Register & submit your research from 3 June ISSN No: 1757-8175 PHARMACOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF Volume 9, issue 3 – November 2016 MICROVASCULAR CELL-CELL SIGNALLING AND CVS DISEASE 21−22 September 2016 Oxford, UK
An open outlook: across publishing, education and engagement
There has been a dramatic increase in our understanding of cell signalling over the last five years, with key papers indicating the importance of endothelial cell projections as signalling microdomains, which appear subject to disruption by cardiovascular disease. This focused meeting will provide a forum for scientists working in vascular biology, with a particular interest in identifying novel therapeutic targets in endothelial cell dysfunction that is a feature of cardiovascular disease.
Deadlines for your diary: For further information about Abstract submission: 10 August attending or presenting at this meeting, Early registration: 26 August please email [email protected] or Bursaries (available for members visit www.bps.ac.uk/cvs. of the British Pharmacological Society): 10 August Pyschoactive substances education I Open access publishing I Integrative Pharmacology Fund review Pharmacology Matters I November 2016
Contents
Editorial Your BPS 4 Jono Brüün
British Pharmacological Society 5 journals, Open Access Publication, Felicity N.E. Gavins REF2020 and Research Funders’ Save the date Editor-in-Chief, Pharmacology Matters requirements Kathryn Wilson & Graeme Henderson
It has certainly been a very busy year, Next, Hefin Rhys gives an insight into the What’s next for UK in vivo 8 INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS and I personally cannot believe that we William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI education and training? are close to the festive holidays already… – an institute close to my heart, as I did Lessons from the Integrative Where has this year gone? my PhD with Professors Roderick Flower Pharmacology Fund and Mauro Perretti) meeting that took Michael Collis, Dave Lewis RESEARCH CONFERENCE (INRC) & Anna Zecharia That being said, the busy year has not place in June. 10−14 July deterred us all on the Pharmacology Banning psychoactive substances 10 Bath Assembly Rooms, Bath, UK Matters editorial board as we have The Society’s Young Pharmacologists is not enough, we need education too another packed edition for you all. In this Advisory Group provided funding for four Lisa Lione current issue Kathryn Wilson and Graeme young scientists to attend the Italian Henderson write a very succinct article Society of Pharmacology (SIF) meeting Public engagement at the 14 to make sense of the new regulations in September of this year. One of those Royal Society of Biology for submission of scientific papers to the funding recipients, Olga Dorofejeva, Mark Downs next UK Research Excellence Framework reports on her experiences and findings Science is global 16 exercise (REF2020) in 2020. from this meeting. Following this article, Vedia Can reports the exciting William Harvey Research 18 Michael Collis, Dave Lewis and Anna development that both Early Career and Institute 30th Anniversary Meeting Zecharia then discuss what is next for Postgraduate Members of the Society Hefin Rhys in vivo education and training in the now have the right to vote within the The 19th SIF Seminar Rimini 20 UK. They discuss the outcome of the Society, and what this new development event – shaping the future Integrative Pharmacology Fund (IPF) means for the Society. together! Review which was launched in 2004 as Olga Dorofejeva a way to address the acute shortage of Finally, we have our regular meetings UK researchers with in vivo skills (indeed overview from Barbara McDermott, Early Career and Postgraduate 22 I was a part of the Imperial College Talja Dempster and Susanne Schweda, Members granted the voting right consortium which received this funding, and also upcoming meetings and events. Vedia Can which was headed by Professor Julia We also hear from Dr Jon Robbins about Meetings update 24 Buckingham) and where we are today. his hobby – motorcycles! Barbara McDermott, Talja Dempster & Susanne Schweda The next article by Lisa Lione focuses Overall, a very packed and exciting on novel psychotic substances (NPSs) edition of Pharmacology Matters! Please Physiologist 27 or “legal highs” and the Psychoactive enjoy. Pharmacologist Substance Act 2016, what it means Biker! and what the future holds. Following I wish you all a very festive holiday and Jon Robbins on from Lisa’s article, Mark Downs a really wonderful 2017. gives a delightful overview of public engagement work that the Royal Society Best wishes, The International Narcotics Research Conference, founded in of Biology is undertaking. Felicity 1974, is an organisation whose purpose is to run an annual scientific meeting on the topic of opioid research bringing together scientists from around the world to discuss aspects of Editorial Team Editorial Board opioid research ranging from genetic and molecular to in vivo Vedia Can studies. Editor-in-Chief Margaret Cunningham Disclaimer Felicity Gavins Mike Curtis Opinions expressed in Pharmacology Matters are not necessarily those of the British Pharmacological Society. The publishers, authors, and printers cannot accept liability for Karolina Gherbi errors or omissions. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced in Managing Editor Fraz Mir any form without the prior written permission of the copyright holder and the publisher, Sophia Griffiths application for which should be made to the publisher, The British Pharmacology Christopher Tsantoulas Society. Registered office: The Schild Plot, 16 Angel Gate, City Road, London, EC1V 2PT. Steven Tucker Tel: +44(0)20 7239 0171; Fax: +44(0)20 74170114; Website: www.bps.ac.uk. British Pharmacological Society is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England with No. 2877400, registered charity No, 1030623.
For more information about attending or presenting 3 please contact [email protected] or visit www.bps.ac.uk.
INRC save the date.indd 1 05/04/2016 12:41:01 Your BPS
Jono Brüün Chief Executive
It’s hard to believe that when this is The first outcome of the Focus project distilled from a huge range of Research published, we will be approximately a is our new core undergraduate Excellence Framework (REF) impact case month away from Pharmacology 2016. pharmacology curriculum, which will be studies. We expect to pull all of these The team at the Schild Plot is focused on launched on Wednesday 14 December important research strands together, delivering another lively and successful during the Pharmacology meeting. along with the work already undertaken, meeting, with many new activities The new curriculum sets out the core to help inform the Society’s strategy planned. This year, we are very excited to knowledge, skills and attitudes that from 2018, so I expect you’ll hear more be holding our Welcome Reception at the pharmacology graduates must be able from me on this in the future! National Gallery, so we hope that you can to apply upon successful completion join us for a glass of wine amongst one of of an undergraduate degree. It is the If you’re interested in finding out more, the greatest collections of paintings in the culmination of over a year’s work using please do join us in the hour following world. There’s still time to book for the the Delphi process to gain the input our AGM, when Dr Anna Zecharia, the meeting and social events if you haven’t through various workshops of an expert Society’s Head of Education, Training done so already (the meeting is free for group formed of individuals working and Policy, who has led on Focus, will be members to attend!). Simply go to across the pharmacological spectrum. discussing the project and its outcomes www.bps.ac.uk/pharmacology2016 to As part of the launch on 14 December, we in more detail. register. If you are planning to attend, will be holding an interactive workshop In other news, there have been a few I look forward to seeing you there. to showcase innovative approaches team changes at the Society in recent to pharmacology education that will months to let you know about. Since 2016 has been another productive support the new core curriculum from last writing to you, Lee Page has joined year for the Society. A summary of our 09:00–11: 00. We hope that you will be our team as Clinical Education, Training activities in 2016 will be presented as able to join us for this launch. part of our Annual General Meeting & Policy Manager. After 14 months at (AGM) on Wednesday 14 December from A major aspect of the Focus project the Society, Talja Dempster, Head of 12:15–14:15 (at Pharmacology). I would has been a review of the Integrative Meetings & Events, left the Society in encourage you to attend to find out Pharmacology Fund (IPF) and this work October to take up a new position a more about how the Society is managed has also now been completed (see GSMA. Susanne Schweda, our former on your behalf. However, if you’re unable ‘What’s next for UK in in vivo education Meetings Manager, has taken over to attend, slides and materials from the and training? Lessons from the Talja’s position on an interim basis and AGM will be available to our members Integrative Pharmacology Fund’ on page Charlotte Cordrey has joined the Society through the ‘My Society’ section of the 8 for more information). The resulting as Events Manager to support Susi’s website at www.bps.ac.uk/mysociety. report evaluates the impact of the £22 busy department I’m sure you will join million fund since its launch in 2004 me in welcoming Lee and Charlotte to In the last edition, I talked about our and make recommendations for in vivo our team, and thanking Talja for all the Focus on Pharmacology project and education, research and training going positive contributions she’s made during said that I hoped to be able to update forward. The IPF report will be formally her time at the Society. you further with the great work that launched on 1 December at the Genesis we’re doing to understand and support Conference and should pave the way for It’s been another fantastic year at the pharmacology teaching in the UK. For the Society to engage in the important British Pharmacological Society. Thank those who may have missed it, the Focus subject of in vivo skills and training in the you to all our members for your support. on Pharmacology is a mammoth research years to come. Do keep an eye out on On behalf of the team at the Schild Plot project that aims to help us understand our website in early December for more in London, I wish you a Merry Christmas! the health and well-being of our information. discipline in the UK, with the intention of creating strategic goals, products More outcomes of the Focus project, and services to support and develop some of which we hope to be able pharmacology, and our members, in to discuss with you at the meeting the years to come. I’m now pleased to in December, include an audit of be able to share a number of outcomes undergraduate pharmacology teaching from the project, some of which will be in the UK, and an assessment of the launched at Pharmacology 2016. impact of the discipline that will be
