Dear fellow ISSX members,

I am pleased to provide my first President’s message of 2026! Spring has Sprung and our Society is flourishing too; I am thrilled to share some fantastic updates with you about ISSX. But first, I want to thank our outgoing President Alex Galetin for her incredible work leading our society for the past two years, where she has moved our society’s mission forward with supporting our members, new investigators, fledging ISSX affiliates around the world, and bringing our society into a very fine financial place. This has set us up for now and well into the future. Thank you, Alex. The society owes you a debt of gratitude.

Moving to our Society’s future, I am excited to share two upcoming conference programs with you.

First off is the 16th European ISSX Meeting (June 29 - July 2, 2026) where the program is live on our website! The co-chairs of the meeting Pieter Annaert and Simone Schadt are excited to welcome you to Basel, Switzerland. The theme of the conference is “From Benchside Research to Bedside Reality: DMPK's Next Chapter, Technologies, and Approaches” and will provide a diversity of topics ranging from innovative experimental systems, AI/ML, model-informed drug development, specific populations, and the ADME challenges of emerging therapeutic modalities, also short courses to expand on many topics of interest to ISSX. The program can be found here. A highlight will be the debate challenging our community to reflect on whether the future of DMPK will be driven primarily by data-centric AI approaches or by curiosity-driven scientific discovery. The call for abstracts is open until May 6, and I and the society cannot wait to see the amazing research you will be presenting in Basel.

At our second meeting of the year ISSX and the co-chairs Marcel Hop and Swati Nagar invite you to participate in the 27th North American Meeting at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California, USA, this Fall (October 11 - 14)!  The theme of this conference is “Back to the Future: DMPK Foundations and New Concepts”. This conference promises a unique program that is complimentary to the to that of the European ISSX meeting, with sessions to expand on our scientific understanding on artificial intelligence and machine learning in ADME research, advances in drug–drug interaction assessment, mechanistic and systems pharmacology modeling, and real-world case studies highlighting unexpected biotransformations, with discussions on treatments of neurodegenerative and obesity diseases, drivers of drug toxicity, and structure-based ADME. Short course will include foundational knowledge and forward-looking perspectives on microphysiological systems, in vitro–in vivo extrapolation, DMPK characterization of biologics, and emerging insights into extrahepatic metabolism, offering attendees both foundational knowledge. The program can be found here. 

So far, this year, a number of ISSX scientific webinars have taken place, including talks from Adi Kumar and Dr. Xin Chen on the PBPK modeling to predict THC fetal neurodevelopmental toxicity, Dr. Scott Obach delivering his R.T. Williams Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award presentation, and the latest webinar, which occurred in April, by Dr. Swati Nagar, and Dr. Cyrus Khojasteh on Demystifying Scientific Publishing: How to write and publish successfully (coming soon). All of which are available to ISSX members to revisit any time they wish at the ISSX learning center.

Additionally, there are a number of planned webinars coming. Starting with a two part webinar, Emerging Roles and Mechanisms of Intestinal Excretion in Drug Clearance (May 7) presented by Drs. Chen Chen and Murali Subramanian. In July, Dr. Donglu Zhang will present his talk on the work that won him the ISSX award of the Distinguished Accomplishments in Drug Discovery and Development (July 14). Later that month, Drs. Jaqueline Tiley, Joanne Wang, and Samuel Arnold, together, will present on Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses of Placental SLC and ABC Transporters and Implications for Fetal Drug Exposure (July 29).

Lastly, we hope you are enjoying our bi-weekly newsletter, XenoXpress, featuring ISSX news and highlighted articles on cutting-edge research advances. If you have comments on the newsletter, or an idea or for a webinar/speaker, or would like an opportunity to share your research with the ISSX community, please get in touch with the ISSX staff or myself. We would like to hear your ideas! 

Looking ahead to 2027, Co-chairs Li Di and Lauren Aleksunes with the Meeting Organizing Committee are preparing the programs for the 28th North American meeting in Toronto, Canada. The meeting will take place at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto, September 26 - 29, 2027. Much more info to come in the next six months, so mark your calendars for 2027.

If you haven’t joined a Focus Group yet, now is a great time to do so. ISSX has four focus groups: Bioanalysis in ADME Science, Biotransformation Mechanisms and Pathways, Modeling and Simulation, and Transporters. Participating in a Focus Group can significantly enhance the exchange of the most current scientific research and open doors to endless opportunities for collaboration. You can update your Focus Group memberships from your member account.

Thank you to everyone who has renewed your membership and continues to support ISSX. A quick reminder that we have launched our Premier Membership, and many of you are already enjoying the benefits. This new membership type gives you exclusive access to the full range of content in the ISSX Learning Center, including materials from the 2025 workshops on endogenous biomarkers, proteomics, and bioanalysis trends. Even if you have already renewed your membership for 2026, upgrading to Premier Membership is easy and well worth it!

I look forward to seeing you at many of the exciting events we have planned for 2026! 

All the best, 
Mike Zientek

2026 New Investigators Leadership

Aurora Authement, University of Washington, USA, Chair

Aurora K. Authement is in the Pharmaceutics PhD program at the University of Washington under the guidance of Dr. Nina Isoherranen. Her focus is on understanding the impact of hormonal changes—specifically cortisol and estradiol—on the disposition of cannabinoids during pregnancy through the use of mechanistic PK modeling informed by in vitro data.

Previously, Authement gained experience at Eli Lilly and Company in the Discovery PK/PD and Quantitative Clinical Pharmacology groups. She is passionate about bridging the gap in IVIVE and advancing methods to effectively predict PK/PD relationships. In her free time, Authement enjoys spending time outdoors with friends and family.

Nihan Izat, University of Manchester, UK, Vice Chair

Dr. Nihan Izat is a Lecturer in Precision Dosing at the Centre for Applied Pharmacokinetic Research (CAPKR) at the University of Manchester, UK.

Izat received her BSc degree in Pharmacy in 2014 and earned her PhD in biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics in 2020 from Hacettepe University, Turkey, in collaboration with CAPKR. Her research interests include preclinical and clinical metabolism- and transporter-mediated drug-drug interactions (DDIs), physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling, quantitative proteomics, pharmaceutical formulation design, and bioanalytical method development.

Between 2014 and 2021, Izat worked as a Research and Teaching Assistant at Hacettepe University. In October 2021, she joined CAPKR, where she completed her postdoctoral research on PBPK modelling of human aldehyde oxidase. In 2026, she transitioned to a Lecturer position. Her current research focuses on virtual twin PBPK modelling using novel tools such as liquid biopsy and endogenous biomarkers, aiming to enhance precise pharmacokinetic and DDI predictions.

Michael McCoy, Takeda, USA, Immediate Past Chair

Dr. Michael McCoy is an investigator with extensive expertise in ADME, DMPK, translational medicine, RNA biology, and complex in vitro models for high-plex modalities. Currently, McCoy serves as the global lead for in silico ADME at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he direct computational ADME strategy and experimentation within the Quantitative Preclinical and Translational Science division. In this role, he spearheads the development of in-silico and data-driven ADME platforms supporting small molecules, oligonucleotides, and advanced therapeutic modalities, with a focus on translational pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and human dose prediction to optimize candidate selection and clinical success.

McCoy’s previous experience includes postdoctoral research fellowships at Harvard Medical School and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where he investigated the role of noncoding RNAs in regulating cardiometabolic disease and endothelial cell–derived innate immunity. He obtained his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University, where he developed tissue-engineered platforms to study perivascular interactions in glioblastoma multiforme.

Throughout his career, McCoy has been recognized for his scientific contributions, receiving honors including the American Heart Association Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, the Harvard Medical School Research Excellence Award, and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He is actively engaged in scientific discourse, science communication, and community outreach, and maintains a strong publication record reflecting his commitment to advancing drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic sciences and bridging laboratory discovery with clinical translation.

Deepak Ahire, Gilead, USA

Dr. Deepak Ahire is a Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) scientist who works as a Senior Research Scientist at Gilead Sciences in Foster City, California. Ahire holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Washington State University, where he studied the role of UGT2B17 in drug metabolism.

Ahire has published over 20 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in reputed scientific journals. His research has been recognized with multiple awards, including best-poster awards at various scientific conferences and highlighted trainee author recognition. His work has been featured in numerous national and international media outlets, highlighting his contributions to understanding drug metabolism and safety.

Ahire served as a co-chair of the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) in 2024 and is an active member of professional societies such as the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) and the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (ISSX). He is an editorial board member of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and continues to serve as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Drug Metabolism and Disposition, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Research and Perspectives, European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, and Xenobiotica.

Namrata Bachhav, Certara, USA

Dr. Namrata Bachhav is an emerging scientist with expertise in drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and translational modeling for precision medicine. She earned her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Washington State University, WA, USA. where her research focused on leveraging drug metabolism and drug-drug interaction mechanisms of 17β-hydroxy steroids for drug discovery and precision medicine. Currently, she works as an Associate PBPK Consultant at Certara Inc., applying physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling and clinical PK analysis to support model-informed drug development strategies.

Bachhav has authored multiple peer-reviewed publications and her research spans enzymology, biomarker discovery, and in vitro–in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE), with applications in clinical pharmacology. Her work focuses on advancing understanding of UGT-mediated metabolism and drug-drug interactions to improve therapeutic strategies.

Her work has been recognized through numerous honors, including podium presentations at ISSX and Gordon Research Conference (GRC), and travel awards from ASPET. She continues to contribute to the scientific community through mentoring, peer review, and collaborative research initiatives aimed at improving drug safety and efficacy.

Harrison Banda, Glaukos, Zambia

Mr. Harrison Banda is a Lecturer and Researcher in the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Lusaka, Lusaka, Zambia and is a PhD candidate in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery in the Department of Pharmacy at University of Zambia (UNZA), Lusaka (Zambia) in collaboration with University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland (UK). He received his BSc in Chemical & Biological Sciences in 2013 and earned his BSc(Hons) in 2020 and MSc in 2023 both in Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Discovery at UNZA in collaboration with University of Cape Town, Cape Town (South Africa) and University of California San Diego, CA (USA).

Banda's research interests are in drug discovery and development which has earned him candidacy for fellowship of the Novartis Next Generation Scientist (NGS) of 2026 at the Basel Campus (Switzerland). In this internship he will be deepening his skills in computer aided drug discovery and development as applied to schistosomiasis based on the recently discovered praziquantel target in Schistosoma mansoni (Sm.TRPM) which is the focus of his PhD (but in an industrial setting). Aside from this, he is currently investigating drug-herb interactions in HIV patients who also take purported antiviral herb remedies with a team at North West University (South Africa). Banda is a Co-Chair of the ISSX Africa 2027 Workshop Organizing Committee which is scheduled to occur in his home country Zambia, a responsibility that has span out of his membership of the ISSX Africa Steering Committee and Newsletter Team membership, as well as a member of several other learned scientific societies globally.

