Message from the President
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Brett Delahunt President from 2007 - 2009
Report on the 32nd Annual Scientific Meeting of the
Australasian Division of the International Academy of Pathology Darling
Harbour, Sydney, June 1-3, 2007.
John Pedersen completed his two year term as President of
the Australasian Division, IAP, with the organisation of the successful
32nd Annual Scientific Meeting.
As has become a tradition, the first day of the ASM was dedicated to the
meetings of the Division’s specialty companion clubs. This year
fourteen clubs met in sessions from 9am to 7pm and the breadth of pathology
on offer was a tribute to the dedication of the program convenors. The
popular grey-green master class for trainees was continued in 2007 and
those present enjoyed the presentation by Professor Sir James Underwood,
Professor Emeritus, Sheffield University and past President of the Royal
College of Pathologists. Professor Underwood also gave the Keynote Lecture
of the day which focused on the nature of the diagnostic process and the
causes of errors in pathology reporting.
As an innovation to this year’s ASM, two additional master classes
for trainees were added to the programme on Saturday and Sunday mornings
prior to the commencement of the day-long theme sessions. On Saturday,
Associate Professor David Challis presented a practical approach to the
interpretation of renal biopsies, while on Sunday Professor Richard Scolyer
gave a comprehensive account on the pathology of melanoma. Despite the
proximity of the meeting to the Fellowship examinations of the RCPA, these
sessions were well attended by pathology trainees, who benefited from
the advice of acknowledged experts.
Professor Underwood was principal presenter for the Saturday program.
His lecture on the uses and abuses of human tissue in the United Kingdom
provided a comprehensive overview of the medico-legal environment in that
country and gave an account of recent controversies regarding storage
and use of pathological specimens. This thought-provoking address provided
a timely warning for pathologists and generated considerable discussion,
both during the session and for some time afterwards. In his slide seminar
Professor Underwood discussed ten cases on the general theme of gastrointestinal
pathology and this was accompanied by a professionally produced full-colour
handout and accompanying CD rom, both of which were expertly edited by
our own Professor Robin Cooke. Professor Underwood chose hepatitis c as
the theme of his second lecture and delighted his audience with a comprehensive
description of the epidemiology, pathology and prognostic features of
this widespread and clinically important disease. The theme of liver pathology
was continued for the Vincent McGovern memorial lecture which was presented
by Professor Alastair Burt of the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Professor Burt discussed liver fibrosis with an emphasis on pathogenetic
mechanisms, diagnostic features, treatment and prognosis.
The distinguished pathologist award of the Australasian Division, conferred
by the President in recognition of a sustained outstanding contribution
to pathology and to the division, was this year awarded to Professor Prithi
Bhathal. In presenting the award, Dr Pedersen highlighted the outstanding
contribution made by Professor Bhathal in the fields of heptopathology
and medical education.
Below: John Pedersen, James Underwood, Stephen Fairy
Above: John Pedersen, Alastair Burt, Stephen Fairy
Above right: Some former Presidents of the Aust Div Kon Muller, Dominic
Spagnolo, Brett Delahunt, Robin Cooke, Stephen Swerdlow,(visitor), David
Ellis,(Committee), Phil Allen, Richard Jaworski, Bob Eckstein, Warick
Delprado
Prithi Bhathal recipient of the Distinguished Pathologist
Award
Warick Delprado presenting Jan Mc Lean with a token of appreciation at
the AGM.
The RCPA stand: This year the RCPA engaged a portrait painter who was
busy doing portraits of delegates. The one of Glen Francis seems to be
a good likeness.
The guest speaker for the Sunday sessions was Dr Steven Swerdlow from
the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine whose presentations on
B-cell lymphomas and cutaneous lymphomas provided lucid expositions of
these difficult areas in pathology. These lectures were supplemented by
a comprehensive slide seminar on haematopathology aptly titled “from
the commonplace to the zebras.”
Planning for the 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting of the Division is well
advanced with the meeting scheduled for May 30 – June 1, 2008. The
guest speakers will be Dr Zachary D. Goodman of the Armed Forces Institute,
Washington DC and Dr Stacey E. Mills from the University of Virginia.
Dr Goodman, who will speak on the general theme of liver pathology, is
an internationally recognised authority and author of the AFIP fascicle
on “Hepatic and bile duct Neoplasia.”
Dr Mills will present lectures on bone pathology and is well known as
the editor-in-chief of Steinberg’s Diagnostic Surgical Pathology,
editor of the American Journal of Surgical Pathology and author of the
AFIP fascicle on Bone Tumors. For his slide seminar, Dr Mills will focus
on Diagnostic problems in general surgical pathology, with an emphasis
on Head and Neck pathology. In addition to these keynote speakers, a comprehensive
educational program is planned along with a variety of social gatherings.
The IAP is the only Australasian organisation dedicated to educational
activities for anatomical pathologists and relies on the profession for
support. The executive is keen to increase membership of the Division
over the next year, and to facilitate this a favourable member’s
registration rate has been set for the 2008 ASM.
Support the Division by becoming a member in 2007 and participating in
the 2008 meeting – I look forward to seeing you all there.
Brett Delahunt, President
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