2002 COVER PHOTO: a Schematic Diagram of the Smad Signalling System
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Bulletin The Canadian Society of Biochemistry, Molecular & Cellular Biology / La Société canadienne de biochimie, de biologie moléculaire et cellulaire 2002 www.csbmcb.ca COVER PHOTO: A schematic diagram of the Smad signalling system. (Illustration by Etienne Labbé.) Contents CSBMCB Board for 2002-2003 4 CSBMCB President’s Report 5 Incoming Members of CSBMCB Executive Board 2002-2003 6 Minutes of the 45th CSBMCB Annual General Meeting 14 CSBMCB/SC BBMC Financial Statement 20 45th Annual Meeting of the CSBMCB, Banff, Alberta 21 19th International Congress of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology 29 2003 IUBMB Toronto Congress – Background 32 Retrospective Reflections on the 11th IUB Toronto Congress 35 China and the IUB(MB)* 41 The History of Biochemistry at the University of Toronto 43 DNA 50 Years After:A Personal Perspective 48 The 2002 CSBMCB’s Merck Frosst Prize Lecture – Dr. Jeffrey Wrana 54 TGFß and the Smad Signal Transduction Pathway 55 The 2002 Jeanne Manery Fisher Memorial Lectureship Award – Dr. Mona Nemer 75 GATA-4:An Integrator of Hormonal and Growth Factor Signalling in the Heart 77 2003 Society Award Designates 82 News from Biochemistry Departments 84 CSBMCB Board for 2002-2003 PRESIDENT COUNCILLOR Dr. David W. Andrews, Tel: (905) 525-9140 Ext. 22075 Dr. Joseph R. Casey, Tel: (780) 492-7203 Department of Biochemistry, FAX: (905) 522-9033 Department of Physiology, FAX: (780)492-8915 McMaster University, E-Mail: [email protected] University of Alberta, E-Mail: [email protected] 1200 Main St.W., Edmonton, Alberta,T6G 2H7. Hamilton, Ontario, L8N 3Z5. COUNCILLOR PAST-PRESIDENT Dr. E. Bruce Waygood, Tel: (306) 966-8745 Dr. Leon W. Browder, Tel: (403) 220-6787 University Coordinator of Department of Biochemistry, Health Research, FAX: (306) 966-4737 & Molecular Biology, FAX: (403) 270-0737 209 Kirk Hall, University of University of Calgary, E-Mail: [email protected] Saskatchewan. E-Mail: [email protected] 3330 Hospital Drive, NW., 117 Science Place, Calgary, Alberta,T2N 4N1. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5C8. VICE-PRESIDENT COUNCILLOR Dr. John Orlowski, Tel: (514) 398-8335 Dr. Caren Helbing, Tel: Office (250) 721-6146 Department of Physiology, FAX (514) 398-7452 Department of Biochemistry McGill University, E-mail: [email protected] and Microbiology, Lab: (250) 721-7086 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Room 1112, University of Victoria, FAX: (250) 721-8855 Montreal, Quebec, H3G 1Y6. Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 3P6. E-mail: [email protected] TREASURER Dr. Fred B. Palmer, Tel: (902) 494-6436 (Office) COUNCILLOR Department of Biochemistry, FAX: (902) 494-1355 Dr. Linda Penn, Tel: (416) 946-2276 Dalhousie University, E-Mail: [email protected] Ontario Cancer Institute, FAX: (416) 946-2840 Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4H7. 610 University Avenue, E-mail: [email protected] Toronto, Ontario, M5G 2M9. SECRETARY Dr. Eugene R.Tustanoff, Tel: (519) 471-1961 CHAIR, NOMINATING COMMITTEE Department of Biochemistry, FAX: (519) 661-3175 Dr. Leon Browder University of Western Ontario, E-Mail: [email protected] Committee As Above London, Ontario, N6A 5C1. BULLETIN EDITORS COUNCILLOR Dr. Frances Sharom, Tel: (519) 824-4120, Ext. 52247 Dr. Claude Lazure, Tel: (514) 987-5593 Department of Chemistry Neuropeptides Structure & and Biochemistry, FAX: (519) 766-1499 Metabolism Laboratory, FAX: (514) 987-5542 University of Guelph, E-mail: Clinical Research Institute of Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1. [email protected] Montreal, E-Mail: [email protected] 110 Pine Avenue West, Dr. Reinhart Reithmeier, Tel: (416) 978-2696 Montreal, Quebec, H3W 1R7. Department of Biochemistry, FAX: (416) 978-8548 University of Toronto, E-mail: [email protected] COUNCILLOR Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8. Dr. David Litchfield, Tel: (519) 661-4186 Department of Biochemistry, FAX: (519) 661-3175 University of Western Ontario, E-Mail: [email protected] London, Ontario, N6A 5C1. 4 CSBMCB/SCBBMC BULLETIN 2002 CSBMCB President’s Report Dr. David Andrews Do all presidents reports start off by saying it has be an event that you will been a busy, productive year? It has certainly been not want to miss. The a year of change at CSBMCB! The Society contin- organizing committee ues to promote biological sciences in Canada by headed by Joel Weiner providing exciting annual meetings and by sup- have done a fantastic porting advocacy and policy activities. The execu- job on this meeting. tive have been very active in a number of areas Frances Sharom has and I think that we are making progress towards put a lot of work into an even more energetic and vital society. our web site this year. The past year has seen another excellent meet- New features including ing at the Banff site that has become one of our an employment oppor- regular venues. Once again the meeting featured a tunities page and elec- mix of top international and national researchers. tronic membership It is