Emily Gracey, University of Colorado, USA

Emily Gracey (Hicks) is a PhD candidate in the Pharmaceutical Sciences program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in the Skaggs School of Pharmacy. She is passionate about the role of xenobiotic metabolism in drug efficacy and safety, especially in understudied populations. Her thesis work, conducted under the guidance of Dr. Jed Lampe, focuses on the CYP- and UGT-mediated metabolism of HIV antivirals in the developing neonate, where treatment options are lagging compared to adults. Emily is an active member of ASPET, and recently joined ISSX to further her professional development.

Gracey has previous experience as a research assistant in the Lampe lab, conducting primary human hepatocyte assays, qPCR and gene expression analysis, and fluorescence and LC-MS/MS enzyme inhibition assays. Before that, she held an internship at Vitro Biopharma focused on stem cell culture and media manufacturing. Emily graduated from Colorado School of Mines with her BS in Biochemical Engineering in 2018, participating in undergraduate research in a chemical biology lab her senior year.

Outside of the lab, Gracey enjoys paddleboarding and hiking, crocheting and crafting, and spending time with her family, friends, and four cats. 

Shyam Kamble, Agios Pharmaceuticals, USA

Dr. Shyam H. Kamble, M.Pharm, Ph.D. is a Senior Scientist at Agios Pharmaceuticals with over 6 years of industry experience in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK). He plays a key role in advancing drug discovery and development by leading ADME and PK/PD studies to support candidate selection and IND-enabling efforts.

Kamble has authored over 30 peer-reviewed research articles and actively contributes to the scientific community as a reviewer for leading journals, including European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Xenobiotica, and Drug Metabolism and Disposition. His research has been recognized with multiple Best Poster Awards at international conferences. In addition to his scientific contributions, he is an active member of the IQ DMPK Working Group, collaborating on industry-wide initiatives to enhance drug development strategies.

Victoria Oyanna, Glaukos, USA

Dr. Victoria Oyanna works as a Senior Scientist at Glaukos Corporation, where she characterizes pharmacokinetics and drug disposition of ocular therapeutics in vitro and in vivo. She earned her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Molecular Medicine from Washington State University, where her research focused on the mechanisms of natural product-drug interactions, including solubility and transporter-mediated effects on drug exposure. She is committed to the continuous improvement of patient care through drug development efforts. Outside of work, Oyanna enjoys volunteering, engaging story lines, podcasts, and music

Teresa Sierra, University of Rhode Island, USA

Teresa Sierra, MSc, is a doctoral student in pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Rhode Island under the mentorship of Dr. Brahim Achour, MPharm, PhD. Her research focuses on systems-informed mechanistic modeling of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK) in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). She integrates disease-specific changes in tissue and liquid biopsies into physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models to improve in vitro-in vivo extrapolation and support precision dosing. Prior to doctoral training, Teresa gained industry experience in DMPK roles within pharmaceutical companies, including Cytokinetics, Cascadian Therapeutics, and Revolution Medicines, as well as CRO settings, supporting drug development from early discovery through IND-enabling studies.

Are you a student or new investigator member who is interested in being more involved with ISSX activities and programs? Check out the New Investigator’s LinkedIn page.

If you are not redirected automatically, follow this link to the new page.

Dear fellow ISSX members,

Welcome to the final President’s message of 2025, and my last as President of ISSX. It was great to see so many of you in Chicago! I am delighted that the meeting attracted 631 attendees and 51 exhibitors, and I hope you have all enjoyed the excellent program, stimulating debate, multiple poster sessions and our special event in the beautiful Chicago Cultural Center. Many congratulations to our award winners, Dr John Miners (Frederick J. Di Carlo Distinguished Service Award), Dr Scott Obach (R.T. Williams Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award) and Dr Donglu Zhang (Distinguished Accomplishments in Drug Discovery and Development Award). The call for several European and North American awards, including the ISSX Fellowship for Minority Scientists Award within the North American Region, is now open. Applications are accessible via the ISSX website, so please spread the word.

The Chicago meeting was followed by our first Biotransformation Workshop in Boston with a wacky metabolite competition! This was our 4th workshop in the last two years, including two virtual workshops on endogenous biomarkers and bioanalysis trends, and the in-person proteomics workshop. If you have missed any of these workshops, there is still an opportunity to view the lecture material via our ISSX Learning Center.

As I wrap up my presidency, I reflect on the key achievements of the last two years. One of the most significant was the successful transition of our management partner company from SmithBucklin to RGI, and the continued growth of our society. A heartfelt thank you to Council members from 2024 and 2025 for their support in this process. The collaboration of the Council with our partners at RGI and embracing the change helped to make this a successful partnership throughout the past year. We finish this financial year in a very strong and positive position, which is wonderful in these challenging times. Led by Executive Director Nicole Brandt, the ISSX office team, Kortney, Melissa, Andrew, and Natalie have settled into the ISSX community, brought fresh energy and new ideas, and delivered successfully the Chicago meeting and the Biotransformation Workshop.

Our webinar series continues to be strong and diverse, providing a platform for sharing novel research for established and new investigators. We are continuously exploring new formats, and in 2026 we will have a joint webinar series with ACCP. There were some excellent examples of integrated, cross-theme focus group webinars that resulted in thought-provoking talks and discussions. If you have an idea for a webinar or a speaker or would like an opportunity to share your research with the ISSX community, please get in touch, we always welcome new and great ideas.

We have seen continuous membership growth (currently exceeding 1,300 members, with the renewal process underway), and renewed links with China thanks to Jas Sahi’s efforts to engage members from that region. Many of you have been enjoying the benefits of the Premier Membership launched last year, which offers exclusive access to the full range of content in the ISSX Learning Center. If you have already renewed your membership for 2026, you can easily upgrade to Premier Membership if you wish. 

We have also introduced many new initiatives, but the one I am most proud of is the ISSX Africa program and our first ISSX Africa workshop held in Johannesburg earlier this year. It was such an inspiring and joyous event! Rose Hayeshi and Julius Enoru are now coordinating the ISSX Africa program and have exciting plans for the future. To keep the momentum going, trainees and researchers from Africa and their collaborators contributed to multiple ISSX webinars throughout 2025. Researchers from Africa are becoming an increasingly vital part of our society’s activities, making meaningful contributions to the MOC of the Basel 2026 meeting. ISSX is proud to support selected students in attending the meeting in Basel, ensuring that their work is represented on the international stage.

It has been great to see a lot of cooperation between different focus groups and more transparent communications, with sharing of ideas and best practices to make these activities more standardized and easier for anyone who volunteers to help out. I am ever so grateful to those who dedicate their time to these focus groups, contribute ideas to webinars and short courses, and support our conference events. The leadership is also discussing the need for additional focus groups, such as new modalities and NAMs, considering our ever-changing field and the needs of our members. More to come on these topics in 2026.

My final highlight focuses on the future of our society, our new investigators, and their growing involvement in ISSX and their many initiatives. From organizing networking events in San Diego, San Francisco, and Chicago, to co-moderating webinars and organizing career talks, it has been fascinating to see their growth and engagement with the society. Going forward, steering committees of every one of our focus groups will include a new investigator, which I am confident will bring great energy and ideas.

Looking ahead to 2026, we will be hosting the European Meeting in Basel, Switzerland, and the North American Meeting in San Francisco, USA. Dates are available on our website, and please stay tuned for programs as the information gets released at the start of 2026. Both meetings promise an exciting mix of symposia and topics, and due to popular demand, debate will return at the Basel meeting. Beyond that, in 2027 we will host our 28th North American ISSX Meeting in Toronto (September 26–29) and a joint meeting with JSSX in Tokyo in early November of 2027. Details of all upcoming activities will be available on our website, and I hope you will be able to register and join us for as many of these events as possible.

As I finish my presidency, I would like to thank all volunteers for their time, service, and contributions to various committees and focus groups of our society. Thank you as members for your engagement, great ideas, suggestions to move science forward and sharing knowledge. It has been an exciting and invigorating two years, and I now pass the baton to our incoming President, Mike Zientek, with confidence and best wishes for the years ahead.

I hope you all have a wonderful and relaxing festive season and a very happy, healthy and successful 2026!

With best wishes,
Alex Galetin

Bioanalysis in ADME Sciences: Advancing Analytical Innovation

The Bioanalysis in ADME Sciences Focus Group (BASFG) reported a year marked by major planning efforts, scientific exchange, and leadership updates. A highlight was the well-attended ADC Virtual Workshop in November 2024, featuring speakers from seven companies, the FDA, and academia, complete with expert panel discussions. Looking ahead, BASFG is preparing coordinated short courses for the 2026 North American and European ISSX meetings focused on antibody and conjugate discovery and early development. The group is also broadening its mission to encompass emerging ADME modalities, including peptide, oligonucleotide, and biologic therapies. With new steering committee leadership set for 2026, BASFG encourages ISSX members to join their efforts in supporting programming that enhances analytical technologies, translational insight, and industry–academia synergy.

Biotransformation, Mechanisms, and Pathways: A Year of Deep Scientific Exploration

The Biotransformation, Mechanisms, and Pathways Focus Group (BMPFG) delivered an exceptionally active year filled with high-impact scientific events. At the ISSX International meeting in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the group hosted a well-received short course on “MISSED Metabolites,” exploring emerging challenges and technologies in comprehensive metabolite profiling. The BMPFG Focus Group meeting featured rapid-fire trainee presentations and an open forum for member feedback. In November, BMPFG held its two-day ISSX Biotransformation Workshop: Bridging Fundamentals and Frontiers in Biotransformation Science at Amgen’s Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA site. The workshop showcased cutting-edge talks, hands-on metabolite identification activities, posters, and even the debut of the Wacky Metabolite Competition. With lively scientific exchange and enthusiastic participation, the workshop highlighted the group’s commitment to advancing biotransformation science across drug discovery and development.

Modeling & Simulation: Driving Insight Through Innovative Approaches

The Modeling & Simulation Focus Group continued to engage members with dynamic programming and collaborative initiatives. At the ISSX Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, USA, the group hosted a short course on challenging and emerging modalities, complemented by a Focus Group meeting that provided open comment time for member input. There is sustained interest in new modalities, and a proposal for a European meeting focused on pregnancy, pediatric, and disease populations is under consideration. Two new webinars are forthcoming, including one on pediatric PBKIQ,  highlighting the group’s commitment to advancing model-informed drug development. The Focus Group is actively recruiting new steering committee members to ensure diverse representation, with a particular emphasis on adding academic perspectives alongside industry participants. All ISSX Members are encouraged to join in shaping programming that enhances scientific rigor, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration.

Transporters: Broadening Scientific Impact and Engagement

The Transporters Focus Group had a highly productive year, contributing short courses, symposia, and trainee programming at the ISSX Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Their 2024 short course drew ~70 attendees, while their symposia covered transporter–enzyme interplay, humanized models, and toxicology-relevant DMET topics. Trainees were featured prominently through abstract talks on transporter biology and RNA-based therapeutics. The group also had an impressive 2025 webinar lineup spanning transporter distribution in disease, emerging transporter targets, and prediction of renal elimination pathways. Notable recognitions included poster awards for early career researchers and a special symposium honoring the retirement of Professor Yuichi Sugiyama, a transformative figure in transporter science.

