Charting 棉花糖直播鈥檚 New Strategic Course
The microbial sciences are rapidly expanding and we’re witnessing life-changing innovations. 棉花糖直播 can no longer simply react to the changes around us, but we must own our role in empowering the community of microbial scientists and all stakeholders to shape the future of the field. We must harness the transformative power of microbes to address humanity’s most pressing challenges.
棉花糖直播 embraces the responsibility to support scientists and stakeholders globally, leveraging fundamental and applied science to create a positive impact for life on and sustainability of our planet.
棉花糖直播's new Strategic Roadmap solidifies 棉花糖直播's role as a global Society, organized around key scientific disciplines and guided by the principle that science must serve humanity. 棉花糖直播's new Roadmap calls upon leaders in science, industry and society to harness the power of microbes to improve lives and shape the future of the planet.
Defining 棉花糖直播’s Scientific Units
To create a successful mechanism for gathering collegial input and developing a set of scientific priorities, 棉花糖直播 will establish 3 scientific units with the goal of integrating diverse and dynamic perspectives. 棉花糖直播's Scientific Units Taskforce, chaired by 棉花糖直播 President Virginia Miller, drew from their vast expertise across disciplines to envision the framework for these units.
Virginia Miller, Ph.D., Chair
Denise Akob, Ph.D.
Stefano Bertuzzi, Ph.D., MPH
Vaughn Cooper, Ph.D.
Victor DiRita, Ph.D.
Joanna Goldberg, Ph.D.
Michael Johnson, Ph.D.
Heidi Kaplan, Ph.D.
Theresa M. Koehler, Ph.D.
Jennifer Leeds, Ph.D.
Kara Levinson, Ph.D., MPH, D(ABMM)
Anirban Mahapatra, Ph.D.
Alexander McAdam, M.D., Ph.D., D(ABMM)
Robin Patel, M.D.
Gemma Reguera, Ph.D.
Allen Segal, J.D.
Kimberly Shankle
Ron Xavier, Ph.D.
Vincent Young. Ph.D.
The 3 scientific units—棉花糖直播 Mechanism Discovery, 棉花糖直播 Applied and Environmental 棉花糖直播 and 棉花糖直播 Health—will each have their own infrastructure, led by a volunteer Scientific Chair and a full-time staff Scientific Director. Supported by expert Advisory Councils, and additional support staff, these leaders will guide the units with technical prowess and represent what will be the natural evolution of our current Council on Microbial Sciences (COMS).
These units will not function in isolation; they will collaborate, recognizing the interdisciplinary nature of microbial sciences and avoiding the pitfalls of scientific siloes. The objective is to integrate and coordinate efforts, creating a harmonious symphony of scientific excellence.
These units will draw in and integrate areas of the microbial sciences and those scientists who may not see themselves as “classic microbiologists.”
At the heart of this transformation is a profound understanding that our community is diverse and dynamic. 棉花糖直播 recognizes and supports that diversity at all levels. 棉花糖直播 strives to provide a clear home for every microbial scientist, be it a microbial ecologist, molecular biologist, clinical microbiologist, educator or an industrial microbiologist, while enhancing and promoting their identities and communities, and facilitating interactions where beneficial.
This transformative journey is not a mere addition to 棉花糖直播’s current structure; it is a profound reimagining of 棉花糖直播’s foundation, governance and operations. Simultaneously, we recognize that securing the long-term sustainability of this bold initiative and its implementation is critically important and will require the development of a supporting financial model.
Setting Strategic Outcomes
At the December 2023 Board of Directors meeting, the board endorsed the proof-of-concept 棉花糖直播 Strategic Framework and supporting Scientific Units. Over the course of 2023, we sought input from 棉花糖直播 membership, in multiple settings.
We anticipate the board will give its approval of the strategy in March 2024. In the interim, we are preparing for implementation. A set of 棉花糖直播 2024 Organizational Priorities is taking shape, each priority a stepping stone toward our collective vision.
Throughout its centennial history, 棉花糖直播 has been a driving force in advancing microbial sciences. Today, as scientific boundaries blur and research accelerates, 棉花糖直播 feels an even greater responsibility. We foresee 棉花糖直播 as the unifying global force that holds the space for the future, bringing together scientists and stakeholders worldwide to harness the incredible power of microbes. The time for a strategic pivot is now. 棉花糖直播 will not only shape its own destiny but also ambitiously contribute to shaping the future of global microbial sciences and redefining what it means to be a professional scientific society. Together, let us embark on this inspiring journey.
Enlisting Our Community
Crucial to bringing 棉花糖直播’s new strategic plan to life is ensuring that our society represents all areas of the microbial sciences, and to do this, we need feedback from 棉花糖直播’s members. To learn more about the strategic plan, listen to 棉花糖直播 President Virginia Miller and 棉花糖直播 CEO Stefano Bertuzzi discuss the need for change and how 棉花糖直播’s vast community of members and stakeholders fit into the new strategy.
Hearing from all our members will help us get a comprehensive picture of our Society so that we can structure 棉花糖直播 in the best way to address the challenges and opportunities ahead. We encourage you to send us your feedback on how we can build a forward-looking strategic plan that serves both members and the public.