Gilman, Mary Ann Hall and the
editorial board for their assistance, and
thanked members for serving as reviewers.
EXECUTIVE VICE
PRESIDENT'S REPORT – Joann Boughman
Boughman began by reviewing
some of ASHG's major policy issues. She
informed members that ASHG's effectiveness
will increase if it builds and sustains
strong partnerships with other organizations
such as FASEB, TGAC, and The National Health
Council. This year, much of the activity on
Capitol Hill has involved legislation
related to September 11, 2001. There are two
pieces of homeland security–related
legislation on issues impacting immigration
law and visa status that Boughman's office
has been following and clarifying for
Congress. These changes in legislation have
had an adverse affect on a variety of
universities and on the scientific
community's international collaborations.
Concern also exists with some aspects of the
biomedical sciences being moved from the
Department of Health and Human Services to
the new Department of Homeland Security. One
issue of major concern is the peer review
process, which could be radically changed.
Boughman emphasized that the integrity of
the peer review system must be maintained.
She also discussed HIPAA regulations and the
importance of working in partnership with
other organizations, specifically ACMG, to
ensure that these regulations do not have an
adverse impact on the human genetics
community.
Regarding congressional focus on 2003
appropriations, Boughman told members that
NIH is working under a continuing resolution
that could last through March 2003. She
pointed out the possibility that not only
would NIH not achieve its doubling, but that
FY04 funding may also be in jeopardy.
ASHG has been very active with fellow
organizations on the stem cell and cloning
issues. In addition, until two weeks ago,
genetics and patient advocacy–related
organizations were hopeful that genetic
non-discrimination legislation would
progress through Congress. However, ASHG is
working with NHGRI to combine the
celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of
the Watson and Crick publication in April
and the concurrent announcement of the
completion of the human genome with a
strategy to emphasize the importance of
protecting all Americans by passing genetic
non-discrimination legislation.
Boughman explained that ASHG also is working
on executive department policy issues
including data sharing, informed consent,
and human subjects. She said that the
Secretary's Advisory Committee on Genetic
Testing, created during the Clinton
administration, is one of many committees
disbanded by the Bush administration. To
replace this committee the current
administration has put forward a charge for
a new Secretary's Advisory Committee on
Genetic Health and Society. ASHG has
submitted the names of several nominees for
committee membership to Secretary Thompson.
ASHG is working in collaboration with NHGRI
on several initiatives including a shared
fellowship that may begin as early as the
first of January.
In addition, the Administrative Office is
working closely with FASEB to produce a
genetics poster for distribution to
approximately 70,000 public health
organizations; educational institutions
including middle, high school, undergraduate
and graduate programs; congressional
offices; and policy makers in the DC area.
Boughman noted that one of FASEB's
"Breakthroughs in Science" articles about
genetics will be mailed to approximately
10,000 individuals and organizations. ASHG
is represented on all of FASEB's committees.
Boughman stressed that when she visits
offices on Capitol Hill accompanied by the
FASEB director of public policy, who
represents 60,000 scientists, many elected
officials "sit up and take notice."
She then spoke of ASHG's Web site
initiatives including a new homepage design
and a focus on using the Web site to enhance
communication among members. She invited
members to send ideas to her by e-mail that
would help create a more useful Web site.
Finally, Boughman explained an initiative
embraced by the Board of Directors: ASHG is
working with NHGRI to announce the Mentor
Network on April 25–the fiftieth anniversary
of the Watson and Crick publication and the
date selected for announcing the final
sequencing of the human genome. ASHG is
currently creating a member network of
volunteer mentors to work with middle/high
school science and biology teachers
throughout the US and Canada. These mentors
will visit classrooms in their geographic
area and serve in a variety of roles such as
teaching, discussing careers in genetics,
and sharing the important news about the
final sequencing of the human genome and its
impact on health care. The goal is to have
at least 1,000 geneticists in schools on
April 25. Boughman encouraged members to
sign up for the Mentor Network.
SOCIAL ISSUES
COMMITTEE - Mary Kay Pelias
Rotating off the committee this
year are Jeff Botkin, Jane Congleton and
Frank Desposito. The new committee members
are Louis "Skip" Elsas and Eric Johnson. The
third position is pending.
Pelias reported that at this year's meeting,
the Social Issues Committee sponsored its
first two education sessions in social
issues: one on policy and one on human
subjects, third parties, and informed
consent. The primary topic of interest to
committee members involved representations,
reception and perceptions of genetics
research–how the lay public and the
professional non-genetics public perceive
what geneticists do and who they are. A
full-length manuscript will be written
including topics such as geno-hype and what
it means, the genetic mystique
(misperceptions about genetics), direct
marketing of genetic tests, and online
genetic counseling. Members of the committee
hope to have this project, led by Tim
Caulfield and Wendy Ulhman, completed by the
fiftieth anniversary celebration of the
Watson and Crick publication on April 25.
The Committee is also planning to write a
short position paper on issues related to
expanded newborn screening. Angela Scheuerle
and Skip Elsas will chair this initiative.
In the future, the Committee hopes to
address issues including race, ethnicity,
pharmacogenetics, and blanket consent.
