Over the next four years my vision for FEPS is to make it more committed and integral to the national societies that it embodies, to increase our communications with them and form stronger strategic and political alliances, with the overarching aim of strengthening physiology in Europe and beyond. Our scientific meetings will remain a priority; they allow us to showcase scientific excellence, encourage early career scientists and enable enhanced networking and mutual support across national borders. Successful accomplishment of this vision would lead to physiologists being better integrated across Europe, a louder voice for physiology and FEPS having stronger partnerships and meetings with national societies and other organizations.
FEPS brings together and supports 35 national physiological societies. FEPS is a vibrant and dynamic organization -we welcomed our latest member the Portuguese Society, in 2020. The national societies remain, therefore, our strength and focus. All our constituent societies and their members have been badly affected by the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV2. FEPS will play its role in helping the societies. We will do this by increasing our communications with member societies, using both our General Council, but also by instigating individual and group conversations. In this way we can share views, information, ideas, and shape initiatives, including funding and influence. We will tap into the strength embodied in the enormous range of expertise, experience, enterprise and good will that our members possess.
Scientific dialogue and communication are essential for progress., specifically meetings and publications. FEPS has flagship meetings which occur every year, either independently or joining with other groupings, such as Europhysiology. The unique local flavour of FEPS meetings, often still held on university campuses, as much as good science, marks them out as successful, convivial meetings. Our in-person 2021 meeting will be much missed. In October 2021 however, we will have a virtual meeting “European Physiology Day”, to keep this spirit going. As part of our vision, FEPS is pairing with other organizations to increase the variety, synergy, and reach of meetings. Thus, FEPS is in active partnership with other societies to organize Europhysiology meetings and will help deliver the Copenhagen 2022 meeting. We are also in discussions with the International Union of Physiological Societies (IUPS) to encourage their 2025 meeting to be in Europe, with FEPS as a co-host. FEPS is also proud of its close association with Acta Physiologica. The journal provides us with sponsorship and support for symposia and lectures, as well as publishing our meeting abstracts.
At the General Council meeting in October 2021 we will elect a President -Elect. Their voice and visions will contribute to FEPS moving forward and successfully facing the challenges and opportunities that will arise,
Professor Susan Wray – President FEPS (2019-2023).