Safety Pharmacology Society (SPS) is a nonprofit organization that promotes knowledge, development, application, and training in Safety Pharmacology—a distinct scientific discipline that integrates the best practices of pharmacology, physiology and toxicology. The objective of Safety Pharmacology studies is to further the discovery, development and safe use of biologically active chemical entities by the identification, monitoring and characterization of potentially undesirable pharmacodynamic activities in nonclinical studies. The Safety Pharmacology Society also supports the human safety of drugs and biologicals by fostering scientific research, education, and dissemination of scientific information through meetings and other scientific interactions.

SPS host an Annual Meeting—access full meeting details at the SPS 2008 Annual Meeting Web site. View the meeting Agenda or register on-line.

Top 5 Reasons to Attend the SPS Meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, USA
September 22–25, 2008!

1. The SPS Annual Meeting is the most focused scientific meeting targeting the role of safety pharmacology in drug development. Presentations cover a spectrum from theory, to practical experience and specific case studies.
2. The SPS Annual Meeting is one of the best forums for international "best practice sharing" within the pharmaceutical industry, with contract laboratories and with regulators.
3. The SPS Annual Meeting offers a comprehensive program of continuing education courses to accommodate both newcomers to the field as well as those with experience in advanced courses.
4. The SPS Annual Meeting highlights new areas in which safety pharmacology is thought to have an impact in the future to improve drug safety.
5. The SPS Annual Meeting provides an exciting and fun forum for networking with colleagues as well as a forum for exploring employment opportunities in the area of safety pharmacology.

Additional Reasons to Attend the SPS Meeting

6. The SPS meeting provides contact with relevant vendors and CROs.
7. Provides a forum for best practice sharing, bench-marketing and strategic aspects of safety pharmacology.
8. State-of-the-art technologies and tests are presented.
9. Gives insight into the regulatory environment surrounding safety pharmacology.
10. The meeting provides special emphasis on preclinical cardiovascular and electrophysiological profiling of development compounds and bridging to clinical studies.
11. CE offerings includes comprehensive introduction to safety pharmacology as well as advanced topics such as drug abuse liability (a challenge for even the experienced Safety Pharmacologist).
12. Membership of SPS enables discounted registration or reduced admission at SPS meetings or novel themed Workshops and allows for attendees to provide feed back to the organizing committees about topic content quality.
13. The SPS Annual Meeting rotates between key local venues across the North America (even years) and convenient European locations (odd years).
14. The Distinguished Scientist Award, and the Student and Jr. Scientist Travel Award winners are announced at the scientific Annual Meeting and Awards session.
15. The SPS Annual Meeting focuses on key issues of contemporary human pharmaceutical safety, by exploring how clinical adverse events arise and whether these were predicted by the nonclinical testing in nonrodent species.
16. The SPS Annual Meeting offers value-for-money pragmatic guidance from local experts or those of our organizers who have visited the area in advance of the meeting.

Join SPS Membership

Become a Member of the Safety Pharmacology Society (SPS)
Safety Pharmacology is a relatively new scientific discipline and is of great interest to those involved with the discovery and development of new pharmaceuticals. The scientific foundations of safety pharmacology are based on the integration of pharmacology, physiology, and toxicology. SPS has members from the pharmaceutical industry, as well as, academia, government, contract research organizations, service industries, consulting agencies, and private organizations world-wide. The benefits of joining SPS include but are not limited to:

• Education
• Communication and Networking
• Recognition via Awards
• Publications
• Employment Opportunities
• Vender and CRO Contacts
• $aving$
• Get Involved!
• Web Site—Access to your colleagues and more!
• Travel-—New places and new friends

Education
Continuing Education courses are given in conjunction with the Safety Pharmacology Society Annual Meeting as well in satellite meetings throughout the year. CE courses include a comprehensive introduction to Safety Pharmacology for the “newcomer,” as well as advanced courses that challenge even the experienced Safety Pharmacologist. These courses provide an opportunity for learning and discussing the best scientific methods for a variety of safety pharmacology endeavors.