Associating and actively participating in a Focus Group can significantly enhance the exchange of the most current scientific research information and open doors to endless opportunities for collaboration and career advancement. The aim is for active participation to provide personal growth and professional development to ISSX members. Learn more about ISSX Focus Groups.

Dr. Brouwer is the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy in the United States, with a faculty appointment in the Curriculum in Toxicology. She is a renowned clinical pharmacologist, global leader in transporter science, and AAAS Fellow. She has authored 270+ publications, mentored 110+ trainees, co-invented B-CLEAR®, and received prestigious awards for groundbreaking research on hepatobiliary drug disposition, drug-induced liver injury, and pharmacokinetic modeling.

The SAC, consisting of twelve appointed members plus the President-elect as an ex-officio member, guides ISSX’s scientific programming. Its members reflect the Society’s geographic and professional diversity and serve two-year terms with staggered rotations. As Chair, Dr. Brouwer will lead the committee in reviewing scientific content, coordinating participation in other scientific conferences, and supporting strategic initiatives.

We look forward to Dr. Brouwer’s leadership in shaping the Society’s scientific agenda for the coming years.

The ISSX Biotransformation Workshop Meeting brought together both novice and experienced scientists to explore topics including Educational Foundations for Drug Discovery Scientists, Stories in Metabolism-Guided Drug Discovery, Metabolites Directing Drug Interactions, and Navigating Bioactivation. This workshop was co-chaired by Carley Heck (Pfizer) and Kevin Johnson (Inotiv) and was proudly supported and hosted by Amgen at their Cambridge, MA site.

Congrats to Joyce Liu from Genentech on winning the first ever Wacky Metabolite Competition!

In addition to inspiring talks, participants engaged in hands-on group metabolite ID problem-solving sessions, explored posters showcasing cutting-edge work, and joined in the excitement of a first-ever Wacky Metabolite Competition during the plenary session!

The workshop was filled with lively discussion, collaboration, and plenty of biotransformation enthusiasm. Thank you to everyone who attended for the energy, curiosity, and participation that made the event such a success. A heartfelt thank-you goes out to all of our speakers, poster presenters, and workshop committee members — your contributions truly made this workshop an unforgettable experience!

Looking ahead, ISSX invites you to save the dates for upcoming meetings:

• 16th European ISSX Meeting — June 29–July 2, 2026, Basel, Switzerland, chaired by Pieter Annaert, PhD, and Simone Schadt, PhD.

• 27th North American ISSX Meeting — October 11–14, 2026, San Francisco, California, USA, chaired by Cornelis M. Hop (Marcel), PhD, and Swati V. Nagar, PhD.

The International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics is pleased to announce the results of the 2025 election.

President-Elect
Dr. Jashvant D. Unadkat 
University of Washington, U.S.

Treasurer-Elect
Dr. Mitchell E. Taub 
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, U.S.

ISSX Council (re-elected to a second term)
Dr. Valerie M. Kramlinger
Amgen, U.S. 

ISSX Council (re-elected to a second term)
Dr. Amin Rostami
University of Manchester, United Kingdom

ISSX Council (newly elected)
Dr. Xinning Yang
U.S. Food and Drug Administration

ISSX extends its warmest congratulations to all newly elected and returning leaders who will be joining the existing council January 1, 2026, and sincere appreciation to every member who participated in the election. Their dedication and expertise will continue to strengthen ISSX's mission and guide its strategic direction in the years ahead.

The 14th ISSX International Meeting brought the global drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics communities together in Chicago, Illinois, USA September 21-24, 2026. Co-chaired by Eric Chan (National University of Singapore, Singapore), Nita Patel (Eli Lilly, Indianapolis, USA), and Andreas Reichel (Bayer, Berlin, Germany), the meeting featured a rich scientific program and vibrant opportunities for collaboration.

The program included a keynote lecture, “Novel Proteomics Tools Expand Knowledge on Covalent Modifications Beyond Searching Under the Streetlight,” delivered by Nina Isoherranen, PhD (University of Washington, USA), as well as two plenary lectures, eleven symposia, four short courses, and countless opportunities for networking. A highlight was the ISSX Debate Session, which featured scientists from Bayer, the University of Dundee, Pierre Fabre Group, and GSK in a spirited discussion on whether emerging technologies such as in silico models, in vitro studies, and artificial intelligence could surpass traditional in vivo methods as the leading tools for preclinical decision-making in the coming decade.

Attendees also enjoyed an evening of conversation, connection, and celebration at the Chicago Cultural Center, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.

ISSX proudly recognized excellence in scientific achievement, service, and research through the presentation of awards and poster competition honors.

• Distinguished Accomplishments in Drug Discovery and Development Award was presented to Donglu Zhang, PhD, Senior Fellow, Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Drug Discovery, Genentech, Inc.
• Frederick J. Di Carlo Distinguished Service Award was presented to John O. Miners, PhD, DSc, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute.
• R.T. Williams Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award was presented to R. Scott Obach, PhD, Vice President, Scientific Research, Department of Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Drug Metabolism, Pfizer Global Research and Development.

Predoctoral (Graduate Students) Poster Awards Competition

• First Place: Yik Pui Tsang (University of Washington, USA), Regulation by inflammatory cytokines of renal transporter mRNA expression and activity in primary human proximal tubular epithelial cells
• Second Place: Xingyu Zhu (National University of Singapore, Singapore), CYP2J27 variant alters cardiac electrophysiological phenotypes and clinical arrhythmic presentations*
• Third Place: Aurora Authement (University of Washington, USA), Cortisol alters renal clearance processes: insights from physiologically based mechanistic kidney modeling

Postdoctoral Fellows Poster Awards Competition

• First Place: Dilip Singh, PhD (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, USA) – Quantitative profiling of drug metabolizing hydrolases in human plasma through global proteomics
• Second Place: Aarzoo Thakur, PhD (Washington State University, USA) – Effect of pregnancy on the activity of renal organic anion transporters (OAT1 and OAT3): a biomarker study
• Third place: Nihan Izat Stogias, PhD (University of Manchester, UK) – Addressing obesity and demographic variability in paediatric pantoprazole pharmacokinetics via virtual twin PBPK modelling

Additional event photos will be available for conference attendees in early-mid October.

Looking ahead, ISSX invites you to save the dates for upcoming meetings:

• 16th European ISSX Meeting — June 29–July 2, 2026, Basel, Switzerland, chaired by Pieter Annaert, PhD, and Simone Schadt, PhD.
  
  
• 27th North American ISSX Meeting — October 11–14, 2026, San Francisco, California, USA, chaired by Cornelis M. Hop (Marcel), PhD, and Swati V. Nagar, PhD.

Dear fellow ISSX members,

I hope you have been enjoying your summer or winter depending on your hemisphere and have managed to take a well-deserved break. I feel refreshed after hiking and soaking in the stunning coastal views of Madeira island in Portugal!

We have just hosted a dynamic all-member meeting, and it was truly inspiring to see participants joining from around the world. The meeting highlighted many activities of ISSX and the wide range of opportunities for education, training, and professional development. Thank you to everyone who has renewed their membership and continues to support ISSX. Our Society would not be where it is without all of you who generously volunteer their time and energy to ISSX activities, and I thank wholeheartedly those who are actively involved. A quick reminder that we have launched our Premier Membership, and many of you are already enjoying the benefits. Even if you have already renewed your membership for 2025, upgrading to Premier Membership is easy and the additional benefits make it well worth considering.

We are very much looking forward to the 14th International ISSX Meeting in Chicago from September 21-24. The theme of the meeting is “New Frontiers and Challenges: Novel Therapeutic Modalities, Technologies, and Approaches” and promises a vibrant mix of topics, short courses, inspiring plenary lectures and well-deserved award recognitions. Be sure not to miss the thought-provoking debate on whether cutting-edge technologies will replace traditional drug discovery studies within the next decade. A heartfelt thank you to Nita Patel, Eric Chan and Andreas Reichel for facilitating this exciting program! Many thanks also to our exhibitors and sponsors for supporting this meeting. Mike Zientek and I are especially looking forward to the social event at the Chicago Cultural Center on Tuesday evening, as an opportunity to relax and network with colleagues over light refreshments and music. The event is free of charge for all attendees.

Before we close 2025, we have additional exciting learning opportunities, including an in-person workshop on Bridging Fundamental and Frontiers in Biotransformation Science. This two-day workshop will be held at the Amgen site in Cambridge, Massachusetts on November 6-7 and is organized by the ISSX Biotransformation, Mechanisms and Pathways Focus Group. Day 1 will include foundational training in drug metabolism, while Day 2 will focus on advanced topics biotransformation, including stories of metabolite driven drug discovery, metabolite mediated drug-drug interactions, and bioactivation. In addition, several webinars are in planning and registration details will be shared on the ISSX website and in our bi-weekly newsletter XenoXpress. If you have feedback on the newsletter, or an idea for a webinar/ speaker, or would like to share your research with the ISSX community, please reach out to the ISSX staff or myself directly. We love hearing your ideas.

The ISSX New Investigators Group has recently welcomed a number of new members and their contributions are already making a difference. They bring great energy and fresh perspectives to our mission of integrating early-career scientists into ISSX activities. A range of initiatives are underway, from the dedicated New Investigators event at the upcoming Chicago meeting to increased number of opportunities to present research work in webinars. Currently, some of our Focus Groups already include a new investigator on their steering committee. My goal is to ensure that by the end of 2025, every Focus Group has such representation.

Looking ahead to 2026, our Meeting Organising Committees have been working hard and are close to finalising their programs. We will be hosting the European Meeting in Basel, Switzerland, and the North American Meeting in San Francisco, USA. Dates are available on our website, and we hope to share further details by the end of 2025 once the programs are reviewed and approved.

In just a few days, we will open our annual election to all ISSX members. This is your opportunity to help shape the future of our Society by selecting colleagues for key leadership roles, including Council Members, Treasurer-Elect, and President-Elect. Please take the time to vote, your participation is vital. I extend my sincere thanks to all those who have generously volunteered to stand for election; your commitment to the ISSX is greatly appreciated.

I hope to see as many of you in Chicago!

With best wishes,

Alex Galetin

ISSX is excited to launch a new series spotlighting professionals from across the xenobiotic field. We’re kicking things off with Dr. Carley Heck, Principal Scientist in Biotransformation at Pfizer PDM. With years of hands-on laboratory experience in the pharmaceutical industry, Carley also leads as Chair of the ISSX Biotransformation Mechanisms and Pathways Focus Group.

What was your first ISSX meeting?

The joint ISSX/JSSX Meeting in 2018 in Kanazawa, Japan

How has your involvement with ISSX supported your career?

