Newswise — Bethesda, Md. (May 24, 2017)—The American Physiological Society (APS) is pleased to announce its new leadership: President Elect Jeff M. Sands, MD, and Councilors Charles H. Lang, PhD; Merry L. Lindsey, PhD; and Ronald M. Lynch, PhD. The new officers were elected by the APS membership and took office last month at the Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago.

Jeff M. Sands, MD, is a professor of medicine and physiology and the director of the renal division at Emory University in Atlanta. He received his medical degree from Boston University before completing his residency at the University of Chicago, postdoctoral training with the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute (NHLBI) and nephrology training at Emory University. Sands has received numerous awards for his work, including the APS Gottschalk Award, the American Heart Association Distinguished Achievement Award and the American Society of Nephrology’s Brenner Lecture.

An APS member for more than 30 years, Sands was editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Physiology—Renal Physiology from 2001 to 2007 and is a current editorial board member of Physiological Reviews. Sands has been especially active in the Renal Section and served as awards chair, treasurer, section chair and program representative. He served as an APS councilor from 2003 to 2006 and was the Finance Committee chair from 2009 to 2014.

“As president, I will advocate enthusiastically for the critical role of physiology. As a physiologist-nephrologist, I have a deep appreciation for physiology as the foundation of medicine and the vital role physiology research plays in advancing health,” Sands said. “I will seek innovative ways to foster and train the next generation of physiologists and leaders.”

Charles H. Lang, PhD, is a professor of cellular and molecular biology and associate dean of graduate studies at Penn State College of Medicine. He earned his PhD from Hahnemann Medical College in Pennsylvania and pursued postdoctoral training at Louisiana State Medical Center. Among his honors is the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Merit Award.

An active member of APS, Lang was editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Physiology—Endocrinology and Metabolism from 2010 to 2016. He has served on numerous APS committees, including Membership, Finance, Section Advisory, Committee-on-Committees, and the Endocrinology and Metabolism Steering Committee. Lang is a past APS Endocrinology and Metabolism Section chair. He also served on the editorial board of Physiology and Physiological Reports and is an APS Minority Travel Fellows mentor.

“Although a member and active participant of numerous scientific organizations, I am first and foremost a physiologist. I believe our diverse membership is one of our greatest strengths and should be fostered,” Lang said. “I will advocate for the diverse constituency of the Society—not just my section—and implement innovative solutions to sustain growth and stability.”

Merry L. Lindsey, PhD, is a professor of physiology and medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC) and is director of the Mississippi Center for Heart Research. She received her PhD from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed postdoctoral studies at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Lindsey has been honored multiple times in the area of cardiac physiology, receiving UMMC’s Silver, Gold and Platinum Level medallions for Excellence in Research. She is a 2016 recipient of the tiny Heart Hero Award given by the Saving tiny Hearts Society.

Lindsey has been active as a member of several APS committees, including the Section Advisory and Nominating committees and the Women Subgroup Task Force. She is a past chair of the APS Translational Physiology Interest Group and the Cardiovascular (CV) Section, as well as a former CV programming co-chair. Lindsey is the current deputy editor of the American Journal of Physiology—Heart and Circulatory Physiology and topic editor for Comprehensive Physiology and has published in several other APS journals, including the American Journal of Physiology—Cell Physiology, the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology and Physiological Genomics.

“My active participation in a wide range of APS activities has allowed me to observe APS across the spectrum and see our strengths and challenges,” Lindsey said. “I am proud to be an APS member and am honored to be serving on Council.”

Ronald M. Lynch, PhD, is a professor of physiology at the University of Arizona and director of the Arizona Research Institute for Biomedical Imaging. He received his PhD in physiology and biophysics from the University of Cincinnati and completed postdoctoral studies with the NIH and NHLBI’s Laboratory of Kidney & Electrolyte Metabolism. Lynch has received the Furrow Award for Excellence in Graduate Education, the Flinn Merit Award and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases’ National Research Service Award.

Lynch has served APS in multiple capacities, including as Joint Program Committee chair and ex-officio Council member from 2007 to 2013. He is also a past member of the APS Cell Section Steering and Public Affairs committees and is a current member of the Science Policy Committee. Lynch also served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Physiology—Cell Physiology and the American Journal of Physiology—Heart and Circulatory Physiology and as an APS representative to the Experimental Biology meeting board.

“APS provides a framework for defining our discipline and advocacy for issues germane to membership,” Lynch said. “APS leadership, in consultation with membership, must take advantage of our collective ideas to sustain the effectiveness of our Society. In this regard, it would be an honor and privilege to serve membership as APS Councilor.”

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: For more information, please contact the APS Communications Office or 301-634-7209.

Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. Established in 1887, the American Physiological Society (APS) was the first U.S. society in the biomedical sciences field. The Society represents more than 10,500 members and publishes 15 peer-reviewed journals with a worldwide readership.

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