EMBC Annual Report 2008
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EMBO | EMBC annual report 2008 EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY ORGANIZATION | EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY CONFERENCE EMBO | EMBC table of contents introduction preface by Hermann Bujard, EMBO 5 preface by Tim Hunt, EMBO Council 8 preface by Peter Weisbeek & Krešimir Pavelić, EMBC 9 past & present timeline & brief history 12 EMBO | EMBC | EMBL aims 14 EMBO actions 2008 17 EMBC actions 2008 21 EMBO & EMBC programmes and activities fellowship programme 24 courses & workshops programme 25 young investigator programme 26 installation grants 27 science & society programme 28 EMBO activities The EMBO Journal 32 EMBO reports 33 Molecular Systems Biology 34 EMBO Molecular Medicine 35 journal subject categories 36 national science reviews 37 The EMBO Meeting 38 women in science 39 gold medal 40 award for communication in the life sciences 41 plenary lectures 42 information support & resources 43 public relations & communications 44 European Life Sciences Forum (ELSF) 45 ➔ 2 table of contents appendix EMBC delegates and advisers 48 EMBC scale of contributions 55 EMBO council members 2008 56 EMBO committee members & auditors 2008 57 EMBO council members 2009 58 EMBO committee members & auditors 2009 59 EMBO members elected in 2008 60 advisory editorial boards & senior editors 2008 72 long-term fellowship awards 2008 76 long-term fellowships: statistics 94 long-term fellowships 2008: geographical distribution 96 short-term fellowship awards 2008 98 short-term fellowships: statistics 116 short-term fellowships 2008: geographical distribution 118 young investigators 2008 120 installation grantees 2008 121 young investigators 2000 – 2007 122 young investigators: statistics 124 young investigator lectures 2008 126 courses | workshops | conference series | symposia 2008 130 plenary lectures 2008 136 participation of women in EMBO activities: statistics 138 EMBO staff 144 events in 2008 courses | workshops | conference series | symposia 2009 148 other EMBO events 2009 154 organizations and ACRONYMS 156 ➔ 3 preface EMBO 2008 ➔ 4 www.embo.org | [email protected] preface | EMBO 2008 At EMBO, the year 2008 was exciting and work Probably the most important change we intensive. While EMBO staff carried on with have introduced concerns our membership. The dedication to run our well-established and EMBO Council moved, for the fi rst time since highly valued programmes and activities, we the foundation of EMBO in 1964, to signifi cantly reassessed some of our activities and routine. modify the membership election procedure Considering that concepts and approaches (page 17, 59) with the aim that our membership of molecular biology have over the years per- would refl ect in future more closely the diversi- vaded practically all areas of biological research ty of contemporary molecular biology. The new including disciplines with clearly applied goals, procedure was implemented immediately for such as biomedical research, plant breeding the 2009 membership elections. Hermann Bujard and biotechnology, we may ask whether the In line with broadening the spectrum of our EMBO Director scope and emphasis of EMBO activities is tak- activities, EMBO continues to help forge links ing all these developments into proper account. between basic biology and clinical research. For example, does our current membership The EMBO Molecular Medicine Workshop is refl ect all the important areas of life sciences, now an annual event; EMBO Fellowships offers where approaches of molecular biology have sabbatical grants for clinicians to spend time at moved the fi eld? Are we suffi ciently aware of the bench. But most importantly, everything is the emerging fi elds brought about by the syner- in place for the launch of our new journal, EMBO gy between molecular and cell biology and the Molecular Medicine, in early 2009 and we are new opportunities offered by physics, chemistry delighted to have a renowned group of scien- and informatics? Are our programmes and ac- tists on board as editors and advisors (page 35). tivities addressing all the relevant communities EMBO publications are an important and of researchers in Europe? Scientifi c publishing highly visible part of the organization’s activi- is in a state of rapid development – keywords: ties. We therefore regularly assess our editorial open access, derivatization, blogs etc – where policies to ensure that the needs of authors will, where can EMBO position itself? and readers are met. The recent announce- Pondering on such themes, we are in the ment of a “transparent review process” for unique situation to profi t from advice of a most The EMBO Journal (page 32) aims to make this competent membership. Indeed, the dedication process even more visible and is a fi rst step by which our members – individually, as part of in the further development of what I like to committees and working groups or as members call our “editorial culture”. Molecular Systems of the EMBO Council – support our activities in a Biology, in just three years, has developed a high truly European spirit is a hallmark of EMBO. level of