4 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016 British Pharmacological Society journals, Open Access Publication, REF2020 and Research Funders’ requirements
Kathryn Wilson, British Pharmacological Society Head of Publishing Graeme Henderson, British Pharmacological Society – Vice President Publications
This article is primarily directed towards UK-based readers. Making sense of the new regulations for submission of scientific publications to the next UK Research Excellence Framework exercise (REF2020) as well as the requirements imposed by research funders such as the Medical Research Council (MRC) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (referred to collectively as Research Councils Subscription access is where the UK) and medical charities is not easy. content is only available to those We would therefore like to take this who are in an institution which holds opportunity to explore some of the Box 1. Open Access a subscription or who hold their own key aspects surrounding compliance Gold open access – following personal subscription to that journal. to these policies, how they relate scientific review and acceptance PR&P is an entirely ‘gold’ open access to British Pharmacological Society of an article, then on payment of journal. Definitions of ‘gold’ and journals, and provide links to some an article processing charge (APC) ‘green’ open access are provided in resources that may be useful to our the article will be freely available Box 1. members when considering submitting online under a CC BY licence (see research outputs to REF2020. Box 4 for definition of licences) Some subscription journals charge immediately upon publication. British Pharmacological manuscript handling fees as well as requiring authors to pay page charges Society Journals Green open access – following for accepted manuscript publication scientific review and acceptance, Currently the British Pharmacological (these charges are different from the the article will be published Society publishes three scientific Article Processing Charges payable to in a journal, and a version journals – British Journal of make articles open access). (generally the version accepted Pharmacology (BJP), British Journal BJP and BJCP do not levy handling for publication) can be deposited of Clinical Pharmacology (BJCP) or page charges. For both BJP and in an institutional repository to and (jointly with the American BJCP, manuscript submission is free become freely available online Society for Pharmacology & to authors and so is publication - the after an embargo period (this is Experimental Therapeutics and costs of manuscript handling, scientific usually 6 or 12 months depending Wiley) Pharmacological Research and review, press editing, hyperlinking and upon the policy of the journal or Perspectives (PR&P). BJP and BJCP typesetting of proofs are subsumed the publisher, but is generally also are wholly owned by the Society and into the costs of producing the stipulated in the copyright licence utilize a ‘hybrid’ publication model journals. Levying no charges on the you sign). Many UK institutions offering both ‘subscription’ access to authors makes BJP and BJCP popular use PURE as their institutional content (predominately institutional with scientists in the UK and in other repository. subscription) as well as ‘green’ and countries who do not have access to ‘gold’ open access. funds to pay for publication.
5 REF2020 manuscript using the Sherpa RoMEO A further confusion arises because website available online at the REF2020 regulations for research British Pharmacological Society http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/romeo. publications are not the same as members working in academic those that apply to researchers who institutions in the UK will be all too are funded by RCUK or some medical aware of the Research Excellence charities. For RCUK and medical Framework (REF) which comes Box 2. REF2020 charity funded research free access to around every five or so years. In the scientific publication the article can only be embargoed for next REF the rules governing which requirements up to 6 months (see Box 3). This means publications can be submitted will be that work funded by RCUK or medical For journal articles published different from those that have applied charities must be published in BJP, after 1 April 2016 only in the past (see Box 2). It is often BJCP and PR&P as ‘gold’ open access publications meeting the stated that in REF2020 only ‘open because BJP and BJCP have a 12-month following requirements will be access’ publications will be eligible embargo limit. However, both RCUK acceptable for submission for submission and some researchers and the medical charities provide assume that this means that only funds to UK research institutions to • Gold open access ‘gold’ open access publications will cover the costs of ‘gold’ open access be allowed. This is incorrect; the publication of their funded research • Green open access with requirements are that the article and it is a fairly simple process to accepted manuscript deposited must be freely available online twelve access these funds through your in an institutional or subject months after publication and that a institution. copy of the accepted version of the repository no later than manuscript must have been deposited three months after journal in an institutional repository within acceptance and becoming 3 months of acceptance. However, open access no more than access to this deposited article can twelve months (for Medicine) be embargoed for up to 12 months after first publication. depending on the requirements of the journal in which it is published (i.e. This policy does not apply to this is a form of ‘green’ open access). monographs, book chapters or This means that all articles published non-text outputs. in BJP, BJCP and PR&P qualify for submission to REF2020 as long as Articles published prior to the authors deposit the accepted 1 April 2016 do not need to manuscript in their institutional comply with the REF open access repository. You can check whether a requirements. journal complies with the REF2020 regulations before you submit your
6 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016
within the journals, and as a ‘gold’ Making British open access journal PR&P solely Box 3. Research Funders’ Pharmacological Society operates with creative commons journal content readily requirements licences. More information on copyright licences can be found in available in developing RCUK funded research Box 4. countries - Gold open access (cost of APC Those who promote ‘gold’ open access available from block grant publication often promulgate the idea to universities and eligible that a major benefit of open access research organisations). Box 4. Copyright over subscription journal publishing - Green open access (no APC licences is that ‘gold’ open access allows payable) with accepted Transfer of copyright/ researchers in countries that cannot manuscript deposited Exclusive licence afford to pay for expensive journal in repository and article agreement – an agreement subscriptions free, immediate access becoming open access no more whereby authors transfer or to leading scientific publications. than six months after online license copyright of their work However, most of the leading publication. often to a publisher or society medical research publishers, British (depending on the ownership of Pharmacological Society included, Medical charities – Wellcome the journal). do in fact provide free or very low cost Trust, British Heart Foundation immediate online access to the content (BHF) and others Creative Commons of their journals to local, not-for- - Gold open access (cost of APC Licences – Under a CC BY licence profit institutions in low and middle available from Charity Open the author retains copyright of income countries through the WHO Access Fund (COAF) allocation their own work, and depending HINARI Access to Research for Health to UK research institutions). on the licence selected, a Programme. Eligible countries are - Green open access (no APC variety of levels of reuse are listed on the HINARI website (http:// payable) with accepted permitted. Under all CC BY www.who.int/hinari/en/). Currently article to be available through licences the original work must the full content of BJP and BJCP is PubMed Central/Europe be acknowledged. available to researchers and teachers PubMed Central within six in 4,800 institutions in the developing months of publication. The Creative Commons world through this programme thus Attribution licence (often just benefiting many thousands of health referred to as CC BY) is the most workers and researchers. Copyright permissive of all the creative commons licences, and allows The combination of no manuscript The copyright option an author selects others the ability to distribute, handling charges, open access dictates how researchers, funders, remix and build upon an author’s options, and a commitment to policy makers, and the general public work (including for commercial making content freely available for can use and distribute their work. In purposes) as long as they researchers in developing markets, many cases authors are asked to sign correctly acknowledge the means that readers can be assured a copyright transfer agreement, or an original work. that our journals are both fully funder exclusive licence agreement which compliant, and also accessible globally. transfers or licences the copyright of The type of Creative Common their article to a publisher or society. licence required varies between However, in most of these instances an journals, publishers, and About the authors author will still retain the right to re- funders, ranging from CC BY (The Graeme Henderson is currently use and share versions of an article, for Wellcome Trust, RCUK and BHF British Pharmacological Society example the right to self-archive work all mandate this licence for work Vice President – Publications and a in an institutional repository. they fund), to more restrictive former President of the Society. He licences such as CC BY-NC which is a Professor of Pharmacology at Alternatively, authors can opt to specifies reuse of work can only the University of Bristol. publish their article as open access be for non-commercial purposes, Kathryn Wilson is the Head under a Creative Commons Licence. or even CC BY-NC-ND which allows of Publishing at the British This allows an author to retain sharing of an article only if the Pharmacological Society. She copyright to their own article, and also work remains unchanged, and has over eight years’ experience allows for compliance with a number also not used for commercial working within academic of funder mandates. Because both BJP purposes. publishing. and BJCP are hybrid publications, both these licence options are available
