The SSP is an affiliate of the American Society of Parasitologists. We are a mix of ecologists, taxonomists, cell biologists, immunoparasitologists, veterinarians, students, and more! Our annual meetings are casual, relaxed, and always interesting. You may click these links for information on our upcoming and past meetings. Membership is open to all persons interested in the study of all things related to the fascinating world of parasites. For more information about joining The SSP click here.
See you in Bowling Green on Wednesday. If you haven't seen it yet, the Program with Abstracts is posted on the Upcoming Meeting page....just click on the Meetings tab above and select Upcoming Meeting. It will be a good one!
Fellow SSP members: Allow me to be the first to encourage you to attend this year’s Presidential Symposium, which, ironically, has absolutely nothing to do with the current president (who is likely sitting in a recliner at this very moment eating pancakes). Our speakers for the symposium will be Dr. Eric (Sam) Loker, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of New Mexico, Dr. Julián Hillyer, Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Vanderbilt University, and Dr. Garriet Smith, Professor of Biology at the University of South Carolina Aiken. Dr. Loker’s area of expertise is in comparative immunology, where his focus on invertebrate models has broadened our understanding of schistosome evolutionary biology, host-parasite interactions and the basic biology of snails. Dr. Hillyer’s work on mosquitoes has provided valuable insights into mosquito physiology, and its influence on the interactions between mosquitoes and the parasites that they vector, providing both a physiological and an organismal framework for the mosquito immune response. If you are interested in visiting the laboratory websites for either of these gentlemen, just run either of those last bits through “Turnitin” and it will find them for you. Dr. Smith’s “website”, on the other hand, is rather understated. “Research on microbial ecology of coastal marine and freshwater ecosystems” seems almost dismissive of the work he has done uncovering the pathogens (and pathogen complexes) responsible for coral bleaching events, and tracing the origin of aspergillosis of gorgonian corals to the Sahara desert. What all of these accomplished scientists have in common is that they study the physiological bases for symbiotic associations in invertebrates...which has nothing at all to do with the community ecology of parasites of fishes. Just because I’m not bright enough to study immunology, does not mean I can’t have a deep appreciation for it. The attached paper should explain my fascination with the immunological aspect of host-parasite relationships. That’s right. There is an assigned reading for the symposium. You have been coddled by your elected officers for far too long, and that is about to change! The symposium will start at 7pm on Wednesday to make sure that the stragglers will be there for the quiz. REMEMBER: the deadline to have pre-registration mailed (ask your parents about envelopes and stamps), and to book your rooms at the conference rate is MARCH 15!!! There still are plenty of rooms available, which has Cheryl feeling a little nervous. ALSO: the abstract deadline is March 11, and those are to be sent (electronically) to me at: derekz@usca.edu I am exceptionally grateful that these distinguished biologists have agreed to present for us, and am very much looking forward to hearing what they have to say. I hope to see you there! – Derek Zelmer
Dr. Claire Fuller is asking for nominations for the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists Meritorious Service Award. There are a lot of people in our society who have worked hard to make this a great group, to put on excellent meetings and to encourage students members. Who do you know who you would like to recognize for their service? Please send letters of nominations to Claire, via email (cfuller@murraystate.edu). In your letter, please outline the reasons for your nomination and include names of others who might also provide letters.
Ray Kuhn celebrated his 70th birthday with former students from his Wake Forest Immunobiology lab. To read an article about the occasion, copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://news.wfu.edu/2012/10/10/infectious-mentoring/
Our 2013 Annual Meeting will be held April 10 - 12 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. See the Upcoming Meeting page (under the Meetings Menu) for more details.
Welcome to the new website! This version went live Thursday, July 12, 2012. Comments and suggestions are welcome.