Inhalation

INH0617

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6 J UNE2017 Inhalation Aims of the AIT The Association of Inhalation Tox- icologists (AIT) will celebrate its 36th year in 2017 and aims to pro- mote open discussion, exchange of ideas and presentation of high qual- ity scientific research in the field of inhalation toxicology at its annual conference. Attendees come from a variety of backgrounds, including respiratory medicine, contract research organizations, pharmaceu- tical, agrichemical and chemical industries, regulatory authorities, academia, manufacturing and tech- nology companies, reflecting the diversity of people with a shared interest in the many specialized aspects of inhalation toxicology studies. The AIT is now a premier international association for practic- ing inhalation toxicologists and those with interest in inhaled toxi- cology and drug development. It is also seen as an excellent training ground for individuals beginning a career in this field. A brief history The AIT was founded in the 1970s by a group of like-minded individu- als who recognized the need for a forum to discuss inhalation toxicol- ogy and the associated technological challenges. The AIT held its first official conference in 1981. Since then, the number of annual confer- ence delegates has grown from a handful to approximately 100 peo- ple on a regular basis. The AIT has grown in stature and reputation over the years, evolving from its UK roots into a truly inter- national organization, with an o r g a n i z i n g c o m m i t t e e t h a t includes representatives from the UK, mainland Europe and the US. ence lists of most regulatory inhala- tion toxicology studies conducted today; for example: Alexander DJ et al, 2008: "Association of Inhalation Toxicologists (AIT) working party rec- ommendation for standard delivered dose calculation and expression in non- clinical aerosol inhalation toxicology studies with pharmaceuticals." In addi- tion, the AIT sponsored an industry- wide survey about approaches to early inhaled pharmaceutical development (Mark Price, Simon Moore, Keith Owen, Jo Kilgour and Nicholas Shep- herd, "Impact of the method used to cal- culate the starting dose for the first inhaled in vivo toxicity" study in the rat on potential detection of toxicity, Associ- ation of Inhalation Toxicologists, Hanover, Germany, November 5-7, 2013). Job postings: The AIT website also has a job postings board, which has proven to be a useful service, enabling employers and recruiters to gain direct access to a pool of specialists. Future meetings The 2017 AIT conference will be held during the last week of October in Copenhagen, Denmark. Sessions will address inhaled biologics, minipigs, aerosol characterization, pharmaceutical development for inhaled compounds and an update on the NC3R's "Inhalation Transla- tion CRACK-IT Challenge." Please watch for more details and to express interest in presenting, displaying a poster, exhibiting or attending, contact the AIT at: aitannualmeet ing@gmail.com. Joanne Kilgour, PhD, is a Consultant Toxicologist at Regulatory Science Associates, joanne.kilgour@regulato ryscience.com. In recent years, the AIT has held two joint conferences: one with ISAM (The International Society for Aerosols in Medicine) in 2015 in Princeton, NJ, US and another with BSTP (The British Society of Toxicological Pathology) in 2016 in Cheshire, UK. Conference subjects are many and varied, reflecting the hot topics of the day and have included inhaled nanotoxicology, lung pathology with inhaled medicines, clinical development, translational models and topics related to the National Centre for the Replacement, Refine- ment & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3R). Poster presenta- tions are welcome, especially from junior members, and a prize is usu- ally awarded for the best submission. Principal activities Annual conferences and network- ing: These are the main focus of the AIT committee, which devotes extensive thought and planning to each annual event. The conference location cycles between the UK, US and Europe to facilitate ease of travel for members. The events provide an invaluable opportunity for acade- mics, regulators, industry experts and suppliers of specialist equipment to meet in a convivial atmosphere. Membership: Society membership is free and extends for a period of three years each time an individual attends a conference and includes access to the members-only area of the AIT website that holds presenta- tions from previous conferences; (www.aitoxicology.org). Publications: The AIT has pub- lished a number of papers, which can be seen on the AIT website. The most influential can also be found in refer- Jo Kilgour, PhD On behalf of the AIT An introduction to the Association of Inhalation Toxicologists (AIT) CROSS-INDUSTRY ORGANIZATIONS

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