INFORMATION AND
EDUCATION COMMITTEE - Bronya Keats
Members of the 2002 Committee
are L. Baumbach, C. Christianson, B. Korf,
L. Oman-Ganes, V. Riccardi, F. Kaplan, A.
Panya and S. Terry. Christianson and Korf
will be rotating off the Committee. New
members for 2003 will be P. Gregory, D. Gale
and N. Lamb. The new chair will be announced
soon. Keats said that the updated medical
school curriculum guidelines have been
posted on the ASHG and APHMG Web sites as a
joint effort of the two organizations. She
reported on the success of the high school
student/teacher workshop held on Tuesday,
the day before the meeting. In spite of the
cancellation of field trips throughout most
of Maryland, 58 students and 12 teachers
attended. They participated in hands-on and
interactive sessions on hereditary cancer,
human variation, genomics, evolution,
disease and newborn screening.
ASHG will be represented at the NABT and
NSTA meetings. Lynn Jorde will be a featured
speaker at the NABT annual meeting. Loraine
Oman- Ganes has organized a half-day
workshop for the NSTA meeting in
Philadelphia in March 2003.
Keats encouraged members to submit education
proposals for the education sessions at the
2003 meeting in Los Angeles.
PROGRAM COMMITTEE -
Diana Bianchi
Bianchi reported that
attendance for the Baltimore meeting has
reached 4,968. This compares favorably with
4,869 attendees at the 2002 Philadelphia
meeting and 4,314 attendees at the 2001 San
Diego meeting, despite the events of
September 11. Members leaving the Program
Committee are R. Gibbs, M. Muenke, V.
Sheffield, D. Bianchi and H. Orr. They will
be replaced by E. Green, M. MacDonald, R.
Spielman, Stratakis and A. Wynshaw Boris.
Bianchi said that 2,472 abstracts were
submitted, of which 2,447 were published and
will be presented at the Baltimore meeting.
She reported that while there was a problem
with the audio-visual portion of the
meeting, comments were predominately
positive regarding scientific content.
Program changes, including distributing
invited sessions over several days, have
been very favorably received. Program
Committees will continue to determine themes
or focuses for annual meetings. The ASHG
Board, in its session in conjunction with
the 2002 meeting, voted to make education
sessions formally part of the scientific
program. Consequently, committee meetings
cannot be scheduled during these sessions.
Charis Eng, chair of the 2003 Program
Committee, discussed plans for the Los
Angeles meeting. Saturday evening
entertainment will be at Universal Studios.
The meeting schedule, including two free
evenings, will not change. On Thursday
evening, November 6, there will be "A Night
at the Movies" for meeting attendees as
planned by a subcommittee. Eng reminded
members that the deadline to receive invited
proposals is November 3.
INTERNATIONAL
FEDERATION OF HUMAN GENETICS SOCIETIES -
Judith Hall
Judith Hall reported that the
International Federation was formed six
years ago to increase communication among
international human genetic societies, to
respond to documents under review, and to
support international human genetics
congresses held every five years. In the
last year, two organizations, the Latin
American Network of Human Genetic Societies
and the East Asia Union of Human Genetics
Societies, joined The American Society of
Human Genetics, The European Society of
Human Genetics, and The Human Genetics
Society of Australasia as full members.
There are also 46 human genetics
organizations from as many countries that
are corresponding or affiliate members.
The presidency rotates every three years.
Uta Francke will retire as president at the
end of 2002 and Eric Hahn from Australia
will become president. Judith Allanson will
replace Judith Hall as the permanent ASHG
representative. Names of all member
organizations and their officers along with
policy statements can be accessed through
the ASHG Web site. Hall reminded members in
process of developing policy statements and
in need of helpful models to check policy
statements of European societies and their
subgroup, EuROGap.
So far, IFHGS has not been asked to comment
on any specific documents. However, the
United Nations (UN) planned on developing an
international convention for human cloning.
To assist UN members in understanding the
complexities of this situation, Francke
wrote a letter to all IFHGS societies
requesting that they contact their UN
ambassadors. While most would agree with a
ban on human reproductive cloning, there are
many other types of cloning that are very
important for research and for therapies.
Societies were asked to help clarify these
issues.
Another purpose of the IFHGS is to support
international congresses, including an
excellent one in Vienna in 2001. The next
one will be in Brisbane, Australia, August
6–10, 2006. ASHG will be responsible for the
2011 International Congress, October 9–15,
in Montreal, Canada.
Formation of a New
Society
Harold Klinger announced the
formation of the International Cytogenetics
and Genome Society. He reported that the
main objective of the Society is to provide
a medium for the exchange of information by
cytogeneticists world wide in all areas, i.e,
plant, invertebrate and vertebrate. Klinger
hopes that this society will give greater
visibility to cytogeneticists and that it
will represent them in an unprecedented way.
The Society will foster international
communication and will provide stipends to
postdoctoral fellows in developing nations.
Currently, there are 2,200 members and 90
founding members. Klinger encouraged
students to join.
Respectfully submitted,
Ann P. Walker, Secretary
Elaine Strass, Executive Director
*Serving in a personal capacity and not
as a representative of NIH.
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