President's Message | March 2019

Phyllis Dennery, MD, Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital

The New Year has started off well! We received over 30 proposals for symposia for the 2019 Annual Conference in Las Vegas! Final review selection from the Program Committee is underway as I write. We will certainly have a phenomenal conference based on the breath of science being suggested!

We continue to make strides in our current strategic plan that began last year. We continue a collaboration with FASEB and have begun communicating with the leadership of the NIH around more visibility for Redox Biology in the expertise of Study Sections.

One matter that has been front and center nationally and internationally is the problem of sexual harassment in academia. Dr. Paula Johnson (President of Wesley College) representing the National Academy of Medicine and Dr. Sheila Widnall (Institute Professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) representing the National Academy of Engineering, along with the committee on Women in Science from the Engineering in Medicine, co-led a study focused on sexual harassment of women in colleges and in universities. They clearly acknowledged that sexual harassment continues to exist at all levels and, the most potent predictor of sexual harassment is organizational climate. If an institution takes concrete steps to reduce sexual harassment by demonstrating how seriously they take the issue, and they encourage and listen to those who courageously speak up, the changes occur much quicker than if these concerns are dismissed and made light of.

As SfRBM President, I have a very strong commitment to ensure that all participants are safe from harassment and discriminatory behavior, whether this is sexual harassment, racial and ethnic discrimination or bullying. Together with many other advocates and allies, we are crafting a procedure for filing complaints and a process to investigate complaints fairly and discretely. SfRBM's Ethics Committee will determine appropriate punitive actions such as suspension and revocation from the society, for infractions.

Your ideas are welcome on how to address this serious issue. I encourage us all to prevent harassment and address this ugly problem head on.