In many ways! Just a few highlights that come to mind are:

• Helping me land my first job: I met my now boss (Scott Obach) at my first ISSX meeting, where I presented on my PhD work in deuterium kinetic isotope effects on the metabolism of nevirapine. Not long after making this connection, I was able to apply for a position to work with Scott in the Biotransformation group at Pfizer in Groton, CT. Without a doubt, this interaction at ISSX helped me to get my first job out of graduate school!
• Growing my scientific influence: In 2021, I was invited to join the ISSX Biotransformation Mechanisms and Pathways Focus Group Steering Committee (BMPFGSC). It really speaks to the culture at ISSX that they were building a committee with members who have diverse years of experience. This made a big impact for me as an early career scientist, and the leadership of the group at the time explicitly encouraged me to speak up and contribute my ideas and insight.  On this committee, I have been able to grow my connections in the field and contribute to the group’s event planning efforts and publications. Now in 2025, I serve as the chair of the BMPFGSC. My involvement with the BMPFGSC has lead to other opportunities within ISSX: to Co-Chair a virtual workshop in 2023 on Small Molecule Drug Metabolism and to currently Co-Chair an in-person workshop planned for November 2025 on Biotransformation. I am really looking forward to continuing my involvement in ISSX events in the future!
• Fostering a strong network and interpersonal relationships in my field: I can honestly say I have met so many smart, inspiring, and friendly scientists through ISSX. I am so excited for the upcoming annual meeting where I can connect and catch up with my scientific friends and collaborators!

If a new investigator asked you why they should be involved with ISSX, what would you tell them?

This is not an “if” question for me: I try to actively encourage for new and aspiring ADME/DMPK scientists to join ISSX! ISSX is a great resource for individuals who are really trying understand the breadth and depth of the science in our field. It has diverse and accessible learning resources like the annual meetings, workshops, webinars, newsletters, and focus groups to support new investigators. I am especially excited about the Learning Center and Premier Membership option. Even the “ISSX History” section of the website is one of my go-to resources to share with new scientists. In addition, so many of the individuals I have interacted with in ISSX have been welcoming and inclusive of new scientists; actively working to help new folks network and meet with big names in the field at ISSX events.

What meaningful collaborations/connections have you made through ISSX?

Aside from what I have already stated above, I would like to stress here that through working with ISSX I have really been able to build a supportive network in the field of Biotransformation and in ADME sciences more broadly. I remember being very nervous for professional meetings as a graduate student, including my first ISSX meeting, because I was new, which at times let me feeling a bit isolated in the crowd. But overtime, through working with ISSX in the manners stated above I have really been able to build a group of colleagues in my field that I know I can reach out to with scientific questions, thoughts, research updates, or even general life updates. I really feel genuinely welcomed in this society.

Interested in being the featured as the next ISSX Membership Highlight? Please email information@issx.org for more information!

2025 New Investigators Leadership

Michael McCoy, Takeda, USA, Chair

Dr. Michael McCoy is a young investigator with extensive expertise in ADME, translational medicine, RNA biology, and complex in vitro models for next generation modalities. Currently, Dr. McCoy serves as a Senior Scientist at Takeda Pharmaceuticals, where he leads efforts in biodistribution within the Preclinical and Translational Science division. His role involves spearheading oligonucleotide and antibody therapy bioanalysis, focusing on micropharmacokinetics and micropharmacodynamics to optimize therapeutic outcomes and candidate selection.

McCoy's previous experience includes postdoctoral research fellowships at Harvard Medical School and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, where he investigated the role of noncoding RNAs in regulating cardiometabolic disease and the role of endothelial cell-derived innate immunity.

He obtained his Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Cornell University, where he developed a tissue-engineered platform to study perivascular interactions in glioblastoma multiforme. Throughout his career, Dr. McCoy has been recognized for his contributions to science, receiving numerous accolades such as the American Heart Association Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, the Harvard Medical School Research Excellence Award, and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. He is also actively involved in scientific discourse, science communication, and community outreach. McCoy's dedication to advancing the field of drug metabolism and pharmacokinetic sciences is reflected in his publication record and his ongoing commitment to fostering innovative research that bridges the gap between laboratory findings and clinical applications.

Aurora Authement, University of Washington, USA, Vice Chair

Aurora K Authement is in the Pharmaceutics PhD program at the University of Washington under the guidance of Dr. Nina Isoherranen. Her focus is on understanding the impact of hormonal changes—specifically cortisol and estradiol—on the disposition of cannabinoids during pregnancy through the use of mechanistic PK modeling informed by in vitro data.

Previously, Aurora gained experience at Eli Lilly and Company in the Discovery PK/PD and Quantitative Clinical Pharmacology groups. She is passionate about bridging the gap in IVIVE and advancing methods to effectively predict PK/PD relationships. In her free time, Aurora enjoys spending time outdoors with friends and family.

Deepak Ahire, Gilead, USA, Liaison to the Membership Affairs Committee

Dr. Deepak Ahire is a Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics (DMPK) scientist who works as a Senior Research Scientist at Gilead Sciences in Foster City, California. Deepak holds a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Washington State University, where he studied the role of UGT2B17 in drug metabolism.

Ahire has published over 20 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters in reputed scientific journals. His research has been recognized with multiple awards, including best-poster awards at various scientific conferences and highlighted trainee author recognition. His work has been featured in numerous national and international media outlets, highlighting his contributions to understanding drug metabolism and safety.

Ahire served as a co-chair of the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) in 2024 and is an active member of professional societies such as the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) and the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics (ISSX). He is an editorial board member of the Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and continues to serve as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Drug Metabolism and Disposition, Pharmaceutics, Pharmaceutical Research and Perspectives, European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, and Xenobiotica.

Nihan Izat, University of Manchester, UK

Dr. Nihan Izat is a Research Associate at the Centre for Applied Pharmacokinetic Research (CAPKR) at the University of Manchester, UK. She received her BSc in Pharmacy in 2014 and earned her PhD in Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics in 2020 from Hacettepe University, Turkey, in collaboration with CAPKR.

Her research interests include physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling, metabolism-and transporter-mediated pharmacokinetics and drug-drug interactions, quantitative proteomics, and pharmaceutical formulation design and development.

From 2014 to 2021, Nihan worked as a Research and Teaching Assistant at Hacettepe University. In October 2021, she joined CAPKR and completed her postdoctoral studies on PBPK modelling of human aldehyde oxidase. She is currently working on the CAPKR Consortium project focused on liquid biopsy and endogenous biomarkers, aiming to enhance the modelling of specific disease populations and drug-drug interactions.

Shyam Kamble, Agios Pharmaceuticals, USA

Dr. Shyam H. Kamble, M.Pharm, Ph.D. is a Senior Scientist at Agios Pharmaceuticals with over 6 years of industry experience in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (DMPK). He plays a key role in advancing drug discovery and development by leading ADME and PK/PD studies to support candidate selection and IND-enabling efforts.

Kamble has authored over 30 peer-reviewed research articles and actively contributes to the scientific community as a reviewer for leading journals, including European Journal of Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Xenobiotica, and Drug Metabolism and Disposition. His research has been recognized with multiple Best Poster Awards at international conferences. In addition to his scientific contributions, he is an active member of the IQ DMPK Working Group, collaborating on industry-wide initiatives to enhance drug development strategies.

Victoria Oyanna, Glaukos, USA

Dr. Victoria Oyanna works as a Senior Scientist at Glaukos Corporation, where she characterizes pharmacokinetics and drug disposition of ocular therapeutics in vitro and in vivo. She earned her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Molecular Medicine from Washington State University, where her research focused on the mechanisms of natural product-drug interactions, including solubility and transporter-mediated effects on drug exposure. She is committed to the continuous improvement of patient care through drug development efforts. Outside of work, Victoria enjoys volunteering, engaging story lines, podcasts, and music.

Are you a student or new investigator member who is interested in being more involved with ISSX activities and programs? Check out the New Investigator’s LinkedIn page.

Welcome to my very first President’s message of 2025! It is an exciting time for our Society, and I am thrilled to share some great updates with you.

We have just completed an inspiring ISSX Africa workshop—the FIRST-ever ISSX meeting held in Africa! While my visit to South Africa was brief, I had an amazing time, and I cannot wait for the opportunity to return. It was truly rewarding to see the fruition of ideas that began all the way back at the ISSX/MDO meeting in Seattle in 2022. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event a reality, from our past President, Scott Obach, to the dedicated members of the organizing committee. A special thank you goes to workshop chairs Rose Hayeshi and Julius Enoru for coordinating an exciting program and for their warm hospitality during the event. The ISSX Africa Chapter has big plans for the future, including a follow-up meeting in 2027. We will be inviting researchers from Africa and their collaborators to contribute to upcoming ISSX webinars, so stay tuned for exciting opportunities to engage with them. Plus, look out for award-winning poster finalists who will present their work during the Africa trainee webinar—more details coming soon!

At the same time, across the globe in San Francisco, the ISSX New Investigators Group hosted a successful networking event sponsored by Genentech. This event aimed to connect early-career scientists with each other and with more experienced professionals in the field. It marked the third event of this kind, following successful gatherings in San Diego and Seattle. The San Francisco event provided early-career scientists a fantastic opportunity to connect and share insights about both science and life. I hope the New Investigators Group keeps this momentum going and brings these events to other hubs and in regions outside of the USA.

I am excited to share that the program for the 14th International ISSX Meeting (September 21-24, 2025, in Chicago) and registration are now LIVE on our website! The theme of the meeting is “New Frontiers and Challenges: Novel Therapeutic Modalities, Technologies, and Approaches” and promises an exciting mix of topics and short courses. And don’t miss out on a thought-provoking debate on whether cutting-edge technologies will replace traditional drug discovery studies within the next decade. The call for abstracts is open until May 4, and I and the Society cannot wait to see the amazing research you will be presenting in Chicago!

We have additional exciting learning opportunities before the end of 2025. Firstly, an in-person workshop on Advancing Biotransformation Science. This two-day workshop will be held in Boston on November 6-7 and is organized by the Biotransformation, Mechanisms and Pathways Focus Group. Day 1 will include essential training in drug metabolism, while Day 2 will focus on advanced topics. Program and registration details will follow shortly.  Also, a number of webinars are planned and registration details will be available shortly on the website. Lastly, we hope you are enjoying our refreshed bi-weekly newsletter, XenoXpress, featuring ISSX news and highlighted articles on cutting-edge research advances. If you have comments on the newsletter, or an idea or for a webinar / speaker, or would like an opportunity to share your research with the ISSX community, please get in touch with the ISSX staff or myself. We love hearing your ideas.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Meeting Organizing Committees are already working hard on their programs. We will be hosting the European meeting in Basel, Switzerland and the North American meeting in San Francisco, USA; you can find the dates of these meetings on our website.

