American Society of Parasitologists NEWSLETTER.
Supplement to THE JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY,
Newsletter: VOL. 20, NO. 2, June 2, 1998.
Listed below are recent publications of possible interest to ASP members.
1. Cytokines in Veterinary Medicine, V.E.C.J. Schijns and M.C. Horzenik (eds), CAB International, 1998, 352 pages, $120.00, ISBN 0-85199-209-9.
2. Dengue and Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever, D.J. Gubler and G. Kuno (eds), CAB International, 1998, 496 pages, $135.00, ISBN 0-85199-134-3.
3. Analytical Parasitology, M.T. Rogan (ed), Springer, 1997, 365 pages, DM 128.00, ISBN 3-54058-919-8.
4. Biology of the Insect Midgut, M.J. Lehane and P.F. Billingsley (eds), Chapman and Hall, 1996, 486 pages, 50.00, ISBN 412-61670-X.
5. Infection, Polymorphism and Evolution, W.D. Hamilton and J.C. Howard (eds), Chapman and Hall, 1997, 120 pages, 39.50, ISBN 0-412-637006.
PARASITOLOGY-RELATED WEB SITES
Parasitology Today includes a section entitled"Parasite" which lists Web sites dealing with topics in parasitology. Listed below are several sites of possible interest to ASP members.
1. The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene lists a directory of clinical physicians in the U.S. who specialize in topical medicine: <http://www.members.aol.com/astmhweb/index.html>
2. A Leishmania discussion group may be found at: <http://www.bdt.org.br/bdt/leishnet>
3. An African Trypanosome Genome Project focuses on the molecular biology of T. brucei: <http://www.parsunl.path.cam.ac.uk>
4. The World Health Organization has an excellent site focusing on infectious diseases of man: <http://www.who.ch/>
Predoctoral Program in Cellular and Molecular Parasitology - University of Wisconsin, Madison. The Center for Research and Training in Parasitic Diseases announces the availability of predoctoral fellowships through a NIH-funded training grant in the area of cellular and molecular parasitology. This program offers a variety of courses and seminars in basic and advanced parasitology, and exciting opportunities for research training in immunoparasitology, molecular parasitology, vector biology, and parasite biochemistry, neurobiology and physiology. Additional opportunities are also available for advanced training in medical parasitology through a cooperative agreement with the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. For futheer information contact: Dr. Timothy P. Yoshino, Director, CMP Training Program, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, School of Veterinary Medicine, 2015 Linden Drive West, Madison, WI 53706. Email: <yoshinot@svm.vetmed.wisc.edu>. An applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to be considered. Applications from women and other minorities are especially welcome. JOIN THE FUN!!
Assistant Professor. The Department of Microbiology and Cell Science at the University of Florida invites applications and nominations for a 12-month tenure-track position as Assistant Professor, starting on or about October 1, 1998. Applicants should have a Ph.D. with postdoctoral experience and research expertise in molecular mechanisms of microbial pathogenesis, particularly in the area of host-parasite interactions. The successful candidate is expected to develop a research program supported by extramural funding, to be an active and innovative instructor in undergraduate and graduate courses in parasitology, and supervise Ph.D. graduate students. Send curriculum vitae, description of research interests, and the names of five references by August 3, 1998 to: Dr. Howard M. Johnson, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, P.O. box 110700, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0700. Email: <hjohnson@micro.ifas.ufl.edu>. The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Postdoctoral Position in Malaria Research. A NIH-funded position is available to study alternative respiratory activity in the malaria parasite and the potential for chemotherapeutic intervention via this activity. Experience in Plasmodium biochemistry, tissue culture or rodent malaria models is desirable. Please send curriculum vitae and the names and phone/fax numbers of three references to: Dr. Naomi Lang-Unnasch, Division of Geographic Medicine, BBRB Box 7, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-2170. E-mail: <nlang unnasch@geomed.dom.uab.edu>. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Interim, academic year, full-time appointment as Assistant Professor of Biology. An interim faculty position in Biology is offered at Peru State College in Peru, Nebraska. Teaching assignments to include courses in human anatomy, freshwater biology, general chemistry, microbiology and ornithology. Doctorate preferred, Masters required. Position begins August 1998. Tenure-track search for the position to begin in the Fall. Submit letter of application (including teaching experience and statements of teaching and research interests/philosophy), vita and list of three references to: Beverly Ramsey, Personnel Director, Peru State College, P.O. Box 10, Peru, NE 68421. Completed applications reviewed upon receipt.
Dr. Bryce Walton, long-time member of the American Society of Parasitologists, died at his home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on Sunday, May 10, 1998.