7 What’s next for UK in vivo education and training? Lessons from the Integrative Pharmacology Fund
Michael Collis, Dave Lewis & Anna Zecharia IPF evaluation project team members
In vivo knowledge and skills have Research2 and supports the essential to be replaced. In vivo training in always been essential in academic use of animals in research and the the traditional model had become research labs that investigate basic principles of the 3Rs (Replacement, too expensive and time consuming physiology, ageing, diseases and Reduction, Refinement). The use of for most universities to provide it. their pharmacological treatments. animals is currently an important link The IPF sought to address this in a Their importance has increased as in the drug discovery and development holistic way, aiming to support in researchers have sought to understand chain. Numerous new drug targets vivo pharmacological, physiological the functional significance of genomic have been revealed by the Human and toxicological education, information, particularly through the Genome Project and, together with training and research across the use of transgenic models. However, high capacity screening of novel complete “academic pipeline” education and training in this area is compounds in the pharmaceutical from undergraduate to established a recognised challenge, and reports industry, have led to many new drug researcher or Lecturer. Over the from the Association of the British candidates with novel modes of action. twelve years of its existence, it has Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), Unfortunately, many of these have funded many initiatives including Biosciences Federation and others failed in the clinic and companies undergraduate education, Masters have stressed the acute shortage of are attempting to reduce the risk of and PhD training, twenty new- UK researchers with these skills1. The failure in their discovery programmes. blood lectureships; four Centres Society took action in 2004, launching This “de-risking” includes conducting of Integrative Mammalian Biology the £4m Integrative Pharmacology preclinical animal studies to build (Centres of excellence for in vivo Fund (IPF) together with Pfizer, confidence that a novel mechanistic education, training and research) AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. approach is likely to be both and pump priming research grants. It’s now just over ten years on and efficacious and safe, identification Furthermore, the initial investment by an independent evaluation of the of ‘translational biomarkers’ to the three pharmaceutical companies fund is near completion. The Society facilitate ‘go/no-go’ decisions early in ended up leveraging a total of £22m commissioned the evaluation with the clinical trial process, and studies through partnership funding from an aim to understand whether the to relate pharmacodynamics and the research councils, HEFCE, SFC and IPF was successful, what worked and pharmacokinetics for candidate drugs. the then Department of Trade and what didn’t – and importantly, how to Industry. apply this learning to future initiatives. The reasons for the reported skills The full report will be launched on 1 shortage were quantified by a The IPF was successful – but December 2016, and will be available British Pharmacological Society we need to build on it on the Society’s website at this time. and Physiological Society survey in 20043 which showed that less than Over the last year, in partnership with Why does in vivo science 2% of relevant students had any the University of Exeter, the Society matter? practical exposure to in vivo science. has evaluated the feedback from Furthermore, 25% of the staff who undergraduate in vivo courses, sent The Society is a signatory of The taught these skills were retiring in questionnaires to ~ 100 postgraduate Concordat on Openness on Animal the next 5 years and were unlikely recipients of IPF funding and followed
8 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016 these up with over 24 hours of in-depth research projects and their skills interviews. This was followed by a training and career progression roundtable with representatives from should be high priority so that they IPF Evaluation team the Centres of Integrative Mammalian can have greater involvement. There British Pharmacological Society Biology and a stakeholder workshop are opportunities for best practice in Dr Dave Lewis including representatives from in vivo research to be communicated Dr Mike Collis academia, industry, research councils through networks and expert groups Dr Anna Zecharia and animal welfare organisations. across the disciplines. Finally, public Throughout the evaluation process, engagement and openness about University of Exeter the aim was to understand past animal research need to be promoted Dr James Lowe interventions and to discuss the future by all involved and supported by Professor Sabina Leonelli of in vivo training and education. The academic institutions. Professor Gail Davies headline conclusion was that the IPF successfully increased the ability for UK The role of the British universities to deliver high quality in Pharmacological Society About the authors vivo education, training and research. Dave Lewis However, there are significant concerns There is clearly much to do, and it Dave Lewis is the Chair of the about its sustainability now that the cannot be done alone. The Society Animal Welfare and In Vivo funding had ceased. The Centres is proud to be a leader in the in vivo Pharmacology Committee and a of Integrative Mammalian Biology sciences, both in terms of practical Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience were a particular success, with the support but also in its strategic and Scientific Ethics at the development of strong local networks, thinking. The Society’s Council has University of Leeds. He has a long the fostering of new research ratified the independent evaluation, standing interest and involvement collaborations and the sharing of good supporting the recommendations in vivo education and training, practice. The evaluation team has and committing resource to exploring nationally and internationally. reflected on these findings, and drawn implementation with the wider sector. up ten recommendations for future The work will be led by the Animal Mike Collis action from the evidence base and the Welfare and In Vivo Pharmacology Sub- A former industrial principles that led to success. Committee, in collaboration with other committees, members and relevant pharmacologist and chief executive of the Physiological What’s next? organisations. The year ahead will see the Society embark on a number Society, Mike Collis has been It is unlikely that the level of funding of specific initiatives, including a involved in the organisation of the provided by the IPF can be repeated. process to develop the core learning IPF from its inception and acted as The report’s recommendations will objectives, continuing to fund in vivo co-ordinator for the IMB centres. acknowledge this, and are clear on modules and expanding its activity to the need for the community to come uphold the Concordat commitments. Anna Zecharia together in order to support in vivo It will also be an opportunity to look A former research neuroscientist, education, training and research in forwards and develop a long-term Anna Zecharia is now Head of the UK with limited resources. A clear strategy in partnership with the wider Education, Training and Policy finding was the need for core learning community. at the British Pharmacological objectives for undergraduate and Society. As such, she leads postgraduate in vivo sciences modules. For further information about the next the Focus on Pharmacology Such objectives should be developed steps for in vivo sciences at the Society programme of which the IPF in partnership with the community or to register interest in the report evaluation project is one strand. and guided by research into the launch, please contact Dr Dave Lewis outcomes of differentin vivo education ([email protected]). and training interventions. Financial support should be provided for these modules and e-learning resources developed to maximise their impact References and reach. Research and training 1. ABPI and Biosciences Federation (2007) In vivo sciences in the UK: sustaining the supply of the skills in the 21st century. See also: ABPI (2005) Sustaining the Skills Pipeline in the pharmaceutical and collaborations between academia, biopharmaceutical industries; and ABPI (2008) Skills Needs for Biomedical Research: Creating the industry and the NHS should be Pools of Talent to Win the Innovation Race. encouraged and in vivo apprenticeships 2. Understanding Animal Research. Concordat on Openness on Animal Research [Internet]. November jointly established. Small “pump- 2016. Available from: http://www.understandinganimalresearch.org.uk/policy/concordat- priming” grants should be provided to openness-animal-research/ 3. British Pharmacological Society (2004) A survey of integrative physiology/pharmacology teaching help early career researchers who are undertaken by the BPS and the Physiological Society, pA2 Online (BPS Newsletter) Vol. 3 No. 2: 10–11. using in vivo techniques. Laboratory Available online at: http://www.pa2online.org/articles/article.jsp?volume=5&issue=2&article=31 animal technologists support many Note that ‘in vivo education’ here involved practical work conducted that required a personal licence.
