2012 ASP MEETING
36th meeting of the American Society for Photobiology, Montreal, Canada, June 23-27, 2012
Dear Colleagues,
We welcome you to the 36th meeting of the American Society for Photobiology (ASP) being held at the Delta Centre-Ville, Montreal, Canada from June 23-27, 2012. This is a landmark year for the ASP, which celebrates its 40th anniversary as an enduring foundation for the study and advancement of the science of light. On behalf of the ASP, we cordially invite you to join us in Montreal for excellent science, stimulating conversation and a lot of fun in one of the world’s most beautiful and dynamic cities.
We have put together an eclectic program, including cutting edge symposia on a wide range of topics. Along with exciting new developments in optical and medical technology, sessions will address recent advances in environmental photobiology, DNA damage and repair, UV carcinogenesis, photodynamic therapy, photo-vaccines, risks and benefits of artificial tanning, and new applications of light in dermatology, to name just a few. We anticipate that the conference will be a constructive forum for those already in the field as well as those contemplating a career in photobiology or photomedicine. This is a particularly good opportunity for laboratory scientists, clinicians, and practitioners of related disciplines, who would otherwise not have the opportunity to meet, to exchange ideas and build collaborations for future endeavors.
With ASP’s commitment to developing scientists of the future, there will be networking and career development events, including a grant writing workshop with personnel from the NIH and other funding agencies, poster sessions and a variety of awards recognizing exemplary achievements in photobiology. In addition to our traditional awards, new this year are the ASP Editor’s Award for Outstanding Student Research, the Light Path Award, and the PhotoCite Awards recognizing individuals’ contributions to literature and their impact on the research environment.
In addition to providing a vibrant venue for scientific exchange, Montreal is a great place for fun, history and cultural exploration. It is located in the southwest of the province of Quebec and is an important center of technology, design, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and world affairs. Montreal has been called “Canada’s Cultural Capital” and is consistently rated as one of the world’s most livable cities. With access to nine universities and twelve junior colleges in an 8 kilometer (5.0 mile) radius, Montreal has the highest concentration of post-secondary students of all major cities in North America. The city is well connected with public local transport including airports, buses, subways and commuter rails. In addition to the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal that immediately follows the 36th ASP meeting, Montreal hosted Expo ’67, considered to be the most successful World’s Fair of the 20th century, and has numerous associated attractions including the Biodome de Montreal, Biosphere Environment Museum, the Canadian Center for Architecture the Centre d’Exposition de l’Université de Montréal and a world-renowned arboretum. Montreal, is the home of the Cirque du Soleil and is well known for its cosmopolitan social scene where much of the more intimate and productive scientific exchange will undoubtedly occur.
We hope you will bring your family, take advantage of the special tours we have organized and take part in this unique opportunity for scientific exchange and social interaction with your fellow photobiologists. We will see you in Montreal!
David L. Mitchell, Ph.D. Tayyaba Hasan, Ph.D.
