PHYSIOLOGY 2023 Takes Shape

It’s been just over a year since we announced that we are launching a new annual meeting. In that time, APS members and staff have been working diligently to build a world-class meeting that will be a beacon for the physiology community—one that attracts top scientists, provides an exceptional scientific program, presents a “must attend” experience and elevates the brand of physiology globally.

Now with only two years to go, we hosted a town hall meeting to answer your questions about our new annual meeting, PHYSIOLOGY 2023. Here are some of the most asked questions and their answers:

When and where will the meeting be? Will there be options to attend virtually?

The site selection process will begin later this spring. We will be searching for a location that is convenient, affordable and an attractive destination. PHYSIOLOGY 2023 will take place over three days in a similar late-March to early-May timeframe as Experimental Biology (EB). The format will be Thursday to Sunday. The meeting will also include significant virtual programming, allowing us to welcome more international attendees and extend the meeting experience for all attendees beyond the confines of the live event.

Who was involved in the planning?

A dedicated task force of APS members—dubbed Team 2023—led the design process. The 14 team members represent the full scope of APS, including early-career trainees and young professionals, section and committee representatives, and members who have served on the APS Council and in the Executive Cabinet. The group worked with APS staff to completely rethink what a scientific meeting could be, from session programming to invited speakers and events. Team 2023 has conducted more than 70 member interviews and spent more than 450 hours planning the meeting.

Will APS partner with other scientific societies to increase the breadth of science offered?

While our new meeting will not be a joint annual meeting like EB, we realize that many members valued the opportunity to hear content from partner organizations. We will look for partners who will broaden and strengthen our content offerings, as well as add to the prestige of the meeting and the discipline. Our new annual meeting will also allow us to partner with other types of prestigious scientific institutions. 

How does APS plan to involve international scientists in the meeting?

Scientific discovery does not stop at national borders, so we believe that attracting more international participation in PHYSIOLOGY 2023 and beyond will make for a richer experience for all. To accomplish this, we will explore new international partnerships and offer an expansive virtual meeting experience.

How will the scientific program be decided?

In line with the Team 2023 mandate to find new ways to elevate the scientific content, we will establish a new Program Working Group (PWG) that will be charged with bringing top scientists to the meeting to present talks at both general and “game changer” sessions. The PWG—composed of section representatives and similar to our current Joint Program Committee—will be responsible for the bulk of the scientific programming, including presentations of oral abstracts and posters. The PWG will also be charged with safeguarding scientific quality at the meeting, promoting cross-sectional content and ensuring enough diverse content to attract the entire physiology community.

While Team 2023 has completed its task of developing a new meeting framework, the work of creating PHYSIOLOGY 2023 has just begun. There are many details yet to be decided and many questions left to explore. As always, I want to hear from you. Visit www.physiology.org/PHYS23 to leave your questions and suggestions and to learn more about what’s in store.

Scott Steen, CAE, FASAE, is executive director of the American Physiological Society.

This article was originally published in the March 2021 issue of The Physiologist Magazine.