regard within the systems biology ➝ ➝ www.embo.org | [email protected] ➔ 5 preface EMBO 2008 community, evidenced by a 2007 impact factor we are excited by the new EMBL Advanced of 9.954 (page 34). EMBO reports continues to Training Centre, which will allow us to organ- be recognized for its innovative format combin- ize together the new annual series of EMBO/ ing scientifi c reports with reviews and articles EMBL Symposia. The inaugural symposia series that link scientifi c research with society (page for 2010 covering most interesting topics is in 33). Mindful that new publishing models and place (page 18). technologies represent both threats and oppor- Three EMBO Members were honoured, with tunities, a special working party of EMBO Mem- the Noble Prize in 2008: Luc Montagnier, for the bers and other stakeholders in scientifi c pub- identifi cation of the human immunodefi ciency lishing reviewed recent developments and their virus, Harald zur Hausen for his work on virus in- potential impact on the EMBO publications and duced cervical cancer, and Robert Tsien and col- we will continue to monitor these in the future. leagues for the discovery of fl uorescent proteins, Consistent with the view that we need a which, developed into tools, have revolutionized broad scope annual life science conference in the study of gene function. EMBO congratulates Europe, we are preparing for the inauguration of its new Nobel Laureates and takes pride in hav- The EMBO Meeting in 2009 (page 38). This annu- ing them joining the illustrious group of EMBO al conference continues a tradition begun by Kai Members, now 48, who have received over the Simons with the successful ELSO meetings held years this most prestigious award. since the year 2000. Thus, after the fi nal ELSO In 2008, 59 new EMBO Members were meeting in Nice in September 2008 – jointly elected (51 ordinary members and eight as- organized by ELSO and EMBO – EMBO will take sociate members from non-EMBC countries). over this important task. The meeting will serve A most memorable meeting, splendidly organ- as a platform for scientifi c exchange beyond ized by Howy Jacobs in Tampere, Finland, gave narrow fi eld boundaries and address scientists us the opportunity to welcome our new mem- at all stages of their career from academia and bers elected in 2007 and to award the EMBO industry alike including, in particular, graduate Gold Medal for 2007 to developmental biologist, and PhD students. James Briscoe (page 40). The fruitful cooperation with EMBL contin- We also welcomed 12 young colleagues ued in our Science & Society Programme. Thus, who were elected EMBO Young Investigators in 2009, EMBO will organize the 10th EMBO/ and seven young scientists who were awarded EMBL Science & Society Conference addressing EMBO Installation Grants to set up laboratories a most pressing problem – Food, sustainability in the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, and plant science: a global challenge. More over, Portugal and Turkey (page 26, 27, 120, 121). ➔ 6 www.embo.org | [email protected] EMBO 2008 The success of these as well as of our post- to the recent launches of new websites for both doctoral fellowship programmes (page 24) is EMBC and EMBO. based on both a well-conceived evaluation and In all our efforts we found insightful support election process and on the EMBO tradition of and guidance from delegates of the EMBC, from fostering communities where the awardees the EMBO Council and of course from numer- meet, communicate and fi nally form a network ous EMBO Members. I am confi dent that we can of fi rst-rate researchers interacting throughout build on that experience in future, particularly Europe and worldwide. An interesting example in the year 2009, when we are seeking contin- resulting from such interactions was the EMBO ued support from the EMBC Member States for Young Scientists Forum in Istanbul organized by the execution of our general programme in the Turkish recipients of EMBO Installation Grants. period from 2010 to 2015. Over 400 Turkish Master and PhD students gath- Finally, I would like to thank EMBO staff for ered in this excellent and spirited meeting that their dedication and initiative in serving our created much excitement also in Turkish media community. ■ (page 27). Training and access to information are keys to success for scientists. In 2008 again around 6000 researchers participated in one of our “core activities”, the EMBO Course & Work- shops programme, renowned for its quality that results from the evaluations of our members serving on the EMBO Courses & Workshops Committee (page 25). During the past year, we improved and sim- plifi ed many internal processes. Gerlind Wallon and Jan Taplick assumed increased responsibili- ties as Deputy Directors of EMBO. Information technology is now co-ordinated within the In- formation, Resources & Support group (page 43) and all communications activities are co-ordi- nated through the Public Relations & Communi- cations group (page 44) – both groups were key www.embo.org | [email protected] ➔ 7 preface EMBO Council 2008 The EMBO Council took some important deci- with fewer votes losing out for the time be- sions in 2008.