9 Banning psychoactive substances is not enough, we need education too Lisa Lione, Senior Lecturer in the School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire
The Psychoactive Substances Act 2016
Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPSs), also referred to as ‘legal highs’, represent a bewildering array of unregulated psychoactive compounds, marketed globally as legal alternatives to well-known controlled drugs1. More than 40 years ago, the synthetic chemist Alexander Shulgin said that, in the future, underground researchers would synthesise novel psychoactive stimulants2. Shulgin’s prophecy came true. Over the past ten years, the UK has witnessed the rapid emergence of NPSs, sold over the internet and in high street “head shops” facilitating availability. The content, interactions, side effects and abuse potential of these NPSs are often unknown, not only to users but Jon R Hanna/Wikimedia BY-SA. CC Commons, also to healthcare professionals. Alexander Shulgin predicted the rise of novel psychoactive substances. The UK is one of the biggest consumers of NPSs in Europe3 with frequent reports of serious clinical and public health issues, particularly they could receive a prison sentence of However, the fact that Ireland has for vulnerable groups (prisoners, up to seven years. Possession is not struggled to enforce its NPS law (use teenagers, homeless)4. 58% of an offence. among young people has not only NPSs were purchased online in the gone up since their law was introduced UK last year and NPS users are three Legality, drug demand in 2010 but use is now the highest in times more likely to end up seeking & drug harm the EU6) is cause for concern. emergency medical treatment than using traditional drugs3. The risk of Worryingly for me, the Government If the law is consistently enforced, potential harms, i.e. mental health seemingly delayed this legislation the fear of imprisonment will no issues, crime, debt and violence has because it had not established doubt deter open high street and prompted the UK Parliament to pass exactly how substances will be internet sales of NPSs in the UK and the Psychoactive Substances Act tested for ‘psychoactivity’. This will make the likes of parents feel safer 20165. This UK law says that if a person be difficult given the wide range of when their protégé socialise or surf produces, distributes, supplies, the psychoactive substances that fall the net. However, prohibition will not imports or exports a substance under this law. However, enforcement address supply of NPSs via the largely capable of having a psychoactive of this law will be vital to eradicate the untraceable area of the internet, effect – nicotine, alcohol, caffeine and open sale of NPSs on high streets, on especially the dark net7 nor will it medicinal products are excluded – UK websites and in our prisons. address drug demand – the basic
10 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016 human desire for seeking pleasure the ancient Greeks, after all, took that ‘if something is legal it does and altered states of consciousness. advantage of the opium poppy and not mean it is safe’ and anything you Worryingly, dark-net purchases are cannabis leaf. Surely then the odds are consume is potentially unsafe, it is rising (4.5% to 6.7% in the past year3) stacked against this law influencing simply a matter of how much of it you and demands for NPSs made illegal NPS demand unless there is also a clear consume. under the UK Misuse of Drugs Act communication of the consequences 1971, such as mephedrone, have not of consuming NPSs. Also, we must Public opinion in Europe ranks significantly changed in the last 3 not lose sight of the fact that far information and prevention 8 years indicating that simply making more prevalent “lawful” psychoactive campaigns as the second most something illegal seems to have little substances taken in the UK, alcohol important way for the policy makers impact on demand. There is also an and tobacco (exempt of this ban) to tackle society’s drug problems14. early indication that future demand are more harmful than many illegal Second, that is, to punishing the drug 12 is unlikely to shift. A survey of 1,000 drugs, such as cannabis and ecstasy . dealers and traffickers, which this new 16–24 year olds found that nearly two A national prohibition of alcohol law will do. To address public opinion thirds of respondents said that they (1920–33) in the US led to an increase this law needs to work in tandem are likely to continue to use NPSs, in alcohol consumption, crime, with a comprehensive education and 9 despite the ban . NPS use is highest imprisonment and a switch to other targeted public awareness campaign amongst 16–24 year olds who are more dangerous illegal substances such highlighting the potential risks 13 likely to enhance their experiences as opium, marijuana, and cocaine . and harms from these substances, especially in social events (e.g. club The fact that this experiment failed particularly for the more vulnerable nights) with key motivations being on all counts is an important lesson. risk taking 16–24 year olds, parents 10 curiosity, boredom and peer pressure . This new UK law makes no distinction and teachers. Currently, science is the between very harmful psychoactive only statutory subject that delivers Another consideration is that substances, such as synthetic opiates drug education in UK schools, and information from users via blogs and better tolerated ones, such as this is largely confined to biological or internet sales sites may not laughing gas. Ironically, whilst alcohol understandings of drugs 15. Schools are present an accurate picture is legal, “alcosynth” being developed expected to cover other fundamental to (potential) consumers. For as a safer alternative to alcohol is now components of drug education such example, methoxetamine (MXE), banned. This emphasises how legality as resilience to risk factors (e.g. peer an arylcyclohexylamine derivate of has little to do with the potential for a pressure) – within personal, social ketamine, is a synthetic psychedelic drug to cause harm. and health education (PSHE16). A drug with a recent history of use in the recent survey of 590 secondary school UK and globally (it is still uncontrolled Surely then the key message the pupils in London and 288 teachers in many countries). It was marketed Government needs to convey across England highlights the need as a legal, safer, ‘bladder friendly’ to society, alongside any drugs for an improvement in national policy alternative to the more widely regulation, is that, all substances on drugs education particularly in used dissociative anaesthetic (legal or illegal), including food, relation to subject-specific teacher ketamine, with no pharmacological drinks and medical products are training and the need for a statutory evidence to support this claim11. harmful if consumed in the wrong status for PSHE17. Subsequent case reports of MXE users amounts. Even water. There have been seeking emergency treatment and a number of cases where people have The UK Government has pledged pharmacological studies indicate died after consuming too much water to work with experts (including that MXE has a similar bladder (hyponaetremia) while on ecstasy. the Advisory Council on the Misuse toxicity to that of ketamine. Similarly, These deaths led to a fairly quick of Drugs) to develop a new drugs newer legal ketamine derivatives, change in the standard harm reduction education strategy but as yet there diphenidine and methoxphenidine, message back in 1999 “remember to is no commitment to fund their are marketed as ‘bladder safer’ drink water, but don’t drink too much information services (such as Talk alternatives to ketamine. Removal of water!” to Frank, Mentor-Alcohol and Drug high street and internet sales of NPS in Education and Prevention Information the UK will at least remove such false Drug education is the key Service) going into schools and claims and misleading information, to prevention of harm universities to better deliver on particularly to those not wise enough evidence-based drugs education. to question the evidence base of the The misleading terminology ‘legal At the moment there are a number information. highs’ has not helped the perception of stand-alone public awareness that the term ‘legal’ implies there has campaigns (e.g. Angelus Foundation, For centuries humans have used been some process of assessment Rise Above) that proactively outreach various psychoactive substances deeming them safe for human into schools and communities at a to achieve altered states of consumption. Alongside the law, local level. Introducing a statutory consciousness and seek pleasure, education is needed to emphasise PSHE programme into the national
11 curriculum will not only educate but from: http://www.independent.co.uk/ build resilience and empower young news/uk/crime/legal-high-ban-could-force- About the author dealers-onto-the-dark-web-police-chief- people to make positive choices for Dr Lisa Lione is a Senior Lecturer in warns-a7042451.html their health including substance Pharmacology in the School of Life 8. Home Office.Drug Misuse: Findings from choices, especially when in peer the 2014/15 Crime Survey for England and and Medical Sciences, University pressure situations. Government Wales. Second edition [Internet]. July of Hertfordshire. Lisa’s teaching support and professional training and 2015. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/ and research is collaborative government/uploads/ system/uploads development are essential ingredients combining her specialised attachment_data/file/462885/drug- in the provision of universal drug in vivo skills with industry misuse-1415.pdf education in schools18. 9. The Indepndendent. Legal highs: Two- experience in drug discovery thirds of young people who take substances This new law will not criminalise and translational science. Lisa intend to ignore incoming ban, research people for possession of psychoactive is particularly interested in the finds [Internet]. 24 May 2016. Available from: http://www.independent.co.uk/ substances (unless they are already promotion and sharing of best practice in animal welfare, ethics news/uk/home-news/legal-highs-two- locked up). But surely educating and thirds-of-young-people-who-take-the- empowering people (particularly and the 3Rs (she is a member substances-intend-to-ignore-incoming-ban- those in the most vulnerable groups) of the British Pharmacological new-a7047476.html about the risks of psychoactive Society Animal Welfare In vivo 10. Home Office. New Psychoactive Substances Review: Report of the expert panel [Internet]. substances is key to preventing harm. Pharmacology committee and an instructor on the simulation September 2014. Available from: https:// www.gov.uk/governmentuploads/ Prohibition coupled with easier global British Pharmacological Society system/uploads/attachment_data file/ sales channels has fuelled the recent Organ Bath Pharmacology 368583/NPSexpertReviewPanelReport pdf demand for legal alternatives. workshop) as well as raising 11. Morris, Hamilton. Vice. Interview with a Ketamine Chemist [Internet]. 