Thank you to everyone who has renewed your membership and continues to support ISSX. A quick reminder that we have launched our Premier Membership , and many of you are already enjoying the benefits. This new membership type gives you exclusive access to the full range of content in the ISSX Learning Center, including materials from the 2024 workshops on endogenous biomarkers, proteomics, and bioanalysis trends. Even if you have already renewed your membership for 2025, upgrading to Premier Membership is easy and well worth it!

I look forward to seeing you at many of the exciting events we have planned for 2025!

With best wishes,

Alex Galetin

Some of you may know that Smithbucklin is currently our managing company. Things will change in 2025, as we will be working with a new managing partner, Raybourn International. This was a financial business decision. We are excited about the new partner’s offerings and operational services. The transition process will start imminently to ensure that ISSX activities are not affected. ISSX Council, especially Mike Zientek and I, would like to thank Zoë Fuller and her team’s partnership supporting ISSX over many years, it has been greatly appreciated.

Our Society would not be where it is without all of you who volunteer your time and effort to ISSX activities, and I thank wholeheartedly those who are actively involved. We provide multiple activities and opportunities for education, training, and professional development, and that is reflected in our strong membership (1,025 members, closing on the numbers from the last year). The feedback on our newsletter, XenoXpress, has been positive; a lot of you enjoyed a mix of ISSX-related news and selected research articles highlighting latest research advances and innovative work. Please also check out changes made on the ISSX website; hopefully it is easier to navigate, with plenty of highlighted photos from our past events to enjoy. Any further feedback or new suggestions are very welcome!

Hope to see many of you in Hawaii!

With best wishes,
Alex Galetin

(December 5, 1949 - June 3, 2024)

It is with great sadness that ISSX announces the passing of Dr. James (Jim) R. Halpert, a mentor, scholar, collaborator, and friend to many in the drug metabolism world.

Jim was one of the Society’s great icons of science and was involved in the executive leadership of both ISSX and the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). He was generous with his time, he helped navigate our Society in tough times, and helped build a better functioning Society. He was able to do this while critically advancing the science of cytochrome P450s with colleagues, students, and postdoctoral fellows, regardless of affiliation or institution. Jim was a pioneer and a true scholar with an illustrious academic career. He was extremely dedicated and talented, always striving for excellence. His work ethic was unparalleled, and he inspired those around him to reach greater heights. Jim was not just a wonderful colleague; he was such a supportive mentor and a source of endless inspiration.

Jim’s impact stems from a combination of his upbringing, formative and professional career, and his drive for excellence is echoed in his achievements. Jim obtained a B.A. in Scandinavian languages and literature from UCLA, a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Uppsala University, and an M.S. in toxicology from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Jim held a number of positions of increasing responsibility from professor, department chair, associate dean, to dean and served at leading academic centers that included the University of Arizona, the University of Texas Medical Branch, UC San Diego’s Skaggs School of Pharmacy, and University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy. Jim received the prestigious Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism from ASPET and was in the inaugural class of ASPET Fellows. He was the Chairman of the NIH Pharmacology Study Section; Editor of Drug Metabolism and Disposition; Secretary-Treasurer and President of ASPET, as well as Treasurer of ISSX.

Jim’s impact on drug metabolism and enzyme kinetics will continue to live on through his official and unofficial students, postdocs, and mentees. We greatly appreciate what Jim has done for so many and he cannot be held in higher regard. Jim will be terribly missed by ISSX, friends and colleagues.

Thank you, Jim. 

Thank you for joining the ISSX Community!

Scott Akers, Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States
Jacob Blacutt, Worldwide Clinical Trials, Austin, Texas, United States
Neelanjan Bose, Eli Lilly and Company, San Mateo, California, United States
Suzanne Brown, Merck, South San Francisco, California, United States
James Cali, Promega Corporation, Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Revathi Chapa, Simulations Plus, Millcreek, Washington, United States
Hyunjin Cho
Chad Christianson, Alturas Analytics, Inc., Moscow, Idaho, United States
Elizabeth Cui
Ricardo Diaz de Leon Ortega, Quotient Sciences, Nottingham, Ruddington, United Kingdom
Ting Du
Ashton Easterday, Cytokinetics, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States
Steven Erpelinck, TNO/Peregrion, Leiden, Netherlands
Sian Evans, Isomorphic Labs, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, United Kingdom
Christiane Faeste, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Ãs, Europe, Norway
Rong Fan, Karyopharm Therapeutics, Newton, Massachusetts, United States
Yanfeng Fan, Frontage Laboratories, Exton, Pennsylvania, United States
Gilles Goetz, Pfizer Inc., Groton, Connecticut, United States
Siyi Gu, ChemPartner, South San Francisco, California, United States
Qi Gu, Shanghai ChemPartner Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
Ailan Guo, WuXi App Tec, Cranbury, New Jersey, United States
Kusum Gupta, Aligos Therapeutics, Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States
Sven Hackbusch, Thermo Fisher Scientific, San Jose, California, United States
Mei Han, Merck, South San Francisco, California, United States
Leah Haydock, Admescope, Oulu, North Ostrobothnia, Finland
Hideki Hirabayashi, Takeda
Lijuan Hou, WuXi AppTec Shanghai Co., Ltd, Shanghai, China
Frederick Hsu, Pliant Therapeutics, South San Francisco, California, United States
Sangsoo Hwang
Fumio Itoh, WuXi AppTec Japan, Kyoto, Japan
Na Young Jeong, Dong-A University, Seo Gu, Busan, Korea, South
Lifang Jiang, WuXi AppTec Lab Testing Division - Shanghai, Shanghai, Pudong, China
Jing Jin, WuXi AppTec, Shanghai, China
Pei-Ru Jin, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Michael Johns, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California, United States
Joshua Johnson, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., San Diego, California, United States
Jeremy Jones, Simulations Plus, Covina, California, United States
Samantha Jordan, Pfizer, Groton, Connecticut, United States
Junyang Jung, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea, South
Dhirarin Junsaeng
Kelem Kassahun, Frontage Laboratories, Exton, Pennsylvania, United States
Denise Keller, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
Kshitee Sandeep Kharve
Keon Kim
Joonhee Kim
Emese Kis, Charles River Laboratory, Szeged, Hungary
Zammany Kline, Genesis Therapeutics, San Diego, California, United States
Anita Kumar, Bristol Myers Squibb, Natick, Massachusetts, United States
Kine Kvitne, UC San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States
An Le, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Juwon Lee
Junghyun Lee, Catholic University of Korea
Robin Legan, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
Li Li, ICE Bioscience, Bejing, Tongzhou, China
Sunyoung Lim, Hanmi Pharmaceutical, Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, South
John Ling, Gilead, Foster City, California, United States
Megan Ling, University of Washington School of Pharmacy, Seattle, Washington, United States
Ying Liu, BIOGEN, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Jed Lockwood-Jones, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
Fang Ma, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States
Shuguang Ma, Pliant Therapeutics, South San Francisco, California, United States
Tina Mueller, BioIVT, West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
Eisuke Murakami, OrsoBio, Inc., Palo Alto, California, United States
Daisuke Nakai, Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd.  Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetic Research Labolatories, Tokyo, Japan
Marina Nogueira, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Seojin Park
Jaimini Patel, Labcorp Drug Development, Austin, Texas, United States
Ann Qin, Gilead Sciences, Foster City, California, United States
Shiny Rajan, Javelin Biotech, Woburn, Massachusetts, United States
Celine Renauleaud, IPSEN, Les Ulis, France
Susan Rhodes, Eli Lilly, Erie, Colorado, United States
Christopher Rowbottom, Moderna, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Watchara Sakares, Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
Raghda Shahin, University of Sada City, Menufia, Egypt
Li Shen, Frontage Lab, Exton, Pennsylvania, United States
Soyoung Shin, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Korea, South
Aparna Shinde, Cardiff Oncology, Inc, San Diego, California, United States
Olga Skende, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, United States
Sheri Smith, Merck& Co. Inc., West Point, Pennsylvania, United States
Estevan Sonego Zimmermann, Eisai Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Thanate Srimatimanon, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
Saima Subhani, Simulations Plus, Lansdale, Pennsylvania, United States
Murali Subramanian, Gilead Sciences - Foster City, Foster City, California, United States
Huadong Sun, HotSpot Therapeutics, Westford, Massachusetts, United States
Amath Thiongane, Ipsen, Les Ulis, Senegal, France
Alexandra Trotier, Nurix Therapeutics, San Francisco, California, United States
Oleg Tsivkovski, Crinetics Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, California, United States
Purnajai Srivijay Vijay, Virginia Commonwealth University
Manoli Vourvahis, Pfizer, Inc., New York, New York, United States
Jingheng Wang
Jinhai Wang, Kezar Life Sciences, South San Francisco, California, United States
Ting-Yi Wang, WuXi AppTec, Cranbury, New Jersey, United States
Ilona Wehl, Daiichi Sankyo Europe GmbH, Martinsried, Germany
Dionna Williams, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Kyoungjae Won, Purdue University,  College of Pharmacy, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States
Michelle Wong
Cindy Xia, ReNAgade Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Liping Yan, ChemPartner, Shanghai, Pudong New Area, China
Catherine Yeung, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States
Varalee Yodsurang, Chulalongkorn University, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
Qinying Yu, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States
Feifei Yu, Vigonvita Life Science, Suzhou, China
Hani Zaher, Frontage Laboratory, Exton, Pennsylvania, United States
Hong Zhang, WuXi AppTec, Shanghai, China
Qing Zhang, Thomas J Long School of Pharmacy, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, United States
Suhong Zhang, Frontage lab, Downingtown, Pennsylvania, United States
Xin Zhou, Neurocrine Biosciences, San Diego, California, United States
Ling Zou, Amgen, South San Francisco, California, United States

A very warm welcome with this first message as your new ISSX President. Before looking into 2024, I would like to thank Scott Obach for leading the Society over the past two years. During that time, ISSX re-started in-person meetings, continued a very successful webinar series, and instigated some new initiatives to address challenges of diversity and inclusion. My thanks also extend to the outgoing members of the Council (Nina Isoherranen, Ylva Terelius, Uwe Fuhr, Kiyomi Ito, and Sandy Pang), and Zoë Fuller and her team for their support and service in helping out with any ISSX-related matters. Many congratulations to newly elected members of the ISSX Council, including Mike Zientek who is our President-Elect for 2024-25, together with Valerie Kramlinger, Albert Li, Yuji Ishii, and Amin Rostami.

We had an exciting start to 2024 with the virtual workshop dedicated to endogenous biomarkers for drug transporters in late February, proposed by Transporter Focus Group and co-chaired by Bhagwat Prasad and Xinning Yang. The workshop topics ranged from discovery of new biomarkers, in vitro characterization, bioanalytical challenges all the way to clinical study design, modelling, and regulatory implications. It was delightful to see the audience engaging in multiple panel discussions during the workshop! If you have missed any of the sessions or the whole workshop, there is still an opportunity to catch up via our ISSX Learning Center. I fully recommend it; you are in for a treat!

