Vertical Transmission

How time flies! I am already just over 4 months into my term as ASM President and there has been a lot happening. We supported two specialist meetings, BacPath and AusMe, both of which ran smoothly and were highly successful. It was fantastic to hear feedback on the extremely high quality of presentations given by students and ECRs at both meetings. ASM hour continues to evolve and provide a great forum for online national presentations, and I thank Kate Seib in her role as VP Scientific Affairs and the theme leaders for their efforts – Melissa Brown and Jai Tree (Molecular Microbiology), Peter Revill and Adam Taylor (Virology), Kate Howell, Linda Blackall and Chris Greening (Microbial Ecology and Environmental Microbiology), Lee-Anne Kirkham (Public Health Microbiology) and Roy Robins-Browne (Clinical Microbiology). There are fantastic plans for ASM Hour talks to continue in the new year so stay tuned, and let the theme leaders know if you have any ideas for new topics!

It is only when you step into a position like mine that you get to appreciate all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make ASM function so well. Our Executive committee is fantastic to work with and we are fortunate to have such a committed group leading our Society. Some of you won’t be aware that we also have several Standing Committees that play key governance and support roles in ASM. This includes the National Scientific Advisory Committee (Chaired by Kate Seib), the Standing Committee on Professional Development (Chaired by Priscilla Johanesen), the Workforce Standing Committee (Chaired by Tony Jennings), the Publications Standing Committee (Chaired by Ipek Kurtböke), and the National Examinations and Qualifications Board (Chaired by Julian Rood). Take some time to check out the ASM homepage to see how many of our members contribute to these Standing committees. We are also always looking for new members to join these committees, so if you are interested, please get in contact. In 2023, we will be launching a new Standing Committee to represent Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. We will be looking for representatives to serve on each State Branch committee, as well as a National Chair that will be an ex-officio member of Council and report to the Executive committee.

As mentioned in my last vertical transmission, I am currently leading the development of a strategic review and plan for our Society. This is moving along, and I hope to have further updates in the new year. There will also be an opportunity for you as members of ASM to provide input and ideas, and to contribute to the review process. Again, stay tuned!

I am excited to say that the plans for our 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting in Perth are progressing well. The Local Organising and Scientific Program Committees, chaired by Charlene Kahler and Josh Ramsay, respectively, are in the process of putting together a fantastic program that will showcase some of the best Australian microbiology. I hope you will all consider attending the meeting in person. Registrations will open very soon, probably before you read this message! There is also strong incentive to register early, as we will offer 50 × $200 discount registrations for the conference to students and ECRs with 5 years equivalent experience post their highest qualification. We have a new link on the ASM Homepage that will take you directly to all ASM Conferences and Events, so please check this out as well.

Finally, I wish you all a safe and happy Christmas and New Year break. I hope you get the opportunity to spend some quality time with your family and friends. If you are like me, you will be looking forward to a break and the chance to relax and refresh. Take care!