Our recently elected Officers (John Somerville, Vice-President; Arpita
Maiti, Secretary; Andrew Glasebrook, Treasurer) and Board of Directors
(Laurent Audoly, Brydon Bennett, James Ellis, Richard Griffiths, Tineke
Meijers, James Mobley, Lisa Olson, Lisa Schopf, Joel Tocker, and Bruce
Tomczuk) are in the midst of planning the upcoming 15th International
Conference. This group will also focus and strategize on providing
attendees with quality meetings that spotlight, in a continually
changing world, the role of inflammation in disease. Please visit our
website (www.inflammationresearch.org) for more information on these and
future meetings.

The IRA recently held its very successful 14th International Conference at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge, Maryland (October 15-19, 2006).  As in previous years, this meeting featured a mix of basic and applied research with ample opportunity to interact with scientists and clinicians from various sectors (academia, industry, and government), all in a relaxed environment. The meeting began with a special session, “Patient Perspective on Inflammatory Disease” during which three patients suffering from chronic inflammatory diseases described and shared their personal views of what it is like to live with their specific disease and therapy. This was a moving and inspirational session that set the tone for the rest of the meeting as many important advances in treatment have been made in recent years yet there is still a significant remaining unmet medical need that impacts the quality of life of millions of people.

The meeting also featured a “speed networking” session in which young investigators met with “seasoned” researchers from both academia and industry to gain insight into career paths and opportunities as well as the general direction of inflammation research.  The outcome was very positive for all participants on both sides of the table!

During this upcoming term, your Board will further review and refine management of the organization and institute appropriate changes that will allow the IRA to flourish in a very competitive environment. We plan to continue using professional support for some administrative functions allowing the Board to focus on meeting organization, as well as fundraising to support this non-profit organization.

Our Web site (www.inflammationresearch.org ) is the primary portal that allows you to:  1) interact with other members by searching for their contact details; and, 2) receive up-to-date information about future IRA-sanctioned meetings and events. Remember that membership is free and it’s only a matter of a few keystrokes to join. For existing members, we strongly encourage you to keep your contact information current since email is our sole means of communication.

The Inflammation Research Association is also a founding member of the
International Association of Inflammation Societies (IAIS) which
promotes inflammation research worldwide. The IAIS just recently held
the successful 8th World Congress of Inflammation in Copenhagen, Denmark
where the IRA sponsored a symposium entitled "The Intersection of Cancer
and Inflammation".

On behalf of the IRA Board, we look forward to your participation during the 2006-2008 term.  Please feel free to drop us an email if you have questions, comments or want to participate at an organizational level in the IRA.

Respectfully,

William M. Selig
bselig@magenbiosciences.com
President, Inflammation Research Association

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