Going forward, ISSX is considering opportunities to have smaller meetings for a specific target audience, in addition to our standard large meetings. One illustration of that concept is our upcoming Proteomics workshop which will take place on June 27-28th in Sheffield, UK at the Certara UK Offices. In parallel, we are continuing with our monthly Tuesday webinars. The series also includes webinars from scientists discussing their research in Africa, as part of our ISSX Africa initiative. If you have an idea for a webinar/ speaker or would like an opportunity to share your research with the ISSX community, please get in touch, we always welcome new and great ideas! And of course, we are very much looking forward to our joint ISSX/JSSX Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii from September 15-18th. First call for abstracts for this meeting has just closed and I can tell you that the abstract reviewing committee will be very busy in the coming days, with a staggering 300 abstract submissions to go through! Rest assured that a lot of planning is already happening for 2025, including the first ISSX Africa workshop in the early part of 2025 and 14th International ISSX Meeting (September 21-24th, 2025 in Chicago); more information to follow soon. Details of all exciting programs in 2024 are available on our website; hopefully you will be able to register and join us for as many of these events as possible.

Speaking of the ISSX website, we are currently in the process of refreshing the website (long overdue, last round was in 2019!). ISSX Council members suggested various ideas to make the website easier to navigate, and to bring more of a community feel to it, with highlighted photos from our past events. Watch this space for updates.

I had a fair share of meetings since January to meet most of the ISSX committees, discuss current activities (and challenges), but also new ideas. Many thanks to all of you who have volunteered their time and effort to these activities to support our Society. It was great to see increasing involvement of early career scientists in the ISSX, either through the New Investigator Forum, as volunteers in some of the committees, or as a member of the biomarker workshop organizing committee. We ended 2023 with fantastic 1,132 members and welcomed some new members since the start of 2024. There are plenty of activities and opportunities for education, training, and professional development to entice you to renew your membership 😊. These opportunities heavily rely on our ISSX Learning Center and we are on our way to make it an even better learning tool for our members. In the last year, Scott Obach has asked for volunteers to develop ideas and recommendations for the Learning Center. Thank you to those who offered their support. We now have a small team who will work on those changes and develop strategies, in conjunction with the Continuing Education Committee who will be reviewing/ removing some of the outdated materials. In addition, Council members will be reviewing existing ISSX bylaws, and mission and vision of our Society, and I will update you on those activities in the coming months.

Hopefully, you would have all seen and enjoyed the new format of our newsletter that launched recently (hence my delayed welcome message). We have called the new newsletter XenoXpress. It will come out bi-weekly, with a mix of ISSX related news and featured articles, celebrating some of the latest research advances and innovative work. We are exploring options for a real-time feedback mechanism, but until then, please contact the ISSX team or myself with any ideas or feedback, all are very welcome!

Looking forward to the exciting year ahead.

With best wishes,
Alex

The ISSX 2024 Workshop, Bringing Practical Application of Endogenous Biomarkers for Drug Transporters a Step Closer: Current Status and Future Perspectives, was held virtually February 28-March 1, 2024. The workshop, co-chaired by Xinning Yang, USA FDA and Bhagwat Prasad, Washington State University, created a virtual space for attendees and speakers to learn and connect.

The three-day workshop brought together scientists from academia, industry, and regulatory agencies to share their research findings, experience, and expert views on endogenous biomarkers for drug transporters, an active research area with rapid advances in recent years. Some of the exciting topics to be covered were: the application of transporter biomarkers in drug development; understanding transporter function changes in specific populations facilitated by biomarker assessment; methods to identify transporter biomarkers; and emerging biomarkers of efflux transporters. Each session of this workshop featured expert speakers, and a panel discussion, with special case studies and lightning abstract presentations; the latter of which was selected from a pool of abstracts from the students and industry attendees. The presentations, slides, panel discussions, and Q&A have been made available to attendees to review at their leisure and are also now available on the ISSX Learning Center for those who were unable to attend live.

The workshop began on Wednesday, February 28 with Session One, entitled “Application of Transporter Biomarker Studies in Drug Development: Study Design, Case Studies, and Regulatory Perspectives” and presenters included Kenta Yoshida, Bridget L. Morse, Fenglei Huang, Xiaoxing Wang, Mikko Niemi, Tomoki Koishikawa, and Xinning Yang.

Session Two, “Novel Tools to Improve Understanding of Modulation in Transporter Function in Specific Populations,” continued on Thursday, February 29, and speakers included Manthena Varma, Aleksandra Galetin, Bhagwat Prasad, and selected abstract speakers.

On the final day of the workshop, Session Three, “Methods for Transporter Biomarker Identification, Liquid Biopsy, and Emerging Biomarkers of Efflux Transporters,” concluded the workshop. Speakers in this session included Martin Fromm, Brahim Achour, Xiaoyan Chu, Hong Shen, and Kathleen Giacomini.

At the end of each daily session, the speakers engaged in a roundtable discussion, answering questions from the attendees. The session co-chairs moderated the roundtable discussions, allowing for productive conversations and questions. Both the presentations and roundtable discussions were recorded and may be viewed after the fact.

ISSX appreciates the commitment and efforts of the Workshop Organizing Committee, speakers, abstract presenters, and attendees who made this a successful workshop.

ISSX would also like to offer special thanks to LabCorp for its sponsorship of the workshop.

For anyone who was unable to register and attend the workshop, the recordings and speaker slides are accessible in the ISSX Learning Center.

Thank you for joining the ISSX Community!

Eun-Young Ahn, SPMED, Pusan, BukGu, South Korea
Daisuke Aibara, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan
Anoud Ailabouni, Washington State University, Spokane, Washington, United States
Athbah AlOwaifeer, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Nicole Anders, Takeda, San Diego, California, United States
Beshoy Armanios
Mina Azimi, Cytokinetics, Inc., Dublin, California, United States
Agnes Badu-Mensah, Eli Lilly, Indiana, United States
Todd Baughman, SpringWorks Therapeutics, Durham, North Carolina, United States
Yamini Bobde, Nagpur, Kalmeshwar, India
Erica Bradshaw, Biomosaic Consulting, LLC, Carlsbad, California, United States
Jose F. Catala Torres, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Winny Chan, Taiho Oncology, Pleasanton, California, United States
Jaimin Chaudhari, Zydus Lifesciences ltd, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Taylor Choi, Bridge Bio, San Diego, California, United States
Ton Dang, Septerna Inc., South San Francisco, California, United States
Prashant Desai, Genentech, South San Francisco, California, United States
Julian Dopstadt, Novartis, Basel, Switzerland
Melanie Felmlee, University of the Pacific, Stockton, California, United States
Raeanne Geffert, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Arthur Germakovski
Mark Grainger, LabLogic Systems Ltd, Sheffield, United Kingdom, United Kingdom
Elizabeth Hayden
Pin Jiang, Medicilon, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China
Eugene Kadar, Pfizer, Groton, Connecticut, United States
Yuvaneshwari Kanagasabapathy, Galenicum Health India Pvt., Ltd., Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Haribhau Kangne, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
Phisit Khema, Mahidol University, Bang Phli, Samutprakarn, Thailand
Jiyoung Kim, Seoul National University
Sarah Kim, University of Washington
Gabriel Knudsen, RTI, International, Durham, North Carolina, United States
Nathan Kozon, Gilead Sciences Inc., Foster City, California, United States
Kamil Kus, Ryvu Therapeutics, Krakow, Poland
Sarina Kyburz, Maisprach, Switzerland
Ajay Lale, Zydus Lifesciences ltd, Ahmedabad, India
Mitchell Lavarias, Nurix Therapeutics, San Francisco, California, United States
Xiuli Li, Roche R&D China, Shanghai, China
Jennifer Liem
Annamaria Marra, Nerviano Medical Sciences, Nerviano, Lombardia, Italy
Melanie Melanie, Merck Helathcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany
Nicola Melillo, Nerviano Medical Sciences, Nerviano, Lombardia, Italy
Vijaya Saradhi Mettu, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Chandrasekhar Natarajan, ViNa Pharma Consultants LLC, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Le Tra Giang Nguyen, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States
Rune Norgaard, Novo Nordisk AS, Malov, Denmark
Dolapo Odujinrin, King's College London, United Kingdom
Eimear O'Mahony, University of Washington School of Pharmacy
Shambhavi Parab, University of Pittsburgh
Purvi Patel, RTI International, Durham, North Carolina, United States
Nicholas Patino, Vertex, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
David Paul, NIPER-Kolkata, Kolkata, India
Ryan Paulukinas, Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, Malvern, Pennsylvania, United States
Jorge Pineda Garcia, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan
Noah Post, Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, California, United States
Leila Potzel, Biopharmacy Department Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Julie Price, Thermofisher Scientific, Abingdon, United Kingdom
Alessandra Pugliano
Rana Rais, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Ravindra Reddy, Syngeneinternational ltf, Bangalore, Bommasandra, India
David Reynolds, BioCrsyt Pharmaceuticals, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Maria Rincon Nigro, Karuna Therapeutics, St Louis, Missouri, United States
Michael Scherz, Arphamid Therapeutics, Basel, Switzerland
Abdul Shaik, Texas Tech University, HSC, Lubbock, Texas, United States
Yufei Shi, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Youjun Suh, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States
Austin Sun, Morphic Therapeutic, Waltham, Massachusetts, United States
Sasikala Talari, NIPER Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
Hanlin Tao, WuXi App Tec, Cranbury, New Jersey, United States
Ravi Trivedi, Zydus Life Sciences Ltd, Ahmedabad, India
Shirley Tsunoda, UCSD, La Jolla, California, United States
Meijuan Tu, UC Davis, Sacramento, California, United States
Ugbedeojo Uwodi, Solina Center for International Development and Research, Abuja, Nigeria
Yimei Wang
Yue Wen, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States
Jing Wu, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharm, Ridgefield, Connecticut, United States
Bufan Yao
Shekhar Yeshwante, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States
Aiming Yu, UC Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, United States
Mengqi Zhao, Washington State University Spokane, Spokane, Washington, United States
Xiaohua Zhu, Nimbus Therapeutics, Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Written by Bruce H. Migdalof, Ph.D.

The Prequel to ISSX was originally presented at the 25th North American ISSX Meeting in September 2023, by Dr. Margaret O. James, a charter member of ISSX, on behalf of Bruce Migdalof.

For the many of you who are not familiar with me, let me introduce myself. I am Bruce Migdalof, one of the four founders of ISSX, and sadly, the only surviving founder, hence the uniqueness of my knowledge of how it all began. 

ISSX Founders
Bruce H. Migdalof	Fred DiCarlo	John Baer	Ina Snow

The founders of the ISSX were Fred DiCarlo, John Baer, Ina Snow and myself, and the year it was founded was 1981. I will share with you today, from my personal perspective, an overview of some of the individuals involved, and the historical sequence of events that resulted in the formation of both the Delaware Valley DMDG and the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics, because the two are intertwined. 

