President's Message
by: W. Virgil Brown, MD

A new year and new challenges for the IAS

As we look forward to the coming year, a new slate of officers will be assuming responsibility for the policies, programs and management of the IAS. As I assume the office of President,
I want to express my appreciation to those who have led this organization in its many accomplishments in the past as well as those who have volunteered to assume the responsibility of leadership. We are also fortunate to have a dedicated group of Senior Advisors who continue to devote time and effort, bringing their years of experience to help guide the new Board.

For more than 40 years, this organization has provided the platform for one of the most important meetings that brings together researchers and thought leaders from all over the world. We enjoyed a wonderful meeting in Boston last year chaired by Drs. Ernst Schaefer and Antonio Gotto. Work on the ISA 2012 with our Australian colleagues is already underway to bring about in Sydney, a similar presentation of the latest in science from our worldwide membership. International communication has been fostered between these triennial meetings by this newsletter and by funds for travel and fellowships. As we watch atherosclerosis become the dominant killer on the planet, our work grows in importance.

In the past, the large international meetings have provided funds to maintain our staff and to support the interim activities. The Lorenzini Foundation has been a major supporter as well. Each of our member organizations has supplemented this with annual dues payments. As the world changes, the funding for such activities is becoming much more difficult and tenuous. The full extent and duration of the current economic recession is also an unknown. Therefore, we are going to face new challenges in maintaining our current sources of funds. However, I believe we should not be satisfied with sustaining current activity but should expect to grow new programs as we go forward. This calls for a new approach to fund raising. We must work together to decipher opportunities to develop new programs that can address our mission of promoting and dispersing scientific knowledge regarding the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of atherosclerotic diseases. Continuing and increasing activity in this respect will be necessary for the health of our organization in both fiscal and intellectual matters. To this end, I will propose the establishment of a Committee to work with our very capable staff in the formal planning of fund raising efforts with annual goals. This must be done while being supportive of efforts by our constituent member organizations. That will require good communication and cooperation so that our efforts bring success and advancement to all.

I call on the leadership of all our member organizations to share ideas and opportunities and to bring about interactions through the IAS that can more effectively address the scientific and social issues pertinent to reducing atherosclerosis. As President, I know that the new Executive Board will develop warm and supportive relationships as we go into the next three year term. In this regard, I am providing my contact information below so that your concerns and advice are easily shared with me. Thank you for your involvement and commitment to the IAS. I look forward to working with you to make the next three years a great success.

Yours sincerely,

W. Virgil Brown, MD
Email: wbrow925@bellsouth.net
Tel #: (404) 266 9006
Cell#: (404) 909 2095