ASPET

10/09/2026

ASPET President Kay Meier, PhD, highlights the strong momentum that ASPET's journals are seeing following the Society's partnership with Elsevier: submission increases, readership exceeding goals, high ScienceDirect traffic, and strong impact metrics:

Welcome to Fall! For those of us in academia, the beginning of the academic year marks an abrupt and definitive end to summer, but it is invigorating to engage with new students. As a last summer “fling,” I drove across the U.S. in early August, covering 2,500 miles in four days. There were adve...

10/09/2026

Olufunke Ajeigbe, PhD, a Postdoctoral Fellow at University of California, Irvine, is the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Highlighted Trainee Author for October 2026. Her research investigates the short- and long-term effects of an acute high dose of THC, the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, in adult male and female rats.

“I hope these findings will inform future preclinical research, improve discussions of cannabis-related health risks, and support the development of more individualized and sex-informed prevention and treatment strategies,” she shared.

➡️ Read the research here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpet.2026.105033

10/08/2026

Call for abstracts is now open! Get visibility for your work—present your poster to over 1,000 pharmacology researchers, students, and industry professionals at ASPET 2027.

This is an opportunity to present a scientific poster, publish your abstract in a special supplement to The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, receive recognition for your scientific advances, and be considered for speaking opportunities.

📆 Deadline: December 3

🔗 Learn more: https://www.aspet.org/aspet/meetings-awards/annual-meeting/aspet-2027/present/abstracts

10/08/2026

The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics is planning a new special collection titled, "Computational Systems Pharmacology and Docking In Signal Pathways Analysis and Modulation for Neurodegenerative Diseases."

Computational systems pharmacology and molecular docking are transforming the study of signaling pathway dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases by enabling multi-scale, mechanism-driven therapeutic discovery. Emerging approaches integrate network pharmacology, structural bioinformatics, and AI-driven modeling to identify dynamic pathway perturbations, allosteric targets, and multi-target intervention strategies. These methods allow the incorporation of heterogeneous datasets including genomics, proteomics, and neuroimaging to construct predictive models of disease progression and drug response. Advances in molecular dynamics simulations and machine learning are improving the reliability of docking and target validation, even for flexible or poorly resolved protein structures. Importantly, coupling computational prediction with experimental validation enhances translational relevance and accelerates precision medicine strategies.

This special collection highlights innovative frameworks that move beyond static models toward dynamic, systems-level modulation of signaling networks, enabling the rational design of effective and safe therapeutics for complex neurodegenerative disorders.

Interested in contributing your research? Learn more at https://ow.ly/xSlQ50ZHlky

10/07/2026

✨ 🌟 Your online community just got a glow up! ASPETConnect - the platform that helps you to connect with fellow members, participate in conversations, and stay up to date with the communities and topics that matter to you - has been upgraded. Try it today at connect.aspet.org

10/07/2026

Now Available: The 2026 Pharmacology Learning Objectives!

The Pharmacology Learning Objectives are intended to support faculty in developing, delivering, and assessing pharmacology content, with the flexibility to adapt them to the goals, structure, and instructional time of individual curricula. Each section was reviewed by a team of faculty who currently teach that content area, providing built-in peer review.

Learn more and download your copy at: https://ow.ly/kBb150ZUEFL

10/06/2026

According to the CDC, approximately 13% of men will develop prostate cancer.

Although prostate cancer is prevalent, it is not life threatening, with 5-year survival rates near 100%; however, once prostate cancer metastasizes, the 5-year survival rate drops to approximately 34%. Therefore, it is important to understand what imitates prostate cancer metastasis so that better treatments can be developed to prevent metastasis.

A team from Shanghai, China, found that a circular RNA molecule, named circDOPEY2, is overexpressed in prostate cancer and contributes to metastasis. The mechanism of action was identified through a series of knockdown and reconstitution experiments. In short, circDOPEY2 blocks degradation of hnRNPM that then stabilizes ICAM2 mRNA leading to increased expression of ICAM2 protein. Furthermore, the team, and others, demonstrate ICAM2 is involved in metastasis. Additionally, the team found that Serine/Arginine-Rich Splicing Factor 1 (SRSF1) is responsible for generating the circular form of DOPEY2.

Collectively the data provides multiple potential pharmacological targets to prevent prostate cancer metastasis, and circDOPEY2 can be used as a biomarker to track the increased likelihood of prostate cancer metastasis.

Read the research in our recent Editor's Choice: https://ow.ly/OviJ50ZUBUK

10/06/2026

It’s membership renewal season at ASPET! Connect with your home for pharmacology and continue to grow, collaborate, and make an impact. If you haven’t renewed yet, now’s the perfect time!

⏰ Renew by December 1 to maintain uninterrupted benefits and automatically be entered into our Early Renewal Raffle for a $100 gift card.

🔗 https://www.aspet.org/aspet/membership-community/aspet-membership/apply-for-membership

10/05/2026

Join ASPET for a webinar designed for students exploring graduate studies in pharmacology, open to BOTH members and non-members!

Faculty and graduate students from Boston University School of Medicine will share insights on what to expect from their pharmacology training program and provide an overview of their graduate program to help you determine if it is the right fit. They will also highlight different disciplines within the program and help students identify potential mentors in the fields of cancer pharmacology, structural biology, medicinal chemistry, epigenetics, addiction, pain, and other human disorders.

This interactive session will include live Q&A and offer a unique opportunity to connect directly with a graduate program and gain practical guidance on your next steps.

Register here: https://ow.ly/29WJ50ZR5fE

10/05/2026

Learn how to advocate for science policy!

ASPET’s Government Affairs and Science Policy staff will visit you and your staff, or meet with you virtually, and provide on-hands guidance on how your voice can be heard.

Learn more about this offer, and how to arrange a visit this fall or next spring: https://www.aspet.org/aspet/advocacy/advocacy-resources/roadshow