The time interval I will focus on spans the years from mid-1972 to early 1984. This period will begin with my first attendance at a Gordon Conference in Drug Metabolism and end shortly after the first North American ISSX Meeting at the end of October in 1983. In this multiyear journey, I could have started this presentation at a much earlier year, but I will spare you a longer journey. I will note that when I was in the fourth grade in 1950, I had this great idea to organize our class’s outdoor recess activities by creating what I called the “Playground Association”. Dues were to be ten cents a week. Not one classmate was interested, so that was my first try at organizing and it was an abysmal and total failure.

Interest in a national drug metabolism society dates back to at least 1970. However, there was no discussion of, or effort to, form a local group in the Delaware Valley until 1975. As mentioned, the nexus for each was a Gordon Research Conferences in Drug Metabolism. The DMDG was founded in 1975 without problems. ISSX was founded in 1981, after a very thorny problem was solved. My roles in both will be explained a bit later.

1972 Gordon Research Conference in Drug Metabolism
The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) in Drug Metabolism in 1972 was the first scientific meeting I attended that gave me that feeling that I felt at home, not a well treated visitor in a pharmacology society, a toxicology society, a chemical society or a pharmacy society. That meeting showed me the need for more drug metabolism meetings: open meetings, larger meetings, and perhaps some held at more accessible venues. That was what I hoped to see, and which I was willing to work toward. 

At the time of the 1972 GRC in Drug Metabolism, I was barely 31 years old and had only three years experience in drug metabolism. I was thrilled that I, a young newcomer to the field, had my application accepted by the conference chair, Carl Smith. When it came time to travel to the conference I was faced with the reality that it was not easy to travel to the site of the meeting, the Holderness School in rural New Hampshire. In fact, it was a six-hour drive from my home. This need to travel far was not unusual. Other attendees travelled from all over the United States, and from several foreign countries, so lengthy travel times and long distances were common. 

In those pre-laptop and pre-cellphone days, it would be fair to say attendees were well isolated from distractions at the GRC in Drug Metabolism. Most attendees stayed at the school, which contained housing, meeting rooms and dining facilities, all within waking distances. There were no telephones in the dormitories and no televisions. The only telephones on site outside of the school offices in Livermore Hall were several payphones on a wall in the basement of the Weld Dining Hall, the building where we took our meals. The basement of Weld Dining Hall also contained the Snack Bar, where many conference attendees enjoyed late night libations and conversations. There were, however, a variety of outdoor activities available to attendees, and since meeting sessions were held in the morning and in the evening after dinner, every afternoon was free time to enjoy the available outdoor activities or to sleep, read, or enjoy informal discussions.

The beginning of friendships and relationships that were essential to the formation of both the DMDG and ISSX actually began at that Gordon Conference in the summer of 1972. Let me now expound a bit on the Gordon Research conferences. The Gordon Research Conferences organization is a prestigious worldwide nonprofit scientific organization dedicated to fostering scientific meetings that advance the frontiers of science. The Gordon Research Conference in Drug Metabolism, first held in July of 1971, is one of many Gordon Research Conferences held annually around the globe. The fact that, at that time, the drug metabolism meeting attendance was limited to only about 120 scientists fostered meeting fellow attendees and having frequent informal gatherings of small groups throughout the week. The remote location of the GRC in Drug Metabolism served as an incubator for the birth of new ideas. 

DMDG
Now let me describe how the DMDG began. At my first Gordon Research Conference in Drug Metabolism, as I met many of the attendees I was of course impressed by them, but I also became aware that a number of us were from the greater Philadelphia area. Somewhat surprisingly to me, was the fact that we had to travel to a remote rural site in New Hampshire to meet each other or have discussions on topics of common interest. I continued to attend the annual GRC in Drug Metabolism meetings regularly. In 1975, I came to the conclusion that local drug metabolism meetings in the greater Philadelphia area would be greatly appreciated and well attended, a far more favorable circumstance than my playground efforts 25 years prior.

During the 1975 meeting, I conceived the idea of starting a drug metabolism discussion group in the greater Philadelphia area, so that scientists in our discipline, at all levels, not just PhD’s, could gather several times a year. By that time, I knew John Baer well enough that I felt comfortable approaching him on the subject. If he, the most well-known and respected elder statesman in our field in the Northeast, endorsed the idea and let his support be known, the proposed discussion group was going to happen. Upon hearing my plan, John immediately and enthusiastically endorsed the idea and urged me to go forward with forming the group. 

But to start the group I also needed support from company where I was employed. In 1975, I was only recently promoted to Group Leader of Drug Metabolism at McNeil Laboratories in Ft. Washington, Pennsylvania. When I returned to work after the conference, I reported my plan to start a local drug metabolism discussion group to my boss, John Plostnieks, who was Director of the Biology Department. When he learned that John Baer supported my idea he readily agreed to the starting of the DMDG. For political reasons he decided that he, a Department Director, would lead the Steering Committee the first year, which he did. The next year, I was able to take on the role of Chairman of the DMDG Steering Committee, which I chaired Committee for the next two years, and I was a member of the Steering Committee for many years.

During those early years, I used what influence I had to keep the name as the DMDG rather than adding a geographical linkage to the Delaware Valley. My reluctance, then, to limit the DMDG to the Delaware Valley was because during the 1970s there was a growing movement across the country to start a national drug metabolism society, but certain factors were keeping that from becoming a reality The reason I wanted the name of the DMDG to be unrestricted geographically was because I though the DMDG could expand over time and go national if no other option reached fruition. When ISSX was founded, there was no longer any reason to restrict name of the discussion group to the DMDG, and the name was formally changed to the Delaware Valley DMDG, as it is currently known.

Let me now share with you who Bob Rozman was and why he was honored by later having the annual DMDG symposium named in his honor. I met Bob Rozman at an early Gordon Research conference in Drug Metabolism, and we became close friends. He was active in the DMDG and was a terrific supporter of ISSX and a member of the Organizing Committee. Bob wore heavy braces on both legs and walked with the aid of crutches. Bob rose above his physical limitations and was an excellent scientist who conducted research on a cure for malaria at Walter Reed Army Research Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. When the DMDG was formed, not only did Bob actively support it, he drove all the way from the Bethesda, Maryland area to the DMDG meetings, held at a hotel north of Philadelphia. And he usually convinced a few of his fellow researchers from Walter Reed to join him in the long drive to and from the meetings.
After years of supporting the DMDG and working in the Organizing Committee in the early days of ISSX, he received very bad news. Bob was diagnosed with late stage terminal liver cancer, and had little time remaining. On learning of that, I thought of a fitting honor for him in the DMDG and suggested to the DMDG Steering Committee that the annual DMDG symposium be named in Bob’s honor, and they readily concurred.  

Formation of ISSX - ISSX Cofounders
Let me now focus on the formation of ISSX, a much larger project, in which I played a role. My esteemed cofounders were John Baer, Fred DiCarlo and Ina Snow. They were all my elders, all my mentors, and all were my good friends. They were the wind beneath my wings and worked very hard to keep me in flight. I fear I will not do them full justice in the limited time I have in trying to share with you who they were, their scientific achievements, their skills in interpersonal relations, their extraordinary energy and enthusiasm for founding the society and their tireless efforts to do the work necessary to bring to fruition the society to which we were so deeply committed. 

It is time for me to provide a brief profile of each of my cofounders.  I met them all in 1972 at the second Gordon Research Conference In Drug Metabolism.

Fred DiCarlo
The first cofounder-to-be that I met was Fred DiCarlo. In fact, Fred was literally the first person I met at a Gordon Conference. He was slim, but athletic, impeccably attired in casual clothes, and exuded self-confidence. With his full head of prematurely white hair, he was a distinguished and imposing figure. Fred was originally from New York, and exhibited what some described on their first impression of him as a “New York edge”. In truth, he was one of the most friendly and social people I ever met. 

Over his career, his experience spanned employment in industry, consulting and government. In 1972, he had just started, and was the Executive Editor of, the quarterly journal, “ Drug Metabolism Reviews”. In his last position, he joined the EPA as a Senior Scientist at the EPA’s Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics where he led their program in establishing ways to establish the safety of chemical entities introduced into the environment. Even when working in Washington, DC, Fred maintained his permanent home in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey, a fact of great relevance in the founding of ISSX. Fred had also developed an incredible flair for managing scientific and social events, and he excelled at setting up and running large scientific meetings in venues that attracted many attendees

John Baer
Now let me introduce you to John Baer. John was tall and broad shouldered with a full head of white hair, and, when I met him, he presented a calm and dignified image consistent with his many years of experience. First and foremost, John was an icon in drug metabolism. As one of the original leaders in industrial drug metabolism research, John was a well-established, highly esteemed, and widely respected scientist when I met him. In 1972 he held the title of Director of Drug Metabolism at Merck Sharpe & Dohme. 

John was one of the most accessible and helpful individual in the field I ever met. When approached, John projected a humility and gentleness that put anyone who met him at ease, and he was quick to flash a boyish grin. John’s extensive involvement in ASPET and his great ability to modulate discussions to avoid confrontations was of incalculable value in wooing many of his ASPET colleagues into accepting and supporting ISSX in 1981.

Ina Snow
Last, but definitely not least of the other three founders, let me tell you a little about Ina Snow. Ina was an amazing person. At a time when the field of scientific studies of xenobiotics was a male-dominated field, Ina Snow’s research flourished at Smith Kline and French in Philadelphia. That was all the more remarkable because Ina did not have a PhD, but was conducting PhD-level research. One example of her research was that she pioneered studies, conducted in dogs, that demonstrated that reabsorption of drugs could occur in the bladder.

Ina was in the midst of almost every discussion I was in at the Gordon Conferences and played a major role in the early years of the Delaware Valley DMDG. For example, in 1981 she was Chairperson of the Drug Metabolism Discussion Group, and she chaired the group’s Fourth Annual Symposium, “Interesting Topics in Drug Metabolism” that year. The presentations from that meeting were edited by Bob Rozman and published in Drug Metabolism Reviews that year. I will have more to say about Bob Rozman later. 

Bruce Migdalof
By now, some of you may be wondering what my contributions were to the formation of ISSX. Let me begin by stating that, as was the case for my cofounders, I grew into the role. My relevant skills include the ability to innovate, to problem solve effectively, to chair meetings of small groups, and to wordsmith skillfully in the preparation of written documents including letters, agendas, and organizational constitutions and bylaws. I also became comfortable being highly visible in scientific meetings, including the DMDG, and leading them. And yes, by 1980 I had sound scientific credentials in drug metabolism research.

In the summer of 1980, at the end of the Gordon Conference, my three cofounders bestowed upon me a great honor, and placed upon me a great burden, in encouraging me to take the lead in our efforts to launch the international society. I hosted the original meetings of the four of us, chaired the Organizing Committee, and later chaired the Membership Committee. 

