2022 Meeting of the Phytochemical Society of North America

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, Blacksburg VA

Investigators

Abstract

The Phytochemical Society of North America (PSNA) will hold its 61st meeting on July 24-28, 2022 at The Inn and Conference Center at Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, VA. The goal of this annual event is to advance research on the unique chemistry of plants and its implications for human health, sustainable agriculture, and environmental conservation. The meeting also strives to ensure the future of the field by actively engaging an interdisciplinary and diverse community of next-generation scientists and providing professional development opportunities for students and early-career researchers, including oral presentations and participation in thematic workshops. NSF funding will specifically support efforts to expand the participation of postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and students from primarily undergraduate institutions who are members of groups underrepresented in the phytochemistry field. The PSNA conference is organized around a plenary topic and nine symposia themes that emphasize areas of substantial recent progress as well as emerging and novel areas in the field of phytochemistry. These themes reflect the society’s long tradition in the study of plant biochemistry, chemistry, and natural products from the molecular to the cellular and organismal scale. The research that is showcased at the conference has a range of long-term practical applications with significant implications for human health, sustainable agriculture, and environmental conservation, increasingly occurring at the intersection of disciplines across the sciences and into engineering. The conference also highlights critical advances in technology and data analytics that are opening new doors for this historically-challenging field. Many of the pertinent questions and novel research directions that will be addressed at the meeting have direct relevance for the NSF MCB program and intersecting disciplines. The PSNA is also dedicated to fostering the future of the phytochemistry field by promoting and supporting students and early-career scientists, with a focus on diversity and inclusion. The success of prior efforts and the inclusive culture of the society is reflected in the leadership team for the 2022 conference, which comprises a wide range of diversity with regard to career stage, gender, race, and discipline, including female scientists serving as conference chair and co-chair. The meeting will feature two major recognitions, the Arthur Neish Young Investigator Award and the PSNA-Plant Journal Early Career Award, which will be presented to up-and-coming stars at the conference awards banquet. In addition, the Frank and Mary Loewus Student Travel Award and PSNA Presentation Awards will support and promote participation of undergraduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers, as well as members of groups underrepresented in the phytochemistry field. Recipients will have opportunities to present their work in oral and poster presentations and exchange ideas with scientific colleagues and leaders in the field and will also be recognized during the awards ceremony. The funds provided by the NSF will specifically defray the costs of registration, travel, and accommodations for attendees who are members of groups underrepresented in science, including postdoctoral scholars, graduate students and students of primarily-undergraduate institutions. This funding will thus significantly enhance efforts to expand diversity and inclusion, doing so within the context of the two main goals of the 2022 PSNA meeting, to share and communicate novel developments in the phytochemical research and to ensure the future of the field by growing a diverse and interdisciplinary community of early-career scientists. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.