Published on: 31-05-2017
Dear TIAFT Members:
I have just arrived back in Korea from Romania where we had a delightful TIAFT regional meeting. The meeting was held with the Romanian Congress of Legal Medicine, and there were 230 participants from all over Romania. The organizing committee set the first day as the day of Forensic Toxicology. All board members presented their talks from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm on all different topics of toxicology.
Many toxicologists and pathologists in Romania were eager to learn, and they were very attentive from the beginning to the last moment. The sessions were full of excitement and enthusiasm. I felt that they deeply appreciated the opportunity to learn about forensic toxicology. They asked tons of questions, indicating that all lectures were very well received. Their positive attitudes and passion for forensic toxicology sincerely moved me.
Regarding the regional meeting in Romania, on behalf of TIAFT, I would like to express my appreciation to three Congress presidents, Prof. George Christian Curca, Prof. Diana Bulgaru and Prof. Alexandra Enache for organizing an excellent meeting. They worked very hard to make the meeting possible. I would also like to express my appreciation to Bogdan Malinescu, for being the bridge between the Romanian Society of Legal Medicine and TIAFT from the very beginning to the last moment. It was also a great moment for us to learn about the situation of Forensic Toxicology in Romania. I greatly hope that next year when they have the 18th Congress of Legal Medicine, that they include a toxicology session.
We also had an excellent opportunity to visit the Romanian Institute of Legal Medicine. Prof. George Christian Curca, a director of the Institute, kindly guided us to many sections of his Institute including toxicology, DNA, histology and the autopsy room. Also, the rare and precious treasures the Institute possesses within the Museum of Forensic Medicine impressed us all. When Prof. Curcu explained the masterpieces, all of us realized the significance of what they have at the museum.
Before the regional meeting, we had a board meeting for 1.5 days. There were many things to discuss including:
- The minutes of last annual meeting
- Reports of secretary and treasurer
- Report of annual meeting in Boca Raton, Florida
- Travel grants and Awards
- Reports of Young Scientists, Bulletin, Website, Internet, Ethics committees
- Regional meetings
- 2021 annual meeting sites
- The evaluation of RRS
- Grant for analytical method
- Elections, strategy plan, board term limit, extension of the board and much more.
This year’s travel grant awards will be given to not only members from developing country members, but also to standard members. Congratulations! Out of 29 applicants, here is the list of awardees:
- Pınar Efeoglu Ozseker (Turkey)
- Fabricio Souza Pelicao (Brazil)
- Flávia Lopes Roveri (Brazil)
- Giovana Piva Peteffi (Brazil)
- Ana Doina Radu (Romania)
- Paula Andrea Fuentes Azocar (Chile)
- Dilek Battal (Turkey)
- Jenna Johnson (South Africa)
Most importantly, the election will be held this year in Boca Raton. As shown on the website, please nominate candidates for a President-elect, a Secretary, a Treasurer and three other Board Members by writing to the President before 14 Aug 2017. The deadline for the Alan Curry Award and TIAFT Achievement Award is two months before the annual meeting, so this year it will be July 14th. Also, the deadline for hosting the 2021 annual meeting is August 15, 2017.
Now it is time to prepare for our trip to Boca Raton, Florida. Boca Raton is a beautiful coastal city located about 30 miles south of Palm Beach, 20 miles north of Fort Lauderdale. The 55th annual meeting is being prepared with SOFT under the leadership of Ruth Winecker and Dan Anderson. As you all know, it will be the 5th Joint Meeting of SOFT and TIAFT. A great scientific program is ahead of us, with more than 500 abstracts and 17 workshops. There will be an opportunity for us to learn and exchange our scientific finding and share our knowledge. For Social events, a welcoming reception will be held on Monday, a Beach Party on the Beach Club’s pool deck on Tuesday, a yacht dinner cruise on the Inter-Coastal Waterway on Wednesday, and President’s Banquet and Closing Ceremony on Thursday. Please make yourself available for both the scientific program as well as the social program.
I encourage all of you to be in Boca Raton to share your knowledge and to meet old and new friends. We are going to have a grand time together.
Thank you all very much
Sincerely,
Dr. Heesun Chung,
President, TIAFT