31 January 2011. Surely further prohibition will only awareness of pharmacology and drugs education in schools and Available from: http://www.vice.com/read/ help reduce demand and, ultimately, interview-with-ketamine-chemist-704-v18n2 harm if everyone is aware of the risks universities (she is an expert 12. Nutt, D; King, L and PPhillips, L. on behalf of using psychoactive substances. advisory panel member for of the Independent Scientific Committee Only then can we make informed and Mentor UK). on Drugs. Drug harms in the UK: a multi- criteria decision analysis [Internet]. The educated choices about whether or not Lancet. 2010. Available from: https:// to use these substances, legal or not. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Nutt#/media/ File:HarmCausedByDrugsTable.svg 13. Thornton, Mark. Alcohol Prohibition was a References Failure. 17 July 1991. Cato Institute [Internet]. Available from: https://www.cato.org/ 1. Elsevier (2013) International Comparative 1 publications/policy-analysis/alcohol- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and prohibition-was-failure Drug Addiction. (2011). Annual report on the 14. European Commission. Young people and state of the drugs problem in Europe- Lisbon: drugs [Internet]. Available from: http:// EMCDDA. Publications Office of the European ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_401_ Union. Luxembourg. fact_ie_en.pdf 2. https://www.erowid.org/archive/rhodium/ 15. Department for Education. Personal, social, chemistry/shulgin.futuredrugs.html health and economic (PSHE) education 3. Global drug survey. The Global Drug Survey [Internet]. 11 September 2013. Available 2016 [Internet]. 2016. Available from: from: https://www.gov.uk/government/ https://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/ publications/personal-social-health-and- past-findings/the-global-drug-survey-2016- economic-education-pshe/personal-social- findings/ health-and-economic-pshe-education 4. BBC News. ‘Legal highs’ linked to a number 16. Department for Education and Association of prison deaths [Internet]. 7 July 2015. of Chief Police Officers.DfE and ACPO drug Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ advice for schools: Advice for local authorities, uk-33412838 headteachers, school staff and governing 5. GOV.UK. Psychoactive Substances Act bodies [Internet]. September 2012. Available 2016 [Internet]. 20 May 2016. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/ from: https://www.gov.uk/government/ uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ collections/psychoactive-substances- file/270169/drug_advice_for_schools.pdf bill-2015 17. Thurman & Boughelaf (2015) Drugs and 6. European Commission Press Release Alcohol Today, Vol. 15 Iss: 3, pp.127-140 Database. International Day against Drug 18. Hargreaves (2016) Drugs and Alcohol Today, Abuse: new study shows increasing use of ‘legal Vol. 16 Iss: 2, pp.131 - 141 highs’ among young Europeans [Internet]. 26 June 2014. Available from: http://europa.eu/ rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-445_en.htm 7. The Independent. Legal high ban could force dealers onto the ‘dark web’, police chief warns [Internet]. 22 May 2016. Available
12 PharmacologyPharmacology Matters Matters I November I June 2016
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Have you said hello yet? Quote helloBPS2017 for a 15% discount on your first order. 13 www.hellobio.com Public engagement at the Royal Society of Biology
Mark Downs CSci FRSB, Chief Executive, Royal Society of Biology
In October we celebrated the fifth Soon in the new year we hope to start drug development. This has included annual Biology Week with life science working with our MOs on the annual a push to create better cross-sector celebrations happening all over the Voice of the Future event. At Voice exchange of information, people and UK, including many biomedical events of the Future, young scientists and knowledge through mechanisms such and activities. engineers quiz key political figures as a Drug Discovery Advisory Forum in the Houses of Parliament about that could bring together medical The Learned Society Partnership on the science policy issues that matter charities, funding bodies, businesses, Antimicrobial Resistance (LeSPAR) of to them. It is a unique event – in academics, the NHS and learned which the Royal Society of Biology (RSB) no other part of Parliament is the societies, to ensure patients’ needs are and the British Pharmacological Society normal select committee format met in a sustainable and cost-effective are members, held a popular Policy Lates completely reversed so that MPs have manner, and that the UK remains at the event on antimicrobial resistance (AMR). to answer questions rather than ask forefront of medicines research. There Participants examined the roles of them. The event aims to highlight has been significant movement in this innovation and regulation in tackling the the importance of policy makers direction over the last five years and AMR crisis from different perspectives, using reliable evidence and being the DDPG is now considering how best including veterinary research, held to account on their decisions to evolve its own objectives. biotechnology and public health. and today’s young scientists will be vital for this in the future. Last year For anyone interested in biology This year we have also run several the British Pharmacological Society’s teaching at all levels, I would public engagement activities for a Young Pharmacologists Advisory encourage you to take a look at our general audience, in partnership with Group members asked the committee, recently launched free online ‘virtual British Pharmacological Society and including Science Minister Jo Johnson special issue’ of the Journal of Biological our other Membership Organisations. MP, questions such as: ‘Do you Education (JBE) to celebrate its 50th In June the ‘Biology Big Top’ went think business should offer greater birthday and highlight some of the to Cheltenham Science Festival incentives for young people to study incredible research it has published. and the Big Bang Fairs in Yorkshire STEM subjects at university to help fill and Humber, and in July we were at the shortfall of skills in the science and Lambeth Country Show. The British engineering sectors?’ (See Vedia Pharmacological Society and RSB Can’s article in the June 2016 edition: activities: ‘Medicine Makers’ and ‘The ‘Representing Young pharmacologists Hungry Games’ complemented each at Voice of the Future’). other alongside our other partners to engage people from all backgrounds in The Drug Discovery Pathways Group, the breath of the life sciences. or DDPG, is a partnership of learned societies that now includes RSB, but The RSB is continuing to work closely originally initiated by the British with all our Member Organisations Pharmacological Society and the Royal (MOs), individual members, committees Society of Chemistry (RSC), that has and advisory groups to ensure we fully provided a single well-informed and engage policy makers and politicians on representative voice on key issues the implications of Brexit for bioscience. associated with medicines research. Working closely with colleagues in the The Group’s work has focussed on biomedical sciences, we are also seeking three main areas: industry-academia to amplify the shared messages from partnerships, knowledge and skills. across science, as we have done for the The DDPG has actively sought to
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) influence the policy environment and The Journal of Biology Education celebrates its consultation. offer proactive proposals to support 50th birthday with a special free edition.
14 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016
Editor Professor Ian Kinchin CBiol FRSB put together the issue which includes 40 of some of the most cited and downloaded articles including: Learning difficulties in biology; The epidemiology of a zombie apocalypse; and Using role play to debate animal testing. These articles will be free to everyone until the end of 2016 (view the issue on http://explore. tandfonline.com/page/ed/rjbe-50- anniversary-vsi). The JBE is uniquely broad in its reach; it’s a really accessible journal for people who teach the biosciences across the spectrum. Looking to the next 50 years of the JBE, I’m excited to see more research into the interface between school and universities.
About the author Dr Mark Downs FRSB CSci is the Chief Executive of the Royal Society of Biology. He joined the Society at its inception in 2009.
Lambeth County Show.
‘Biology Big Top’ at Cheltenam Science Festival.
15 Science is global
The British Pharmacological Society is proud to be a global community at the heart of pharmacology: our journals have a global readership, a fifth of our membership is international, and we represent scientists from more than 60 countries worldwide. As part of the Society’s charitable mission to promote and advance the spectrum of pharmacology, we are committed to fulfilling the needs of our members regardless of geography.
The end of October marked the deadline for expressions of interest for our new International Advisory Group, which will initially be appointed by Council. The response rate was extremely positive. Please keep an eye on our website and in newsletters for information as it becomes available.
Members of the Pharmacology Matters editorial board complied some images The Molecular Pharmacology group at the University of Nottingham to showcase the importance of the international community in their own work. If you’d like to send us images of your own international workplace, please send them to Sophia Griffiths ([email protected]), the Society’s Communications Manager.
Participants from the EMBO Laboratory Management course for group leaders (Leimen, Germany, 10-13 October 2016). Participants came from institutes all over (Lisbon, Munich, Glasgow, Boston, Paris, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Liverpool, Canterbury, Lausanne, Utrecht, Heidelberg).
16 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016
Some members of Dr Gavins’ research team in Shreveport USA. From left: Dr Felicity Gavins, Miss Shantel Vital, Dr Junaid Ansari and Dr Elena Senchenkova.
Drs Junaid Ansari (left) and Elena Senchenkova working on the analysis of neutrophil activation in samples from patients with sickle cell disease.
