ASLM e-News | April 2012

ASLM Lab Culture Newsletter | Call for Submissions

The third issue of the ASLM Lab Culture newsletter will be published in May 2012. We invite you to submit articles (200-400 words maximum) on the following topics:

Standards & Accreditation
Research
Education & Training
Clinical Medicine

We encourage you to share your knowledge, experience, and ideas in these key featured areas of laboratory medicine. The readership of Lab Culture grows with each issue and now reaches more than 2,500 laboratory professionals. Lab Culture serves as a widespread means for us to reflect the true culture of laboratory medicine.

If you are interested in advertising in Lab Culture or submitting an article, please email ASLM at newsletter@afslm.org. The deadline for submissions is 15 April 2012.

Read Lab Culture, Issue 2

ASLM Official Launch Report Available

The official summary report of the ASLM Launch Meeting is now available to view or download.

"A Focus on Point of Care Diagnostics in Africa"

ASLM, in collaboration with Fondation Merieux and the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), is organizing an international meeting, "A Focus on Point of Care (POC) Diagnostics in Africa," to be held 8-10 May 2012, at the EHNRI Auditorium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting will bring together key stakeholders at the forefront of POC diagnostics to better understand the current state of this major public health challenge and explore future solutions. It will also serve as a platform for discussions on POC in Africa involving international organizations, public health institutes, regulatory authorities, experts and academia, and its recommendations are expected to contribute to the wider global debate on POC for high endemic countries.

ASLM and American Society for Microbiology Collaboration

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), is a proud supporter and partner of ASLM. ASM and ASLM are working together to realize a shared vision of sustainable laboratory capacity development in Africa. As the oldest and largest single life science organization, ASM's 40,000 members are collectively dedicated to improving global health, through science, collaboration and knowledge-sharing. ASM recently seconded one of its best and brightest staff, Corey White, to join the ASLM team in Ethiopia as the Acting ASLM Communications and Advocacy Officer.

"This is just the beginning. We take great pride in our partnership with ASLM. There is much to do, and I believe that together we can make a difference."

Jason Rao, Director for ASM International Affairs

From the Desk of the ASLM CEO

Dear friends,

As ASLM celebrates our one-year anniversary, we continue our efforts to advance laboratory systems across the African continent. Your support has been integral over the past year. To highlight our successes, I am delighted to bring you this month's important updates. I am very excited to announce the launch of our new website! I encourage you to visit www.ASLM.org to stay abreast of critical issues in laboratory medicine and connect with your colleagues using the site's many interactive features. We have designed the site to encourage collaboration within the laboratory community.

Additionally, ASLM recently hosted our second Grant and Proposal Writing Workshop, in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 20 participants received hands-on training in the development of scientific proposals. ASLM will continue to support additional trainings in the future.

ASLM thanks you again for the enthusiastic response we have received for our upcoming international conference in Cape Town, South Africa, 4-8 December 2012. The ASLM 2012 conference website is near finalization, and we will send out an announcement when the site is launched. The website will contain information on participant registration, lodging, exhibition space, and abstract submissions. Registration for ASLM 2012 opens in May, and we look forward to meeting you in Cape Town!

Kind regards,

Dr. Tsehaynesh Messele

Chief Executive Officer, ASLM

ASLM Hosts Second Grant and Proposal Writing Workshop

Participants working on their grant proposals

The second ASLM Grant and Proposal Writing Workshop was held 25 March-1 April in Debre Zeit, Ethiopia, in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tailored for laboratory professionals responsible for developing laboratory-based research, surveillance, and/or proposals, the workshop curriculum aimed to: (1) familiarize participants with the development of proposals and grant review processes, and (2) strengthen the ability to identify potential funding sources for key areas in HIV/TB laboratory research and health systems strengthening. 20 laboratory professionals from Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, and Sudan participated.

"As we continue to strive for sustainability on the African continent, the ASLM was very excited to offer our second workshop to enhance the skills of local laboratorians and build upon our past successes of strengthening quality health systems."

Dr. Tsehaynesh Messele, ASLM Chief Executive Officer

Workshop Participants and Mentors, March 2012

ASLM Launches New Website

The new website of ASLM, www.ASLM.org, is officially live and available to users! The new site includes several interactive features, such as community forums, blogs, community chat rooms, and connectable member profiles.

Stay connected with ASLM via the ASLM.org Events Calendar and "News and Events" page!

Visit the new ASLM.org via this screenshot link

The new ASLM website encourages networking, collaboration and knowledge-sharing among the ASLM community and serves as a resource for medical laboratory-related services and products.

Development of the site is actively ongoing, and many more features will be available in the coming months. Collaborative workspaces, laboratory-related documents, technical assistance resources, accreditation documents, and an online store are all in development.

Do you have a product, service or laboratory-related achievement that you would like to share with the laboratory community? ASLM.org would like to put you in the Spotlight. To be considered for a Spotlight feature, contact communication@afslm.org.