Dear RPS members,

1. The BOD approved a $300 donation from the RPS to the American Cancer Society in memory of Gloria Gallo, who passed away on Feb. 27, 2008. The RPS will be represented by Laura Barisoni at the funeral on Sat. 3/8. It was also decided that any future contributions in memory of deceased RPS members would be addressed by the BOD on a case-by-case basis. I have written a brief summary of Gloria’s distinguished career that is now posted on the RPS web site (under membership – obituaries).

2. Surya Seshan reported on joint ventures between the RPS and KUFA. Again this year, KUFA will provide funds for two $5000 research grants. Applications are available on the RPS web site. We will need to set a deadline for these applications soon, and make members aware of this. The review committee for these grants will consist of Lorraine Racusen (chair), Surya Seshan, and Mark Haas. Applications and deadlines will soon be posted on the RPS web site. I have sent to Murray Brower, Associate Executive Director of KUFA, a draft of a letter soliciting donations to KUFA in return for prints of the “Tree of Life” illustration from Jean Oliver’s book. Funds from these donations would then available entirely for RPS activities. When the letter is approved by KUFA, it will be sent to nephrologists, renal pathologists, and other potentially interested persons. Finally, plans for a joint KUFA-RPS symposium on renal tumors are on hold, pending a decision by KUFA regarding another possible symposium not involving the RPS. It was suggested that if plans for the KUFA-RPS symposium move forward, one topic that might be addressed is findings in the non-neoplastic kidney in tumor nephectomy specimens.

3. Modifications to guidelines for the Young Investigator and Pirani Travel awards were presented by Steve Bonsib, chair of the Nominations and Award Committee, and approved by the BOD. These include provisions that in any year, no more than one person under the mentorship of any single RPS member may be nominated for these awards. In addition, a nominee may not receive both the Young Investigator and Pirani Travel Awards in a single calendar year.

4. The 2008 Satellite Meeting on 3/2/08, chaired by Jim Pullman (chair of the Education and Scientific Committee), was both well attended and informative (see also item #6, below). It was agreed that the 2009 Satellite Meeting would be held in conjunction with a major Latin American Nephrology meeting (?SLANH) meeting in Mexico City in April, 2009. This meeting runs from a Wednesday night through Sunday. The Satellite Meeting will be held on Wednesday afternoon, and will be chaired by Guillermo Herrera, who has also agreed to serve as chair of the Education and Scientific Committee for 2009. In addition, it was proposed that the RPS organize a 1½ day renal pathology course, possibly along the lines of the Columbia course and the pre-ASN course, to be held Tuesday morning and afternoon, and Wednesday morning. RPS members invited to speak at the Satellite Meeting would also be involved in the course, to help limit travel expenses that will need to be paid. Details regarding the course are still pending – we will need input from the current Education and Scientific and International Committees, as well as from Guillermo.

5. Terry Cook, who is serving as the RPS representative on the Program Committee for the 2008 ASN meeting, announced that several symposia on topics of interest to RPS members will be held at this year’s ASN, among which are pathogenesis of ANCA vasculitis, advances in transplant pathology, and pathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathies. In addition, there will be a clinical nephrology conference on the pathology of lupus nephritis, as well as the renal biopsy symposium that is being chaired by Ian Roberts. Both Surya and I have already contacted Raymond Harris, chair of the Program Committee for the 2009 ASN meeting, regarding inclusion of an RPS member on that committee.

6. A recent survey of the Training Program Committee, chaired by Serena Bagnasco, found that only 36% of U.S. pathology training programs require a rotation in renal pathology. Furthermore, efforts at addressing this with the organization of program directors (PRODs) have generated little interest on their part. Several RPS members suggested that exposing residents to renal pathology earlier in their training (i.e., before they have committed to another specialty) might help increase interest in renal pathology among residents. The declining number of renal pathology questions on the American Board of Pathology exam was also cited as a possible cause of omission or de-emphasis of renal pathology training in many residency programs; this issue was later raised with Dr. Betsy Bennett from the American Board of Pathology at the Satellite Meeting, and she agreed to investigate this issue.

7. There are currently 10 RPS members who are >2 years in arrears on their dues payments. 3 of these could not be contacted and Helen Liapis is looking into this. It was agreed that the membership of the other 7 would be terminated and their names removed from the Society roster; they would be eligible for membership if they choose to re-apply. I have written to these 7 persons informing them of this action.

