Message from ASBMR President Laura Calvi, MD – April 18, 2024
Dear Colleagues,
In this month’s letter I would like to highlight one of the Society’s core values: Community.
The importance that community plays in our lives as a source of both strength and support cannot be understated. As an organization, we embrace diversity and inclusion to foster respectful collaboration, belonging and engagement amongst a diverse membership from different countries, backgrounds, genders, racial, ethnic and cultural groups, who comprise a host of life experiences, values, and beliefs. I for one cherish the opportunity to come to ASBMR events and meet colleagues, trainees and mentors in an environment that is open, welcoming and accepting of diversity, polite dissent and animated scientific debate. This is how we continue to move our field forward, in the spirit of collegiality, discovery and support of the future generation of investigators, clinicians and teachers.
As members, we have all committed to adhering to the ASBMR Code of Conduct while advancing the bone, mineral, and musculoskeletal field through integrity, trust and excellence in all aspects of our scientific careers. The Society regularly reviews its policies, gathers feedback and benchmarks against other organizations to better uncover and address any matters that may impact the safety and security of our members.
I write to communicate that the Society will be undergoing a review of our Ethics and harassment policies this year, which will result in the roll out of an awareness campaign at the ASBMR 2024 Annual Meeting. My thanks to our Executive Committee and Council for their support of this review, and the Ethics Advisory Committee led by Dr. Eileen Shore for taking on these important activities. I also invite you to reach out to me directly should you have any questions or feedback.
I am excited for our community to come together this September at our Annual Meeting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Like many of you, I draw a tremendous amount of joy and energy from interacting with colleagues and friends in-person and catching up with them both on a professional and personal level. I also look forward to seeing the array of engaging scientific and networking sessions coordinated by this year’s Annual Meeting Program Committee, led by Drs. Roberta Faccio, Patricia Ducy, Nicola Napoli, Noriaki Ono and Carola Zillikens.
An integral component of our meeting is YOUR science. The abstract center is now open and I urge you to submit your abstracts for presentation in Toronto by the May 1st submission deadline.
To ensure that as many members of our community as possible can attend this year’s ASBMR Annual Meeting, the Society is again providing a significant amount in financial support—over $140,000—to individuals across all career stages. I encourage everyone to review the numerous grants available to early-stage investigators as well as travel grants available to abstract submitters.
I also want to take the opportunity to highlight a new travel grant program that has been launched this year through the ASBMR Fund for Research and Education, which is fully funded through donations from ASBMR members. The ASBMR International Travel Grant Program will enable two recipients from low or middle-income countries to attend the ASBMR 2024 Annual Meeting—covering their airfare, ground transportation, lodging (4 nights), meals, incidentals, visa application fees and poster printing. The recipients' abstract submission fees and Annual Meeting registration fees will also be waived. Full details, including the application, can be viewed on the https://www.asbmr.org/asbmr-fund-for-research-and-education-international-travel-grants.
We are excited to pilot this new initiative that directly aims to address our strategic priority of expanding and supporting our global community. My thanks to the Development Committee led by Dr. Andrea Alford and the International Ambassador Subcommittee led by Drs. Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan and Kate Ward for spearheading the creation of this important program. I also encourage you to make a donation to the ASBMR Fund for Research and Education to directly support this initiative.
Also, I would like to remind you that the deadline to nominate a colleague for a 2024 Esteemed Awards is approaching. Don’t miss this opportunity to acknowledge a remarkable individual who has made significant contributions to our community. Nominations are due Friday, May 10th. Visit the ASBMR website for full details and to nominate an individual.
Let us leverage our collective spirit to foster inclusivity, engage in collaborative research, and uphold respectful dialogue. Together, our shared commitment to advancing the field and to supporting each other can guide us through these turbulent times, ensuring that innovation flourishes and the well-being of all remains our priority.
Sincerely,
Laura Calvi, MD
ASBMR President