APA/JPS Joint Annual Meeting
November 4-7, 2009
Honolulu, Hawaii

Welcome to the American Pancreatic Association (APA) web site. The APA is an unique organization devoted to understanding the pancreas, its natural functions and disorders, benign or malignant. We are now in our 40 th year of bringing together basic scientists clinical investigators, and clinicians to shed light on pancreatic biology and use that new knowledge to improve the outcomes of treatment. During those decades we have seen the growing power of molecular and cell biology, new imaging techniques including those based on endoscopy, minimally invasive surgery, and more effective interventions. The pancreas, which was a neglected, poorly understood orphan forty years ago, is increasingly spotlighted and supported by funding agencies (albeit not well enough as yet).

The 2008 meeting held in Chicago, was the largest ever, with 319 registrants. The program, well-balanced between basic and clinical science, was attended by a large number of fellows, residents, and other trainees (and even two award-winning high school students). APA travel grants make it possible for many young investigators and junior staff to come from the U.S. and abroad. One hundred sixty posters supplemented the 41 oral presentations. This year the Hirshberg Foundation Awards for presentations in pancreatic cancer went to Seunguk Oh of University of Minnesota for basic research and to Andrew Biankin of Garvin Institute for Medical Research for clinical research. The National Pancreas Foundation Awards for presentations in pancreatitis went to Sebastian Gaiser of UT MD Anderson Cancer Center for basic research and to Luca Frulloni of University of Verona for clinical research. Daniel S. Longnecker, M.D., Professor of Pathology Emeritus, received the Vay Liang and Frisca Go Award for Lifetime Achievement. State-of-the-art lecturers were John A. Williams, M.D., Ph.D. (“Mechanisms of Pancreatic Growth Regulation by CCK and Nutrients”), Paul Georg Lankisch, M.D. (“The Natural Course for Acute Pancreatitis: What We Know Today and What We Ought To Know for Tomorrow”), Surinder Batra, Ph.D. (“Role of Mucus in Diagnosis and Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer”), and Teresa A. Brentnall, M.D. (“Pancreatic Cancer: New Thoughts on a Bad Disease”). These were supported by the Frank P. Brooks Memorial Fund, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PANCAN), and The Rolfe Foundation, respectively. A symposium on pancreatic pseudocysts and fluid collections related to pancreatitis was a first joint venture between the APA and the Pancreas Club.

A highlight of the meeting was the day-and-a half postgraduate course on “The Chronic Pancreatitis to Pancreatic Cancer Continuum,” jointly sponsored by the APA and the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research. In his introductory comments outgoing APA President Craig D. Logsdon, Ph.D. provided excellent insights to the elements shared by chronic pancreatitis and cancer. Keynote speakers Thea Tisty, Ph.D. of UCSF and Timothy C. Wang, M.D. of Columbia set a high bar, which was met by an all-star cast of speakers in the course of the following day.

In 2009 we will break new ground by holding our meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii (November 5-7), jointly with the Japanese Pancreas Society, also celebrating its 40 th anniversary. Planning for this East-meets-West collaboration has begun with President Masao Tanaka of the JPS. The meeting promises to be informative, exciting, and fun!

Meanwhile the APA Council is planning other new directions. Newly-elected Councilor Martin Freeman of the University of Minnesota brings his expertise in interventional endoscopy and ultrasonography. He joins Councilors Diane Simeone (Surgery, University of Michigan), Roger Liddle (Gastroenterology, Duke University), President-elect Suresh Chari (Pancreatology, Mayo Clinic), and past-President Craig Logsdon (basic investigator, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center). Along with their leadership we will be initiating three new standing committees of the Council: Clinical Science, Basic Science, and Development. These groups will be charged with helping to plan the annual program, developing clinical and basic science research collaborations and trials, identifying significant new directions and areas of interest, and, of course, fundraising.

Most organizations are actually run by the Secretary, not the President. The APA is no exception. Ashok Saluja (basic investigator, University of Minnesota), Secretary-Treasurer and Past President, is truly its heart and soul, not to mention its engine. Incidentally he is the President-elect of the International Association of Pancreatology and will co-lead the joint APA/IAP meeting in 2012. (Of course he would not be half as good if it were not for Erin Brudvik taking care of almost everything.)

It is a significant honor to be President of the APA. I will do my best to represent you actively and well. See you in Hawaii in November.

Andrew L. Warshaw, M.D.
Massachusetts General Hospital
Harvard Medical School