17 William Harvey Research Institute 30th Anniversary
Meeting Hefin Rhys, PhD student at William Harvey Research Institute
In December 2015 the William The conference, which took place and discussed how the antimalarial Harvey Research Institute (WHRI) at the Institute’s picturesque drug artesunate showed promising at Queen Mary University of London Charterhouse Square site, was efficacy in reducing organ failure received a major recognition from joined by internationally acclaimed following experimental haemorrhagic the British Pharmacological Society: researchers including WHRI alumni and shock). the UK Pharmacology on the Map former friends and colleagues of John award was presented to the WHRI Vane: Professors Daniela Salvemini, This first session was closed by for its outstanding contribution to Rod Flower, Jane Mitchell and Bengt Professor Charles Serhan from the discovery and development of Samuelsson, and collaborators and Harvard University, who is a long- medicines. friends of the Institute: Professors time collaborator and mentor to Charles Serhan, Robert Lefkowitz several WHRI researchers and who The award celebrates research and Denisa Wagner. is widely regarded as the “father of institutes and sites of importance, pro-resolving lipid mediators” and linked to particularly significant The first John Vane Symposium session the newly coined pharmacological achievements in the discipline of was opened by an engaging talk from sub discipline called ‘resolution pharmacology. The 2015 awardees Professor Daniela Salvemini of Saint pharmacology’. Professor Serhan of the were the Department of Louis University, on novel therapeutic shared an exciting storyline of Pharmacology in the University targets in the treatment of chronic data, demonstrating the structural of Oxford, The Institute of Cancer neuropathic pain. Professor Salvemini, elucidation of lipid mediators which Research, The Frythe, and the William who carried out her PhD and first stimulate bacterial clearance and Harvey Research Institute. post-doctoral position at the WHRI tissue repair. with John Vane between 1987 and The Institute, based near Barbican 1992, presented data demonstrating Annually at its Institute-wide in Central London, was founded in the analgesic effect of A3 adenosine conferences, the WHRI awards its own in 1986 by Nobel Laureate Sir John agonists, which circumvent the John Vane Medal to a recipient who Vane, whose ground-breaking work hyperalgesia and antinociception has made an outstanding contribution on the mechanism of action of aspirin associated with opioids. The session to pharmacology throughout their fathered research into the roles lipids saw talks from two more of John career. At this year’s celebration, the play during inflammation. Vane’s PhD graduates, Professor Jane medal was awarded to Prof. Bengt To commemorate this 30-year Mitchell from Imperial College London Samuelsson from the Karolinska heritage, the WHRI held a 2-day (who spoke about cyclo-oxygenase 2 Institutet, who shared the Nobel Prize celebratory conference over 22 and and its role in cardiovascular health) with John Vane and Sune Bergström 23 June 2016, both acknowledging and one of WHRI’s current centre in 1982. After his entertaining talk on its past pharmacology achievements leads, Professor Chris Thiemermann the evolution of the arachidonic acid and exhibiting its ongoing research (who gave a fond and humorous cascade, the medal was presented, as activities. history of his time with John Vane, per WHRI tradition, by Lady Elizabeth Photo credit to Sven Eijl. to van Photo credit Sven Eijl. to van Photo credit
WHRI 30th anniversary conference. Professor Denisa Wagner from Harvard University.
18 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016
The Placenta Rainbow by Suchita Nadkarni.
Vane who remarked that they had recent concept of biased agonism. in VEGF-induced angiogenesis), and often danced together at formal These topics now form a major the Best Young Investigator Award gatherings. component of any pharmacology was given to myself (for our work on degree, and so after his talk Professor the role of vesicles in inflammation The second day of the conference Lefkowitz was awarded the WHRI resolution). The winner of the Art of was dedicated to showing off the Outstanding Contribution to Science competition, which challenged young researcher talent within the Science Medal. Professor Wagner, young researchers to submit pieces Institute. The content showcased who has published extensively on of scientific artwork, was awarded the interdisciplinary nature of thrombosis and its interplay with to Suchita Nadkarni for her stunning the WHRI, with talks ranging other inflammatory processes, gave image of mouse placenta sections, from the role of ubiquitination in a talk on her more recent work into arranged into the petals of a flower. autoimmunity, causative mutations the role of neutrophil extracellular in delayed puberty, organ-selective traps (NETs). Despite her work being Once the formal conference had immunosuppression and the in-house a newly explored area of neutrophil concluded, the evening was reserved development of a novel therapy for biology, Professor Wagner presented for celebrating, and the Institute did age-related macular degeneration. a wealth of data demonstrating a so the only way pharmacologists know The final guest speakers for the day plausible role for NETs in aging, cancer, how – with good food, great drink, live were Professor Robert Lefkowitz from deep vein thrombosis, diabetes and music and bad dancing! Duke University, and Professor Denisa cardiac fibrosis. In recognition of the Wagner from Harvard University. impact her work has had on the field of Professor Lefkowitz’s talk simply inflammation and also on the work she About the author entitled “G protein-coupled receptors” conducted at the WHRI, Prof. Wagner Hefin Rhys has just started the was a fascinating history of the story was awarded the William Harvey fourth year of his PhD at the of his Nobel Prize-winning work, Medal. William Harvey Research Institute which elucidated the structural and in London where he studies the functional characteristics of GPCRs. As the Institute believes strongly in role extracellular vesicles play in His memorable lecture covered the investing in young researchers, the day the resolution of inflammation, period when the term “receptor” of talks was concluded by awarding under Prof Mauro Perretti and was an abstract concept used to several prizes. Prizes for the best Dr Lucy Norling. Prior to starting explain agonism in the presence poster were awarded to Joanne Smith his PhD, Hefin completed an of an agonist, through to the first (for her work on the role of metabolic undergraduate master’s degree in β cloning of the -adrenergic receptor, stress on T cell differentiation), pharmacology at the University the demonstration of G protein and Jianmin Chen (for her work in cardiac of Bath. arrestin-mediated signalling and dysfunction) and Giulia de Rossi (for receptor recycling, and the more her work on the role of syndecan-4
19 The 19th SIF Seminar Rimini event – shaping the future together!
Olga Dorofejeva, PhD student, University of Westminster
Last day of the Società Italiana di Farmacologia (SIF) event. Four UK researchers who received funding to attend the conference. From left: O.Dorofejeva (London, UK), P.M.Heister (Oxford, UK), C.Read (Cambridge, UK) and G.M.Sloan (Glasgow, UK).
Olga was one of the four young a large number of talented young It was the first time I had presented an researchers to receive funding researchers, who are at the beginning oral presentation about my work on from the British Pharmacological of their scientific careers. There protein tyrosine phosphatases of the Society’s Young Pharmacologists was a wide variety of topics, such R3 subgroup outside my University. Advisory Group to attend the Italian as inflammation, gastrointestinal, I wanted to present my data to a Pharmacological Society’s conference. cardiovascular, pharmacovigilance, wider audience in order to get any pharmacogenetics, neuroscience, comments that would help me in my Firstly I would like to thank the metabolic and cancer. The plenary approaching viva. Despite the intense Italian Pharmacological Society “Meet the editor” lecture, delivered programme and a vast amount of for giving me an opportunity to be by the British Journal of Pharmacology new information, this event had a part of the 19th Società Italiana di Editor-in-Chief, Amrita Ahluwalia, pleasant and relaxed feel since the Farmacologia (SIF) Seminar Rimini was particularly interesting, raising majority of researchers were at the event on pharmacology and similar many critical points about publishing PhD and Postdoctoral level and could sciences. At a time when many one’s research. Such an international present their work without feeling research communities around the approach to networking brought intimidated by senior researchers. I globe are facing difficult challenges the most diverse researchers of the personally gained so much from this it is essential that the value and pharmacological field together to event as it helped me to improve my power of education, development share their experiences and to broaden presentation and communication and research are not overlooked. their views. For me this event provided skills and broaden my knowledge The 19th SIF Seminar Rimini event an excellent opportunity to get more of the field of pharmacology. As a was a well organised and highly experience in presenting my research PhD student at the write-up stage it successful meeting that attracted and to get valuable feedback. is very easy to isolate oneself from
20 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016
everything and lose track of other This event was a great opportunity to evenings were filled with amazing research areas. I even started to doubt meet new, like-minded people who food, music and a relaxing welcoming the importance of my project and to share similar interests. Making new atmosphere. Creating a network of lose interest in doing research in the connections could prove valuable like-minded and enthusiastic friends future. However, attending the 19th in the future. As a young researcher will hopefully result in a positive SIF Seminar Rimini event reminded one is constantly told about the impact in our future careers and me why I chose science in the first importance of networking and being opportunities. Together we can place and that I actually love what I at the 19th SIF Seminar Rimini event become highly skilled professionals, do. I was always fascinated by human helped me to learn how research is drive growth and productivity of physiology and I think I owe it to my done in different countries. I found pharmacological research and mother who is an anaesthetist. As a it very useful to exchange ideas with transform lives! child I used to go to the hospital after people working in a similar field. school to wait for her to finish her work It is also a good way to keep up to and would always ask about different date with the latest research, new About the author medications. It was such a fascinating compounds and any changes that are Olga graduated from the thing that such a tiny pill could help so occurring in the field of pharmacology. University of Westminster with many people. I wanted to know how it a BSc (Hons) in Pharmacology all works. Since then it has been a very Of course the event was not just in 2012. She then enrolled on an long and tough journey. That is why about learning. The social part of this MPhil/PhD at the University of I believe it is important to go to such event was great fun and I met a lot Westminster in the Life Sciences events and see what great things we of interesting people. The informal Department. Her doctoral all do. Hearing what other speakers sessions, such as coffee and lunch research focuses on protein have done motivated me to carry on breaks, of the event encouraged tyrosine phosphatases of the R3 and to look at my research in mingling and further discussion, not subgroup: the involvement of a different way. I was particularly only about pharmacology but also their extracellular domains in their moved by the lecture on “Tumour about different cultures, backgrounds, regulation and function. She is in Plasticity” by the director of the hobbies and other key personal her final year of the PhD project Wistar Institute Cancer Centre in elements that shape us into a diverse, and plans to continue in academia. Philadelphia, Dario Altieri. vibrant scientific community. The