8. An increase in membership from 257 in 2006 to a current number of 396 has resulted in a substantial increase in the Society’s balance, to ~$60,000, essentially double what is was in January, 2006. Accordingly it is felt that the RPS needs to develop a strategic 5 year plan as to what balance needs to be maintained and how to spend any excess funds. This plan is being developed by the Financial Committee, chaired by David Thomas.

9. It was agreed to provide Helen Liapis with funds to transfer and maintain the RPS website in St. Louis, and to support Sherry Eagle, Helen’s secretary, for the extra hours she puts in on RPS-related work. It was asked that Helen submit a budget for these items to the BOD for approval, at the next BOD meeting (at the ASN in Philadelphia, in early November) or before.

10. A plan for the financing of travel expenses of speakers at RPS-sponsored meetings was adopted. It should first be emphasized that meetings for which payment of speakers is to be considered include only the RPS Companion Meeting at the USCAP, and the Satellite Meeting. Meetings primarily sponsored by the ASN or USCAP with RPS co-sponsorship, such as the renal biopsy symposium at the ASN and evening specialty conference at the USCAP, are not covered by these provisions and speakers for these sessions should be chosen who are willing to pay their way to the meeting or obtain travel funds from sources other than the RPS. It was agreed that the Program Committee would be provided up to $2500 annually to be used to pay travel expenses for speakers at the RPS Companion Meeting who are coming from another continent, or who do not normally attend the USCAP meeting (e.g., nephrologists, basic scientists). Likewise, it was agreed that the Education and Scientific Committee would be provided up to $2500 annually to pay travel expenses for speakers at the Satellite Meeting who are coming from another continent, or who would otherwise not attend the parent meeting at which the Satellite is being held (e.g., IAP, or the 2009 meeting in Mexico City). The use of these funds would be at the discretion of the committees noted above. There would not be any “roll-over” of unused funds to the following year.

11. Surya Seshan, chair of the International Committee, presented preliminary results of this Committee’s survey of international activities of RPS members. Survey results will be finalized after additional ongoing participation by RPS members is completed. Names and addresses of RPS members willing to host international visitors to their laboratory, and details regarding arranging such visits, have been posted on the RPS web site. A training program for renal pathologists in Mexico, led by Drs. Uribe, Ramon-Garcia, and Salinas-Madrigal, has been approved with funding through the National Autonomous University of Mexico. It is hoped that this, together with activities planned for the April, 2009 meeting in Mexico City, will increase the profile of the RPS in Latin America and strengthen ties between the RPS and societies of nephrology and pathology in this part of the world.

12. Arthur Cohen, a member of the International Committee, has initiated communication with COMGAN President Bill Couser and Pathology Committee chair Agnes Fogo to obtain additional information from centers that could potentially benefit from RPS activities, including access to educational materials and potential training opportunities on the RPS web site. News regarding renal pathology activities in several different countries is now being posted on the RPS website.

13. Maria Picken presented the new RPS brochures, and distributed some of these at RPS-sponsored activities at the USCAP meeting, including the Satellite Meeting and Evening Specialty Conference.

14. Two items have arisen that should be considered by or at the next BOD meeting (at the ASN, in November). The first involves whether to make the position of Society Historian (now held by Samy Iskandar) a BOD position. If members of the BOD agree this should be done, I could add this to the proposed amendments to the Bylaws (a document recently circulated to BOD members) to be voted on by the membership. Alternatively, we can wait to see what transpires from this newly created position over the next few months and discuss this further at the BOD meeting in November. Your input is appreciated. The second and more involved issue is that of automatic ascension of committee members to the rank of vice chair and ultimately chair. This was discussed last year but details still need to be ironed out. One concern is that there are clearly instances where it would be advantageous for a committee chair to remain in that position or at least as a committee member for the following year, rather than rotating off. Examples of this would be if a committee is undertaking a long-range project, such as the financial plan noted in item #8, above, or if important international contacts have been recently established and need to be strengthened in order to assure they are maintained. As such, this issue would appear to merit additional discussion from the BOD, and will be listed as an agenda item for the next meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

Mark Haas
RPS President 2008