VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 4 - SCHACHTER AWARDS 2004

Established in 2002 by the generous donation to the BPS by Mrs Ruth Schachter of a sum of money in memory of her late husband, Dr. Mel Schachter, the Schachter Awards assist junior members to visit other laboratories to learn new techniques or to travel to meetings for which funding is not otherwise available. The two students who benefited from the scheme in 2004 were Sofia Fernandez-Rodriguez, from the Division of Pharmacology, Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff, and Paul Brighton, from the Department of Cell Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Leicester. Both are Ph.D. students who used their award to attend a prestigious international scientific meeting at which they presented results from their own work. In their reports, they expressed their gratitude to Mrs. Schachter, both for the financial support and her interest, and were extremely positive about their experiences. Edited versions of their reports appear below.

Sofia Fernandez-Rodriguez attended the 14th Annual Congress of the European Respiratory Society (ERS), held in Glasgow from 4th – 8th September 2004.

I am in my last year of a PhD at the Welsh School of Pharmacy ( Cardiff University) using a mouse model of asthma to investigate the cell signal-ling pathways underlying airway inflammation. Attendance at the ERS congress, where I was one of more than 13,000 delegates from over 100 countries who congregated at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, characterised by its impressive Armadillo design, has been of invaluable help for my research.

My abstract was selected for an oral presentation in a session devoted to “Animal models of asthma and chronic bronchitis and their relevance in pulmonary pharmacology”; I found the experience of presenting and defending my results in the context of the latest discoveries and results using animal models very beneficial for my future career in science. Equally stimulating were sessions devoted to the use of animal models for the investigation of allergic asthma. I also went to presentations exploring the latest developments in the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the pathological responses in asthma, and the body’s reaction to the disease. Others, devoted to epidemiology and risk factors for asthma, gave me a general picture of the high incidence of this respiratory disease affecting over 150 million people globally.

Attendees at the Congress included scientists, healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical industry representatives, all eager to exchange information on their latest experiments, ideas and projects. I spent these few days sharing my research experience, discussing my results with specialists in my topic and updating my general knowledge about the most recent clinical data in my field. The whole experience has been of great benefit, stimulating new ideas for future research as well as allowing me to see my own work in the context of other studies in similar fields.

Paul Brighton attended the 12th International Conference of Second Messengers and Phosphoproteins, held in Montreal, from the 3rd- 7th August 2004.

The conference brought together both basic and clinical researchers from more than 30 countries around the world who are investigating second messenger and phosphoprotein signalling in health and disease. Under this broad umbrella were numerous sub-categories and specific symposia. Of specific relevance to my research were those related to G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), particularly internalisation and processing, receptor signalling throughout the internalisation and endosomal pathways, and the roles of arrestins and other subcellular proteins in receptor regulation.

The highlights of the plenary sessions and symposia were the presentations by distinguished pioneering researchers in their fields. Thus, of particular interest was the talk by Robert J Lefkovitz on the historical perspective of seven transmembrane receptors, and how our understanding of the roles of beta-arrestins and GPCR kinases has evolved from that of being mere regulators of GPCRs to their having more complex roles in signalling. Peter J Parker spoke on how distinct PKC isoforms control up- and downstream signalling by influencing the spatial separation of signalling complexes, and John D Scott argued that such compartmentalisation, both temporal and spatial, is the key to the organisation and development of signalling cascades.

As with the symposia, there were many categories of poster presentation, all very well attended. My own poster was appointed to the “GPCR Regulation and Targets” category, and I was encouraged by the high level of interest of delegates, especially in the methods which I have developed to dissociate and culture smooth muscle cells to support my research. I was honoured to be able to communicate my ideas and skills with internationally renowned scientists who showed such enthusiasm. In summary, attendance at the Conference was an ideal opportunity, not only for me to present and discuss my own research at an international level, but also for me to meet in person the many leading scientists in my field whose papers and reviews I have read throughout my studies. The social events associated with the conference also gave me the chance to meet many other students, post-docs and principal investigators from around the world, with whom it was highly stimulating to exchange ideas.

The award has benefited my Ph.D., allowed me to network, and to experience international research, both in my own and in related fields. This will be of great advantage to my career, and I’d like to express my thanks for the generous support.

Schachter Awards Applications
Applications for the next round of Schachter awards are invited by 30 January 2005. These awards are available to postgraduate student Associate Members to assist them with visiting a laboratory to learn a technique or with attending a meeting for which funds are not available from other sources. Postgraduate student Associate Members of the BPS who have been members of the Society for at least six months are eligible to apply, provided they are not in postdoctoral or equivalent positions.
Up to £250 is available. Applications must consist of a letter from the student Associate Member, stating what the money is to be used for, how it will enable him or her to further a career in pharmacology, what sum is requested (up to a maximum of £250) and giving details of how it will be spent. A letter of support from the student’s supervisor is also required. Successful applicants will be required to produce a short report (maximum 1,500 words) on the visit/meeting etc., which can be sent to Mrs Schachter and may be published in pA2 or on the website (at the Editors’ discretion).