Harrogate International Centre, Kings Road, Harrogate Sunday 23rd to Wednesday 26th July 2017 Featuring a range of non-clinical and clinical presentations across of range of neuropsychiatric conditions 9 invited symposia covering cutting-edge clinical and non-clinical psychopharmacology: • Personalized pharmacological treatments for depression: Will big data achieve what clinicians can’t? • The psychopharmacology of emerging calcium channel targets • Behavioural and substance addictions: Similarities and differences • Adverse and beneficial effects of cannabinoids - new insights from genetics and clinical trials • The role of brain connectivity in brain disorders and their treatment • Psychopharmacology of the older and, almost certainly, degenerating brain • Treatment of dysfunction in hot and cold cognition in mood disorders • The brain-gut axis: Breaking the dichotomy between physical and mental health • Biomarkers of treatment response for schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder: Latest updates
For full details of the meeting, including abstract submission, go to 21 www.bap.org.uk/BAP2017 Early Career and Postgraduate Members granted the voting right
Vedia Can, University of Westminster
Prior to the approval of our proposal, Voting right membership prior to inclusion of Early Career and only specific membership categories Postgraduate members: voting members vs non-voting members were given the voting right within the Society; Full Members, Fellows, Honorary Fellows, Retired Members and Retired Fellows. Members in other categories – Undergraduate, Postgraduate, Affiliate and Early Career Members – were not entitled to the voting right. 54% On 21 June 2016, Aidan Seeley (Young Pharmacologist Trustee) and Teesha Bhuruth (Membership & Community 46% Officer) presented a proposal on behalf of the Young Pharmacologists Advisory Group (YPAG) to Council, which to our delight has been approved! This means that with non-voting members immediate effect both Early Career and Postgraduate Members have the voting members right to vote. Figure 1. Representation of voting members (inclusive of Full Members, Fellows, Honorary Fellows, Retired Members and Retired Fellows) vs non-voting members (other remaining categories) as a percentage of In previous years members of total number of members in the Society. YPAG were not entitled to sit on Council. However, last year Council extended their membership to Young Pharmacologists. Aidan Seeley, who sits on Council volunteered to What entitlements and • Be liable to pay up to £1 as a present a proposal (co-written with responsibilities are associated contribution to the Society’s debts Teesha Bhuruth) to allow extension with the voting right? if it dissolves (10.2 Articles). of the voting right to Early Career and Postgraduate Members. • Vote in elections to appoint Society This extension of the votingright officers (President-Elect, Treasurer- to Early Career and Postgraduate Elect), Trustees and Vice President Members will have a positive impact roles. on the Society. Prior to the approval of the proposal by Council, the • Vote in resolutions: typically to proportion of voting members to non- change the Articles of the Society voting members was 54% to 46%, and and to appoint auditors. the voting group comprised only 23% female members. The Society has a • Eligibility to self-nominate for commitment to ensure at least a 30% Society officer position (Young female representation on committees Pharmacologist Trustee). and groups. The extension of the Voting Right to include Early Career • Be a member within the meaning and Postgraduate Members has of the Companies Act. increased the proportion of voting
22 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016
Extension of the voting right membership: voting members vs non-voting members About the author Miss Vedia C Can is a Doctoral Researcher in the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Westminster, specialising in immunopharmacology. Her 29% primary research focus involves investigating the inflammatory pathways that contribute to the progression of Osteoarthritis and evaluating the effect of novel 71% compounds. Previously, she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences and a Master’s degree in Medical Molecular Biology. non-voting members non-voting members voting members voting members
Figure 2. Extension of the Voting Right to Early Career and Postgraduate Member categories will mean our electorate will more fully reflect the Society’s diverse membership. Voting members (inclusive of Postgraduate, Early career, Full, Fellow, Honorary fellows and Retired members) vs Non-voting mem- bers (other remaining categories) as a percentage of total number of members in the Society.
members to 71%, increasing the Although, Early Career and female representation in the voting Postgraduate Members have been category to 30%. This demonstrates given the Voting Right, it is important that the Society has increased to highlight that they will not be equality and diversity amongst eligible to self-nominate for Senior its members, and our electorate Society Officer roles (President-elect, will more fully reflect the Society’s Treasurer-elect), Vice-President and diverse membership. There will Trustee positions (with the exception be more engagement amongst of the Young Pharmacologist Trustee younger members with the Society’s role). activities and discussions, which will allow the Society to build a stronger By granting us the Voting Right, we pharmacological community. Previous would like to thank Council on behalf research confirms that both Early of Early Career and Postgraduate Career and Postgraduate Members are Members for recognising our keen to learn more about the Society’s commitment and enthusiasm to discussions and to be involved in the achieve the Society’s vision. decisions made by the Society during the Annual General Meetings.
23 Meetings update
Barbara McDermott, Vice President – Meetings Talja Dempster, Head of Meetings & Events (until 31 October 2016) Susanne Schweda, Interim Head of Meetings and Events (from 31 October)
Meetings Update Pharmacology 2016 It is just a few weeks until our annual meeting Pharmacology International Narcotics Research Conference 2016. There was a fantastic response to the call for The International Narcotics Research Conference (INRC) abstracts with 450 submissions received, an 8% increase on brought scientists from around the world to Bath in July submissions for 2015. If you have yet to register please visit with over 200 attendees participating in oral and poster www.bps.ac.uk/pharmacology2016 to do so as soon presentations concerning aspects of opioid research as possible. ranging from genetic and molecular to in vivo studies. The It is exciting to announce some changes and additions to event ran during 11–14 July and it was the first time the Pharmacology this year. As many of you will be aware, the Society had hosted the INRC conference. The feedback from Society is marking its 85th anniversary in 2016 and has lots the event was resoundingly positive and we are delighted to of reasons to celebrate. To mark this milestone, the Young have been part of such a successful event. Pharmacologists Advisory Group will be hosting an extra Pharmacological aspects of microvascular special reception to welcome participants at all stages of cell-cell signalling and CVS disease their career attending Pharmacology 2016. There has been a dramatic increase in the understanding The ticketed Welcome Reception will take place on Tuesday of cell signalling over the last five years, with key papers 13 December from 18:45–21:45 at the National Gallery on indicating the importance of endothelial cell projections Trafalgar Square (a 15-minute walk from Pharmacology as signalling microdomains, which appear subject to 2016). The Society is delighted to have such an iconic venue disruption by cardiovascular disease. This focused meeting for the Welcome Reception: this prestigious art gallery is a provided a forum for over 70 pharmacologists and well-known landmark and will give members access to one physiologists to come together to discuss vascular biology, of the greatest collections of paintings in the world while with a particular interest in identifying novel therapeutic they enjoy refreshments. targets in endothelial cell dysfunction. The meeting was held at Magdalen College in Oxford on 21-22 September, In addition, we will be hosting three Career Bootcamp and was organised by Professor Chris Garland, Co-Chair of sessions aimed at students and early career researchers. the Cardiovascular and Respiratory Affinity Group. By all Each Bootcamp will be an hour long and we will have one accounts the meeting as a great success so many thanks to each delivered by the Industry, Publications and Education everyone involved. & Training Committees. The titles for these are as follows:
• Industry Career Bootcamp: Opportunities for young pharmacologists at the interface between academia and industry – insights from careers in small, medium and large companies Tuesday 13 December 9:00–10:00 • Education Career Bootcamp: Developing innovative practice, sharing approaches to teaching challenging areas of the core curriculum, recognition for teaching excellence and tips for promotion based on teaching and scholarship Wednesday 14 December 08:00–09:00
Poster session at ‘Pharmacological aspects of microvascular cell-cell signalling and CVS disease
24 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016
In silico and in vitro methods in modern drug discovery There has been a marked deceleration in the rate at which new drugs are brought to the clinic and a loss of pharmacological expertise in the UK Industry through site closures. There is increasing evidence against the over-reliance on non-human in vivo models in the drug discovery process and an acceptance that failure in translational power can lead to incorrect dose selection and dangerously unpredictable adverse effects in first-in-man studies. There is a clear need to incorporate quantitative pharmacological The British Pharmacological Society will be hosting their Welcome Reception at the National Gallery. By kind permission of the Trustees and Director of the National Gallery. approaches and the use of cutting edge in silico prediction in assessing PK/PD properties throughout the • Publications Career Bootcamp: Understanding the publishing process. An drug discovery process. This event, opportunity to share experiences around publishing research, including advice taking place during 24–25 April 2017 and tips from the British Pharmacological Society journals’ Editors-in-Chief on will provide attendees with the best practice, how to submit, handling reviewer feedback, and meeting journal opportunity to explore these issues and funder requirements. in more detail. This focused meeting Thursday 15 December will be hosted by the Drug Discovery, 08:00–09:00 Development and Evaluation affinity group. The Society will be hosting three guest societies at this year’s meeting (the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, ASCPT; the Spanish Pharmacological American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, ASPET; Society Annual Meeting and the Chinese Pharmacological Society, CPS) as well as a special symposium The British Pharmacological Society organised by the Biochemical Society. There is certainly more than enough on will host three symposia at the Spanish offer in the online programme so don’t forget to register – registration closes on Pharmacological Society’s Annual Friday 2 December. Meeting, taking place in Barcelona, Spain on 18–21 June 2017. More information will be available on the main meeting website Meetings in 2017 www.sef2017.com soon. ITMAT For the first time, the Institute for Translational Medicine & Therapeutics (ITMAT) Meeting will be held in Europe at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh conference centre on Friday 17 March 2017.