AXELROD INSTITUTE OF ICHTHYOLOGY OFFERS AQUACULTURE WORKSHOPS OF INTEREST TO PARASITOLOGISTS
Professor Patrick T.K. Woo announces that three workshops in aquaculture will be held this summer at the Axelrod Institute of Ichthyology at the University of Guelph. Workshops #1 and 2 in particular should be of interest to laboratory and field parasitologists. The three workshops are entitled:
1. Technical Approaches (Biochemical and Molecular) to Fish Stock Identification - To be held June 29 - July 10.
2. Biological Assessment of Environmental Quality in Running Waters - To be held July 2- July 15.
3. Financial and Economic Techniques in Aquaculture - To be held July 23-August 5.
For additional information on these workshops may be obtained form the Workshop Website: <http://www.open.uoguelph.ca/axelrod>; from Dr. Woo's Research Website: <http://www.uoguelph.ca/~pwoo/woo.htm>; or Dr. Woo may be contacted directly: Dr. Patrick T.K. Woo, Department of Zoology and Axelrod Institute of Ichthyology, College of Biological Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada. Telephone: (519) 824-4120, ext. 3581 or 6065. Fax: (519) 767-1656. E-mail: pwoo@uoguelph.ca
NEW SLIDE SET IN "PARASITIC CASE OF THE WEEK" SERIES NOW AVAILABLE
"Parasitic Case of the Week" are sets of slides developed by an international group of colleagues for the purpose of providing teaching materials in medical parasitology at low cost. These slide sets present material on parasitized patients for use in the education of students, particularly those in geographic areas where access to such cases is extremely limited. These cases can be used in individual study or in seminars. The case histories, questions and answers, plus the 35 mm projection slides are sold on a non-profit basis. The following Parasitic Case of the Week slide sets are currently available:
Parasitic Case of the Week I: Thirty-six cases with 84 projection slides - $100 plus $15 shipping and handling in the U.S.
Parasitic Case of the Week II: Nineteen cases with 90 projection slides - $115 plus $15 shipping and handling in the U.S.
Parasitic Case of the Week III: Ten cases with 100 projection slides - $125 plus $15 shipping and handling in the U.S.
For more information or to order materials contact: H. Zaiman, M.D., P.O. Box 543, Valley City, ND 58072. Telephone: (701) 845-4401.
JAMES OLIVER HONORED BY CHINESE
James H. Oliver, Jr., Callaway Professor of Biology and Director of the Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology at Georgia Southern University, was recently elected as an honorary member of the editorial board of the Chinese Journal of Zoonoses. The journal is published by the Chinese Society for Microbiology and is the leading journal in the research fields of medical and veterinary microbiology, virology, parasitology and zoonoses in China.
KEYSTONE SYMPOSIA FOR 1999 FOCUS ON MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY
January 9-14, 1999; Archaea: Bridging the Gap Between Bacteria and Eukarya; Keystone, CO
January 9-15, 1999; Type 2 Cytokines in Allergy and Helminth Infections; Lake Tahoe, NV
January 14-20, 1999; Molecular and Cellular Biology of Gene Therapy; Salt Lake City, UT
January 16-21, 1999; Experimental Models of Immune Dysregulation and Mucosal Inflammation: Impact on the Understanding and Treatment of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Santa Fe, NM
January 16-22, 1999; Immunogenetics of Human Disease; Taos, NM
January 18-24, 1999; Chemokines and Chemokine Receptors; Keystone, CO
January 22-28, 1999; Macrophage Biology; Keystone, CO
February 8-14, 1999; B Lymphocyte Biology and Disease; Taos, NM
February 21-27, 1999; At the Dawn of the New Millennium: The Future of Drug Discovery; Granlibakken (Lake Tahoe), CA
February 23-28, 1999; Inflammatory Paradigms and the Vasculature; Santa Fe, NM
March 9-14, 1999: Infections of the Nervous System: Host-Pathogen Interactions; Taos, NM
March 9-14, 1999; Effectors of Inflammation in the CNS; Taos, NM
March 26-April, 1999; Tolerance and Autoimmunity; Keystone, CO
April 6-11, 1999; Apoptosis and Programed Cell Death; Breckenridge, CO
April 9-14, 1999: Specificity in Signal Transduction; Keystone, CO
April 12-17, 1999; DNA Vaccines: Immune Responses, Mechanisms and Manipulating Antigen Processing; Snowbird, UT
CONTACT: Keystone Symposia, Drawer 160, 221 Summit Place #272, Silverthorne, CO. Telephone: (800) 253-0685 or (970) 262-1230. Fax: (970) 262-1525. E-mail: <keystone@symposia.com>. Internet: <">http://www.colorado.net/symposia>
Bob Lane and G.B. Quistad recently reported in the Journal of Parasitology, 1998 (February) 84 (1): 29-34, that one reason why Lyme disease, a serious affliction transmitted to humans by ticks and caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, may not be common in the Western United States, is because the organism is destroyed by a substance in the the blood of the Western fence lizard. This lizard is commonly fed on by the ticks responsible for transmitting the disease agent and this is thought to underlie the low infection rates with the spirochetes among ticks in the Western U.S. (5%) compared with the high rate seen in ticks in the Northeast U.S. (50%). This article not only made it onto ProMed, a popular e-mail service focusing on news concerning emerging and reemerging diseases around the world and distributed to tens of thousands of physicians and scientists world-wide, but made it into a long list of newspapers around the United States, from the New York Times to the Fort Worth Telegram. The article was featured in news shows on television in several locations in the U.S., apparently made it onto one of the wire services and resulted in numerous phone calls to Drs. Lane, Quistad, and Esch (Editor of the Journal of Parasitology) from all over the globe.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF PARASITOLOGISTS
KONA, HAWAII
AUGUST 16-20, 1998
The 73rd Meeting of the American Society of Parasitologists will be held August 16-20, 1998 at the Kona Surf Resort on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaii is the largest of the Hawaiian Islands with one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. The Big Island has Arctic tundra, tropical rain forests, active volcanoes, lava deserts and some of the most beautiful beaches and diverse marine life one will encounter anywhere in the world. The island offers world-class home-grown coffee, a shoppers paradise, unparalleled snorkeling and scuba diving, historical sites, outstanding marlin fishing, nature hikes in breathtaking and remote areas, biking, horseback riding, helicopter and plane tours of volcanoes and waterfalls, glass-bottom boat and submarine trips, and some of the friendliest people on earth.