Returning now to my first meeting with Fred DiCarlo in 1972, as I was approaching the entrance to the Gordon Conference site, the Holderness School, on foot, Fred saw me and walked toward me smiling. As he approached, Fred extended a welcoming hand and introduced himself. After the introduction, he escorted me around to meet many of the other attendees, where I was also warmly greeted. From those first encounters, I knew that the Gordon Research Conference in Drug Metabolism was the first scientific meeting where I, as a drug metabolism scientist, felt fully at home

Formation of ISSX - from 'ISEX' to 'ISSX'
Now it is time to delve into the events that led to the formation of ISSX. By 1980, one of the frequent discussion topics on those warm July afternoons at the Gordon Conferences revolved about the desire to form a national, I repeat, a national, drug metabolism society. A major barrier was that many of the well-established drug metabolism scientists were long-time, well-entrenched, members of ASPET, the national pharmacology society. In 1973 ASPET had created a Division of Drug Metabolism, and there were serious concerns among drug metabolism scientists that creation of a national drug metabolism society would result in unwelcome interference with ASPET that might involve their having to choose one or the other society.

By July of 1980, at the GRC in Drug metabolism, it was abundantly clear that many attendees had strong feelings about the need for a national drug metabolism society, but efforts to form a national drug metabolism society were stymied by probable negative interactions with ASPET.

As early as 1975, John Baer had known of my strong desire, which he shared, for drug metabolism scientists to have our own national “home” society in the United States. So, around that time, he gave me some sound advice. “Before you risk antagonizing ASPET”, he advised, “join the society, so you would not be an outsider stirring things up”. I followed his advice. I took the time to have two scientific articles published in refereed journals, and had two ASPET members submit letters of recommendation when I applied. I had no trouble being accepted into ASPET.

My acceptance as an ASPET member would result in a serendipitous event that unlocked the door barring formation of a drug metabolism society. Let me now invoke those two magic words “serendipity” and “epiphany”. By choice, I attended the annual ASPET meeting in the spring of 1980.  By chance, while attending that meeting, I wandered into an open meeting of the ASPET Council. I sat and watched as the council vigorously deliberated whether to go international or not. The decision was emphatically to remain strictly an American society. That decision would resonate in me at the Gordon Conference in July that year.

On Monday, July 21, 1980 after the evening scientific session at the Schoolhouse was over, I had been among many attendees who migrated to the makeshift BYOB bar in the Snack Bar in Weld Dining Hall. I quietly left, alone, sometime after midnight. It was in that early morning hour, as I slowly walked alone across the dark quiet quadrangle toward the dormitories, I had an epiphany. Efforts to start a national drug metabolism society would result in major interaction problems, and that was holding us back. I remembered the fact that ASPET had recently firmly committed to remaining strictly an American society. And there it was, my epiphany! Why not break with tradition and move directly to form an INTERNATIONAL drug metabolism society.

The next day I sprang my innovative idea on as many of the attendees as I could find, and the word spread. The initial reaction I received when I proposed an international society and skipping a national society was, ”Can we do that?” Then came the realization, “Yes, we can!”

Later in the week, on Thursday afternoon, August 4th, ten of the conference attendees participated in an important informal meeting about starting the new society. That was the beginning of serious discussions among more than the founding four to start the new society. Of course, Fred DiCarlo, John Baer, Ina Snow and I were present. But it was noteworthy that there were four attendees present who were from outside the United States: Mitch Cayen from Canada, and John Caldwell, Bob Smith and Peter Johnson from England. We had gone international! 

ISSX Founders
Back Row: Bob Smith, John Caldwell, Ina Snow, Mitch Cayen, John Baer, Peter Johnson, Bruce Migdalof; Front Row: Fred DiCarlo, Gaylord (Guy) Paulson; Not Shown: Zafar Israili (Photographer)

By the end of that Gordon Conference, it had become the opinion of many attendees that yes, we could and should start as an international drug metabolism society. The door to an international drug metabolism society had swung open. Following the GRC in Drug Metabolism meeting in July of 1980, the four founders met in early September to establish the groundwork for the organization that would spell out the goals of the society and the requirements for membership. 

For the meeting of the four of us on Saturday, September 6th, it was decided to meet at my home because it was centrally located, within no more than a ninety-minute drive, for the other three. And here is the explanation as to why Fred maintaining his main address in New Jersey was important. If he lived in Washington, D.C. he could not have been able to meet with us. My home was in Robbinsville, New Jersey our meeting place, which became the first address for ISSX; 156 Richardson Rd, Robbinsville, NJ 08691.

The format of the meeting on September 6th was that we convened at my house in the early afternoon, held our discussions on the scheduled agenda on the large open back porch of my house, and stopped at about 6:00 pm. My wife had dinner ready for us by then, and after dinner the others left for home.

During our meeting, the four of us never argued, but we had some great discussions. John, Fred and I were members of societies with restricted membership, including ASPET. My concept for the new society was to have no formal requirements for membership other than supporting the goals of the society and paying the annual dues. On that Ina and I agreed. John was neutral but Fred had concerns. At one point, after lengthy discussions on the topic, Fred asked me what would happen if, for example, a shoe salesman wanted to join. My response, which probably surprised him, was that if the shoe salesman acknowledged his support for the goals of the society and paid his dues I would say to him, “Hi. Welcome to our society”. At that point there was no further opposition to an open society. 

An application for membership a few years later clearly shows the only requirements to join are supporting the goals of the society, and paying the annual dues.

A critical next step was for the four of us to identify other potential members of an Organizing Committee, contact them, see if they agreed to participate, and establish where we would meet. With much thought and effort we identified the most promising other attendees, and contacted them by phone as to their potential interest. Fred and John provided most of the names of individuals and made the initial phone contacts. Once contacted scientists agreed to participate, I sent out letters and supporting documents via mail and airmail to the identified individuals inviting them to a formal organizing committee meeting for the new international society. Along with each invitation letter, was an agenda and the proposed constitution and bylaws.  

Organizing Committee Documents
Organizing Committee Meeting Highlights	Organizing Committee Members		Organizing Committee Agenda

The choice of the name of the society for the presentation to the Organizing Committee was mine. So let me explain why I proposed a controversial name. Going into the meeting in Arlington, the support from some of the attendees was felt to be marginal, and we four founders were not at all sure the outcome of the meeting would be to move forward expeditiously. I thought a diversionary tactic might be of value. 

I decided that if I proposed to use the name ISEX for the international society, this might divert attention from the question “Should we move forward with the society? ” to the question  “What should the name of the society be? I did not share my motives for proposing the controversial name ISEX to my cofounders because I wanted them to be free to spontaneously voice their own reservations about the choice of the name at the upcoming Organizing Committee meeting. 

When I first proposed the name on September 6th to Fred, John and Ina at the informal meetings at my home, eyebrows went up. Fred, John and Ina were not happy but, after some discussion, they did ultimately support me and agreed to go forward with that name. So I had their full, if not enthusiastic, support when I sent out the invitation letters for the meeting in Arlington. At that September 6th meeting, the four founders agreed unanimously that a new international drug metabolism named the International Society of Experimental Xenobiology had been formed. So ISEX was actually the prequel to ISSX!

That critical organizational meeting was held at the Twin Bridges Marriot U.S. 1 in in Arlington, Virginia, a suburb of Washington D.C., on Thursday October 30, 1980. With full support from Fred, John and Ina, I chaired the meeting. The event was attended by sixteen scientists who had agreed to participate as members of the Organizing Committee of the new society. 

Of the sixteen scientists who attended the meeting, fourteen attendees were from the United States and two attendees were from outside the United State. Mitch Cayen came from Canada, and Peter Johnson came from England, so we had some international representation. Ina attended, of course, but was not the lone female attendance. The very well respected Marjory Horning, from Baylor College of Medicine, also attended. It is noteworthy that Marjory agreed to participate in the meeting, since she was an officer in ASPET at the time, and would go on to become the first woman president of ASPET in 1984.

The attendees included scientists from industry, academia and government. When the attendees entered the conference room in the hotel where our meeting was to be held, they found on the table at each seat a notebook labeled in gold “THE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR EXPERIMENTAL XENOBIOTICS”. In the notebook, under the ISEX banner, were an agenda and a draft constitution and bylaws.

Once the meeting began, the planned agenda was not followed. As no surprise to me, early in the meeting a somewhat heated exchange took place about the name of the society. After much discussion, a committee to select several alternative names, not including ISEX, was established. From there on, the meeting proceeded well, and it was decided to expand the Organizing Committee to as many members as possible. At the end of the meeting Fred came up to me and paid me one of the highest compliments I have ever received. He told me he felt that no one else he knew could have run that meeting better than I did.

Within a few weeks after the meeting, the committee on naming the society had selected three choices for the name of the society, and forward the list to me at Squibb. Ballots were prepared and sent to the members of the Organizing Committee with directions for completing the ballots. The results were close, but ISSX was the clear winner. And that is how ISSX got its name.

Results of the Organizing Committee Vote to Name the New International Society (January 28, 2981)

Of course, there is more to starting a society than merely voting it into existence. After the meeting in Arlington, committees that were formed there carried out a variety of functions including preparing options for the name of the society, finance, meeting planning and establishing relations with existing journals. The goals were to expand the size of the organizing committee, with more countries represented, and to enroll as many charter members as possible. As of September 1, 1981 the Organizing Committee had grown to 60 members from all over the world! The Charter Membership drive, which ended November 1, 1981, resulted in charter membership for 529 members. ISSX was strong and definitely international. The Membership Committee was formed and continued to seek out prospective new  members of ISSX.

Simultaneously, intense planning was in process beginning late 1980, to organize the first ISSX Meeting, which was the first North American ISSX meeting, to be held in late 1983. Arrangements for that critical meeting were the responsibility of Fred DiCarlo, who had been appointed the Meeting Manager. That Fred was able to arrange a very successful meeting within those time limits was extraordinary. The scientific core of the meeting was an outstanding program arranged by the Scientific Program Chairman, John Caldwell, a dynamic and well-respected drug metabolism scientist from St. Mary’s Hospital in London, England.

  
ISSX Seal

The registration of ISSX as a corporate entity in the state of New Jersey was achieved on March 20, 1981, however establishing its certification to hiring staff (Employer Identification Number) was not received until February 23, 1983. Acknowledgement from the IRS that ISSX qualified as a tax-exempt organization did not occur until April 3, 1984.

ISSX Original Logo

It is noteworthy that five names, not four, are on the incorporation document filed in 1981. In addition to the four founders, Bob Rozman’s name is there.  His dedication to ISSX was intense, and had it been possible for Bob to meet in person with Fred, John, Ina and myself at my home after the 1980 Gordon Conference, their might have been a fifth founder.

In 1981, John Baer took his rightful and long overdue place as President of ISSX. He was then formally elected to a two-year term for 1982 and 1983. The international nature of ISSX was visibly represented by the fact that the second ISSX President was Robert Smith from England, and the third was Ryuchi Kato from Japan.