The theme of the meeting is ‘Big Data & the Development of New Medicines’. The organisers look forward to welcoming attendees from the UK and Europe, both early and established researchers, from across science and medicine. The one-day programme will bring together a faculty of internationally-recognised speakers, thanks to support from the British Pharmacological Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Registration and further information on the programme will be announced online (www.bps.ac.uk/ITMAT) in the coming months. In the meantime, please save the date for what promises to be an exciting and engaging meeting.
25 8th European Workshop on Integrated drug discovery: Cannabinoid Research now & future Changes within the The field of cannabinoid research has Biomedical research for several Meetings Team been one of most vibrant and active of decades was dominated by There are some updates within areas of pharmacology and biomedical specialization in disciplines and the meetings team from the end sciences in the recent years. A search reductionism that have produced of October. After 14 months as on PubMed using the search term important advances in drug discovery. Head of Meetings & Events, Talja ‘cannabinoid’ returns over 5,000 full Today a more holistic approach is Dempster will be leaving the published papers in the past five years, emerging, recognizing and promoting Society to take up an opportunity and nearly 700 have been published collaborative science, in order to at GSMA, where she will be leading in the British Journal of Pharmacology address the complexity of modern a team to deliver ‘Mobile World (since 1999). The discovery of the day drug research and the pressing Congress Barcelona’. endocannabinoid system has been societal and economic demands facing Susanne Schweda, known to many a very exciting development and drug discovery and development. of you as the Events Manager, its potential as a therapeutic target will be stepping into the Head across a wide range of diseases It is within this context that the of Meetings & Events role, while and disorders is widely recognized. British Pharmacological Society and Charlotte Cordrey joins the Moreover, there has been considerable the Society of Medicine Research Society to step into Susanne’s research activity in plant-derived (SMR) symposium on “Integrative shoes as Events Manager, having phytocannabinoids as medicines and Biomedical Research: Past, Present previously worked in a similar role some recent successes in bringing and to its Future Future,” aims at the Royal Society of Medicine. compounds through clinical trials and to engage and inspire the next Congratulations to Susanne, and a into the market (e.g. Sativex®). generation of biomedical scientists warm welcome to Charlotte! in embracing collaborative The British Pharmacological Society research across trans-disciplinary will be hosting the 8th European methodologies and analytical tools. Workshop on Cannabinoid Research The event will take place on 5 October on 31 August–2 September 2017. 2017 at Charles Darwin House in More information on this event will London. More information on the be available on the Society’s website event and how to register and submit soon. abstracts will be available on the Society’s website in due course.
Meetings in 2018 If you would like to propose and organise a British Pharmacological Society meeting in the future please visit the Society’s website www.bps.ac.uk/propose.
26 Pharmacology Matters I November 2016 Physiologist Pharmacologist
Jon Robbins, Head of Department Neuroscience. Biker! Senior Lecturer, King’s College London
I trained as a Physiologist, at University hospital staff seeing me in black leather pillion. However my longest owned bike College London (UCL) (BSc) and United carrying human blood in the middle of the (not in Box 1), which I still have, is a Ducati Medical at Dental Schools (UMDS) at St dark rainy night looked concerned then 900SS in black and gold. I had this bespoke Thomas’s Hospital (PhD), spent most of my relieved when I handed over the blood, made by a company in Leytonstone from working life in Pharmacology Departments, often needed in an emergency. new old parts because at the age of 16 while 7 years at UCL and 21 years at King’s College walking down the high street in Ashford London. However my longest obsession On a less altruistic note, my wife, Sue Kent one went past me, the sound and the has been motorcycles. At the age of 16, and I had a great biking holiday in look I still remember. By the time I could like many teenagers in the mid-1970s, northern Spain. The Spanish seem to like afford one Ducati had stopped making mopeds were the thing. For the younger motorcycles and motorcyclists: many them. The purists amongst you will call it readers these were 50cc motorcycles with times our bike was surrounded by the a “Bitsa” (a motorcycle made from original pedals, yes pedals! The law at the time locals asking us where we came from and parts but not by the factory), but that is OK allowed 16-year-old learner riders to ride offering us drinks. Steve Marsh and I had a by me. these on the roads with no prior training. memorable run from Strasburg to London As you might expect the death and injury in one day (1000 km) having spent a week At present working for King’s College numbers for motorcycles peaked at around in Jerome Trouslard’s lab doing some pilot London I have to manage a department 16 to 18 years of age. Today it’s around 50 experiments on retinal slices. We wanted over four campuses in South London, the years, mainly mature men (“come back to get home a quickly as possible, as this only way I can do it is by riding my bike. tos” as they are known) buying expensive was the time that the Twin Towers in New high power motorcycles when the last York were destroyed. In memory of a much missed biker thing they rode, 35 years ago, was a moped! Dr James Vincent Halliwell. However my dad was smarter than the transport regulations at the time: he said About the author he would pay half for a brand new Indian ME100 – this was not a moped but a real Jon completed his first degree in motorcycle – but I could not ride it on the Physiology at UCL,and his PhD with road until I was 17. This gave me a year of with Hisako Ikeda at UMDS. His learning how to ride off road - much safer post doc was with David Brown at than my school mates who were falling UCL and he received a lectureship off on the road. I passed my test at 18 on in Pharmacology at King’s College a Yamaha XS250 and have never looked London in 1993. At present, he is back. I have given a list of bikes I have Head of Neuroscience Education owned for the geeks among you (Box 1). As and Education Lead for the Division you can see, over the years there is a trend of Neuroscience at the Institute of increasing cubic capacity, which is not Kawasaki ZZR1400FCF of Psychiatry, Psychology and just about speed as handling, brakes and Neuroscience (IOPPN) at King’s useable power improves with engine size. College London.
However it’s not all about roaring around on large motorcycles. I was a dispatch rider for Box 1. Pony Express during my summer holidays Motorcycles chronological order as an undergraduate at UCL, this was Indian ME100 before SatNav and I still have a pretty good mental map of London. I was a volunteer Yamaha XS250 motorcycle training instructor for Hackney Honda CB750F1 Council for many years, teaching learners Suzuki GS750N how to ride safely before they ventured Ducati 900SS Honda CB900F out on the roads. I also spent many Friday Ducati 900GTS nights with no sleep, acting as a voluntary At present I have two motorcycles: the blood delivery courier for SERV (http:// Kawasaki, which combines the outstanding Yamaha SR500 www.serv.org.uk/site/). I used to have a engineering and electronics of the Honda CB1000FR detailed knowledge of all the Haematology Japanese, over 200 brake horse power with Honda CB1300R3 Departments at many London hospitals, anti-lock brakes, traction control, handles Kawasaki ZZR1400FCF including access codes. A number of times, like a bike half its weight and it takes a
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