The International Society for Aerosols in Medicine (ISAM) has planned a number of activities for 2017 in line with its mission “to stimulate and further the interdisciplinary cooperation and exchange of information in all aspects of aerosol research in medicine including health effects of inhaled aerosols and pulmonary drug delivery,” including the society’s 21st congress to be held June 3-7 at the El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
ISAM engages its membership every year through its official journal, the Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery, as well as through joint meetings and sessions with related organizations such as ATS, AIT, and ERS. ISAM members also have access to the recently published online Textbook of Aerosol Medicine and other educational materials.
Additionally, ISAM facilitates the education of newcomers to aerosol medicine through its support of the annual Aerosol School at McMaster University and St. Joseph’s and leverages network groups to foster communication within focus areas including: Regulatory Affairs and Standardization Issues; New Devices and Emerging Therapies; Pediatrics and Cystic Fibrosis; Imaging, Modeling and Physiology of Aerosols in the Lung; Environmental/Occupational Health and Graduate students, Post-Docs, Fellows and Junior Faculty.
Every two years, ISAM holds a congress, which is typically attended by over 300 delegates representing a mix of scientists from academia and industry, regulators, and clinicians, with the goal of creating a dynamic environment for the presentation, display, and critique of research related to aerosols in medicine.
The organizing committee for the 2017 ISAM Congress has designed this year’s program to focus on new and current technologies in aerosol medicine and encourages anyone interested in aerosols to consider involvement at any level.
The scientific program session topics include:
• Asthma/COPD
• Infectious disease
• Nasal drug delivery
• In vitro cell models
• Therapeutic gases
• Pulmonary fibrosis
• Personalized medicine
• New/emerging aerosol therapy
• Electronic cigarettes;
however, researchers are welcome to submit abstracts relating to any aspect of aerosols in medicine.
All accepted abstracts will be presented as posters throughout the congress and will be indexed in the Journal of Aerosol Medicine and Pulmonary Drug Delivery. In addition, approximately one third of the scientific program will be competitively selected from submitted abstracts.
On the first day of the congress, ISAM will present a number of awards that include the Thomas T. Mercer Award, the Career Achievement Award, the Young Investigator Award, the Student Research Award, the Jurai Ferin Award, and an award for Best Oral Presentation.
In addition, ISAM will offer three optional one-day workshops on June 3, prior to the beginning of the congress, including a joint ISAM/IPAC-RS workshop focused on “New Frontiers in Inhalation Technology,” a laboratory practical on “Concepts in Respiratory Drug Delivery,” and an “Electronic Cigarettes” workshop.
The congress also features an industrial exhibition where attendees will have the opportunity to learn about products and services available from congress sponsors. Networking opportunities include an opening reception on the evening of June 3, a conference dinner on June 6, as well as lunches and coffee breaks.
By Philip Kuehl, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, on behalf of the 2017 ISAM Congress organizing committee (Matthew Reed, LRRI; Andrew Martin, University of Alberta; Sunalene Devadason, University of Western Australia; Jim Blanchard, Aradigm Corporation; William Bennett, The University of North Carolina; Chantal Darquenne, UCSD