The ASP has arranged for diving and snorkeling trips, including several with Manta Rays, some of which have a 12-ft wing span; an authentic Hawaiian Luau with an incredible array of native foods and drink, and a Polynesian Show to go along with the meal; and a "Snorkeling Wet Lab" offered by Dr. Greta Abey.
The meeting will include 211 papers and posters, and will be truly international, with papers being presented by colleagues from Australia (25), Italy (2), Denmark (4), Mexico (2), China (2), South Korea (3), Argentina (2), England (1), Ireland (1), Canada (32) and the United States (141). The entire meeting will be held at the Kona Surf Resort in the Kona Surf Resort Convention Center. The meeting agenda includes sessions on immunology; ecology; molecular, developmental and cell biology; biochemistry, physiology and chemotherapy; host-parasite interactions; life cycles and epidemiology; and, taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny. The Coccidiosis Conference and symposia on"Parasites in Paradise" and the "Gulf of California" will be held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. A "Late Breakers" session will be held on Thursday for important, new data obtained after the deadline for abstract submission. The 10th Annual ASP Auction to benefit student research and travel, will be held Monday evening.
THIS WILL DEFINITELY BE A KILLER MEETING. JOIN US IN BEAUTIFUL HAWAII.
Don't forget to bring those donated items for auction in Hawaii at the 10th Annual ASP Auction to benefit student research and travel. This has been a very successful fund-raising effort, but it relies on the generosity of ASP members in donating items to be auctioned. Please bring your contributions with you and turn them in at the Meeting Registration Desk before 3:00 p.m. on Monday with a short description of the item on a 3"x 5" card. If you prefer, you may send the donated items to: Dr. Eugene Foor, Division of Natural Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown, PA 15904. Telephone: (814) 269-2023. Fax: (814) 269-7261.
This year's national meeting and student workshop promises to be one to remember. There are few places in the world with such a diverse and unique fauna and flora as Hawaii. Its coral reefs and abundant marine life are world-renowned. Though it is natural to be taken in by all the macroscopic forms of beauty and color found in Hawaii's waters, there also exists an incredible assemblage of parasites that have made this area their home. A home that until now, many of us have never gotten the opportunity to visit. To take advantage of this exceptional location for our meeting, we propose a student workshop with goals that will help us learn more about the marine parasites found in the waters around Hawaii. We will also see how these organisms affect man. We have planned a workshop that will "dive into" the field of marine parasitology on three different levels. Dr. Greta Aeby will examine the local parasitism occurring in coral reef communities around the Hawaiian Islands. Specifically, we will learn about the evolutionary ecology of the digenetic trematode Podocotyloides stenometra and focus in on the interactions between this parasite and its coral intermediate host and butterfly fish definitive host. The second phase of the workshop, presented by Dr. Klaus Rohde, will expand the topic to look at parasites on a more oceanic/global level. Marine parasite latitudinal gradients in species diversity, abundance and host ranges, endemicity, community structure and distributional patterns within the Indo-Pacific Ocean will be addressed. Finally, Dr. Armand Kuris will conclude the workshop by looking at how marine parasites affect man and our management of the sea's living resources. With an already large and increasingly growing proportion of the world's food supply dependent upon our oceans, the importance of marine parasites cannot be underestimated. Dr. Kuris' research into programs using parasites as biological controls for introduced marine pests offers an exciting and novel approach to marine management. We will examine the methodological and safety concerns of implementing such a parasitology control program and the key biological issues influencing the success of these types of programs will be addressed as well.
In addition, Dr. Aeby will be conducting a snorkel wetlab excursion on an afternoon later in the week. She will be taking us to a park 1-2 miles from the hotel to show us the local flora and fauna. This excursion will be preceded the night before by a pre-snorkel slide show. So be sure to bring your snorkel, fins and mask! More detailed information will be available at the workshop.
Any questions should be sent to:
Joel M. Montgomery, Center for Parasitology, Department of Biology, University of Texas at Arlington, P.O. Box 19494, Arlington, TX 76019 Phone: 817-272-2423 Fax: 817-272-2855 Email: jmm4818@utarlg.uta.edu
or
Charles Blend, Parasitology Section, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, University of Southern Mississippi, 703 East Beach Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39566-7000 Phone: 228-872-4233 Fax: 228-872-4204 Email: deep-sea@seahorse.ims.usm.edu