I, Professor Baba, have recently been elected President for the seventh term of the Japanese Pharmacological Society. The president of an academic society represents the society not only in academic aspects but in all other respects as well, and although I cannot possibly say that I am qualified for such a position, I am fully aware of the duty associated with it once I have been elected. I am determined to do my best for the society and its members.
At the directorsÕ meeting held on April 17, a new board was elected for this term. The following members were elected chairmen of the standing committees: Prof. Masayoshi MISHINA (Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo), the General Affairs Committee; Dr. Taku NAGAO (National Institute of Health Sciences), the Financial Committee; Prof. Toshitaka NABESHIMA (Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University), the Editorial Committee; Prof. Yasuyuki NOMURA (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University), the Research Promotion Committee; Prof. Masao ENDO (Yamagata University School of Medicine), the Public Relations Committee; and Prof. Kotaro TANIYAMA (Nagasaki University School of Medicine), the Planning and Education Committee. In addition, it was determined that the Annual Meetings and Scientific Planning Committee, a special committee that was established for the first time during the last term of the Board of Directors, will continue during this term, with Prof. Norio MATSUKI (Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, the University of Tokyo) serving as its chairman, in order to continue pursuing its objectives. Furthermore, it was decided that the policy to elect supplementary, board-elected directors from private companies and other organizations, which has been followed during the last two terms, will be followed again for this term and that this decision will be put to a vote at the general meeting. The new members for the board of directors, the standing committees and other teams have thus been elected, and they, together with the staff at the Office (the General Affairs Committee) and the Editorial Office, will work hard as one body. We expect enthusiastic support and cooperation from you members.
In this post-genomic era, various viewpoints and measures have already been pointed out in various places by many researchers as to how the science of pharmacology will increase in significance, including in the Agora section of the Journal of Pharmacological Society. I suppose that you members are working hard every day, with such opinions in mind, in order to achieve greater development of pharmacological studies from your individual standpoint. As is often pointed out, whereas molecular biology and so-called biochemistry seek to elucidate material aspects of molecules and their functions, I think it can be said that pharmacology, based on such knowledge, seeks further to analyze the functions of biological systems corresponding to the hierarchical levels of each system and to find out their systematic functions, thereby forming a field of science systemizing methods and logic for such activities. At the present time, when the life sciences in the post-genomic era are elucidating the functions of life and integrating findings from such studies and, furthermore, seeking to reach a mutual understanding of inter-species variability of life functions, I think it can be said that the special character of pharmacology as a field of science is perfectly suited for involvement in the mainstream of such activities. Therefore, at this time in which many life sciences, including basic medicine, are about to include Òdisease and new medicine developmentÓ in their scope, pharmacology should continue to develop as part of the mainstream.
Research is certainly pursued through the originality and hard work of individual or groups of researchers, and I believe that the role of an academic society is to systematically support researchers in such activities, to arrange a better environment for the development of their studies and to develop the system of the relevant field of science. From this point of view, the board of directors for this term is determined to continue striving to arrange an environment to support studies pursued by the members of the Pharmacological Society.
The system of the Pharmacological Society as a corporation was established during the terms of four presidents, from the first president, Prof. Minoru ENDO, through the successive presidents, Prof. Yasushi ABIKO, Prof. Tomo-o MASAKI and Prof. Eishichi MIYAMOTO. Based on this system, I think the Pharmacological Society has strived toward steady development on a firm foundation, as seen in the attempts by the fifth president, President Sato to activate the society, including the introduction of a system to induce the active participation of researchers in private companies to our scientific meetings, and in the futuristic perspective of the sixth president, President Hashimoto, including the review of the Office system and consideration of ways to make scientific plans for annual meetings. Currently, it can be said that many scientific societies are rather stagnant as far as the numbers of their members. Although a scientific society cannot be evaluated by the single measure of its membership, this trend must be stopped. The board of directors for this term will not only continue to develop various activities that the last two boards have worked on but will also focus on increasing membership. Again, we request the support and cooperation of you members.
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