Communication and Networking
As a member, you are associated with experienced and knowledgeable scientists, providers and regulators active in the field of Safety Pharmacology. Fellow members are available for discussions on Safety Pharmacology issues such as study designs and data interpretation. Becoming a member enhances opportunities to network with experts in physiology, pharmacology and toxicology. The relatively small size of the Safety Pharmacology Society and the focused scope of its meetings provide an effective and intimate forum for sharing of knowledge related to Safety Pharmacology. The SPS brings together individuals representing the full spectrum of Safety Pharmacology—from senior management of large international pharmaceutical companies, to promising young students and scientists starting to work in this new field. Special programs support the attendance and involvement of younger colleagues at the annual meetings.

Recognition via Awards
SPS provides award opportunities for recognition of outstanding scientific research. There are several opportunities for Students and Junior Scientists to win awards including travel awards. For Senior Scientists, the opportunity exists to have their abstract selected for a fifteen minute oral presentation at the Annual Meeting in addition to the poster presentation. Finally, there is a Distinguished Service award to honor colleagues who have committed their efforts to forwarding Safety Pharmacology.

Publications
Abstracts accepted for presentation at the SPS Annual Meeting are published in the Journal of Pharmacological & Toxicological Methods. Outstanding work may be submitted as a full manuscript for publication in a special edition of the journal dedicated to Safety Pharmacology. Thus, not only is your data shared with your peers at meetings, but this is a great opportunity to share your work with other scientists outside the field of Safety Pharmacology.

Employment Opportunities
The SPS provides a forum for advertising employment opportunities and for investigating new positions. This is available both by posting at the Annual Meeting, as well as on the SPS Web site (SPS Careers link). Being able to meet and even interview potential new employees/employers is a benefit for members attending the Annual Meeting.

Vender and CRO Contacts
The work done by Safety Pharmacologists is supported by dedicated venders and contract research organizations from around the world. Fellow members of the SPS involved in this business segment also attend the SPS Annual Meeting and are important contributors to the conference through their participation in the annual SPS Meeting Exhibition. Furthermore, venders sponsor Safety Pharmacology-related mini-symposiums to assist in the sharing of cutting-edge technology and research models. As a member, this information is readily available to you via our Web site and e-mail distribution list.

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Becoming a member of SPS includes discounted registration at the SPS Annual Meeting, at Continuing Education courses, and Satellite Meetings and Workshops. Your membership dues are more than compensated for by these discounts. This is done to encourage both membership as well are participation at the Annual Meeting.

Get Involved!
As a relatively new scientific discipline, Safety Pharmacology is still a rapidly developing area which is also reflected by the growth of the Safety Pharmacology Society. The SPS is still of a size which allows you multiple opportunities to become involved in the field by volunteering your time and enthusiasm- from working on various committees in order to advance the mission of the Society to becoming an officer or Board of Directors member who guide the future of the Society. Attend the Meetings! The Annual Meetings and other Workshops are known for their very friendly and open atmosphere that helps to break down barriers for new delegates and rapidly establish contacts that will benefit your career. Don’t be left behind in the rapidly evolving field of Safety Pharmacology!

Web Site—Access to your colleagues and more!
The on-line, real time membership directory provides access to members that can’t be achieved otherwise. The Web site provides open links to the public for quick access to applicable regulatory documents, educational content, current news, and job opportunities, but as a member you have access to more such as the upcoming forum for members to share ideas and ask questions.

Travel—New places and new friends
Each year there is a new venue for the Annual Meeting. Currently, we alternate between North America and Europe. This gives members the opportunity to travel and enjoy new cultures and sites! The excitement of Scotland, the Heartland of America in Madison, Wisconsin, the beauty of Porto, Spain, the energy of the East Coast in Boston Massachusetts, and who knows where next!

Visit the SPS Web Site.
View Job Postings.
Learn More About Safety Pharmacology.