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Letter from the President, November 2018
Dear BioIron friends and colleagues,
As we move into the second month of Fall 2018 we are 6 months from the EMBL Conference: 8th Congress of the International BioIron Society. The Congress will be held May 5-11, 2019 at the ATC-EMBL facilities in Heidelberg. The organizers, Martina Muckenthaler and Matthias Hentze (MM & MH), are working on a top-notch scientific program. More information will soon be available at our websites: bioironforum.org and bioiron.org as well as the EMBL-sponsored site.
We invite IBIS members and friends to attend and participate in what promises to be a unique scientific event and experience in the beautiful historic town where the first German University was inaugurated in 1386. As important, the prestigious EMBL was established in Heidelberg and has served as the European Center of Excellence with unique facilities for meetings and training laboratories.
For the first time in conjunction with the 2019 IBIS Congress, May 2-4 will offer a 3-day Bioiron practical Workshop: "Techniques for Studying Iron in Health and Disease". The course will be held at the ATC-EMBL laboratories (limited to 18 students).
Workshop Details
As always, our Society pledges to support young researchers with generous bursaries and affordable registration fees for IBIS members in good standing, i.e., only to those, old or new, who have paid their membership dues to the Society, preferably before the meeting, will receive special and reduced meeting registration fees.
The IBIS Board is looking to the future for ways the Society can be strengthened for members. Before the end of 2018, we will circulate among our members a proposed amendment to the IBIS bylaws that aims to solidify the roles for the board of directors (BOD). This will ensure the BOD members are actively involved in important aspects of the Society. It is important to start discussing the bylaw amendments because at our Biennial Business Meeting we will vote for its acceptance as well as elect a new President, Treasurer, Secretary, as well as two Directors, who should function under the new bylaws. In the present BOD, Jodie Babitt headed Education and organized the Educational Day of Bioiron 2019 together with Hal Drakesmith. Mitch Knutson designed, established and directed the Bioiron forum website-for which we expect more involvement from our community! The amended bylaws will give the BOD members direction so they are able to execute more successful initiatives like these.
Finally, the BOD discussed the venue of Bioiron 2021. It was decided not to pursue the Thailand option. On October 15, 2019, the BOD essentially ratified (unanimously) the outcome of the votes and announces: Bioiron 2021 will be in Darwin, Australia! More information will be posted on our websites. This decision was based on the fact that in two consecutive ballots Darwin, Australia led the vote for preferred meeting location. The Darwin proponents have been charged with obtaining the most affordable location and services as well as local support to attract the largest possible number of attendants. The BOD realizes that the travel component might be a bit heavy for some members, and therefore we plan to actively engage in providing maximum support. The local organizers have already secured substantial local support, and pledged to obtain more in due course, a move we all most welcome and wish further success.
Until Bioiron 2019, the IBIS BOD will continue to work on many important issues. We left most of the organization of the scientific program, which is successfully underway, to Martina and Matthias!
Finally, and probably a bit early for some, we wish you, your immediate family and your extended one (students and colleagues) a most fruitful and enjoyable remaining 2018 and a prosperous, innovative, healthy and above all, a peaceful 2019!
See you soon in Heidelberg!
Sincerely,
Ioav Cabantchik (Professor Emeritus)
IBIS President
posted: November 27, 2018