always gratifying to see Canadians sharing the pages. We plan to keep podium with the best from around the world. For improving this site to me high-points included presentations of new, make it more useful and integrate it with both our controversial data that later appeared in Cell, Nat. major activities. In progress is a program to man- Cell Biol., JCB and JBC in excellent talks by Drs. age memberships that will permit us to accept Bergeron, Grinstein, Wickner and others. The membership payments over the internet and it award lectures by Drs. Wrana and Nemer were will include our own system for managing meet- also very impressive. I am very pleased to say that ing registrations in the future. we were able to sponsor a record number of stu- Thanks to the efforts of David Litchfield, we dents to attend this fabulous meeting. We all funded more student activities this year than in thank Joe Casey and his team for the work they any previous year. They included: did organizing it. University of Saskatchewan - Research Day Although not possible to organize, the weather Dalhousie - Research Symposium and the scenery were fantastic, as always. If you Cross Cancer Centre (Univ. of Alberta) - have not yet attended one of our meetings I Research Symposium strongly urge you to do so. To get a feel for it imag- York University - Research Symposium ine the best attributes of a Keystone meeting and a York University - Career Day Gorden Conference combined. The facilities in UWO - Open House/Poster Day Banff are so well suited to our meetings that we University of Calgary - Research Retreat plan to meet there again in 2005! However, our 2003 meeting will be somewhat different as it will The backbone of the society is the work done by be held jointly with the International Union of the Treasurer and the Secretary. Fred Palmer has Biochemistry July 20-24,2003. If you have not done an excellent job as treasurer for many years. already marked this meeting on your calendars - As a result the society is financially healthy, able to do it now! The meeting features symposia orga- maintain non-profit status and continues to use nized around 9 thematic areas that cover virtually the resources available in the most effective man- all of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular ner to support science in Canada. Our society Biology (more information can be found at: functions smoothly and things get done on time http://www.nrc.ca/confserv/iubmb2003/). It will thanks to the tremendous efforts of Gene CSBMCB/SCBBMC BULLETIN 2002 5 Tustanoff. He also provides much needed corpo- Engineering (PAGSE) as part of their annual rate memory for those of us that are ‘transients’ gala event on Parliament Hill. The topic this within the executive. year was the importance of cancer research. Advocacy or Lobbying - depending on your 7) Bruce Sells and I met with both Alan Bernstein point of view - was a major activity this year. I have and the president of CFI to promote our views listed many of our efforts in this regard below: on the payment of indirect costs to universities. 1) We put out a position paper on overhead, 8) Several of our board members (Leon Browder, many of the details of this position paper were Joe Casey, Claude Lazure, Bruce Waygood and incorporated into a report prepared and dis- myself) have been working with a group tributed to decision makers in Ottawa on our brought together by CIHR with the intention behalf by CFBS. of establishing a new grassroots organization 2) Together with CFBS we prepared a report that to advocate on behalf of health research to the was used in personal visits and distributed to general public and politicians. It is currently decision makers in Ottawa. A copy of the called the Canadian Society of Health report can be viewed at: http:/ /www Researchers, but this working name will likely .cfbs.org/CapacityforInnovation.html. evolve along with the organization. 3) We participated in the direct lobbying of MPs 9) We have been working on the development of and other decision makers in Ottawa. This more sophisticated printed materials that we lobby effort was conducted together with CFBS hope will be useful for lobbying the federal and made use of the report described above. government. For the first time we met with members of the opposition party as well as with the governing Our most important goal for next year will be to Liberals. In our meetings with members of increase our membership base. That is the only Parliament and senior bureaucrats in Ottawa way to significantly increase our effectiveness in we stressed: A) The need for more and greater advocacy, increase participation in our meetings versatility in training programs for graduate and assure continued enthusiasm for our society. and postgraduate students. B) The need for fur- I urge you to talk to your colleagues, inform them ther investments to attract and retain the best of what we are doing, encourage them to attend and brightest scientists in order to further the IUBMB meeting next summer and helps us improve productivity in both basic and health become an even more effective voice in Ottawa by research.