Newsletter – October 2019

Welcome to the Autumn 2019 newsletter from the UK Branch of the WPSA.As the year end of the yearcomes into view, we take a look forward to some of the Branch events coming up next year. Already, planning is at an advanced stage for both the 2020 Spring Meeting, and the 33rdPoultry Science Symposium.For the first time in many years, the World Poultry Congress will be held in Europe. This will give those of us based in the UK the best opportunity to attend this major global event attended by the great and the good in global poultry science. From my experience of attending past WPCs in Turkey and Brazil, this is an opportunity not to be missed.Finally, I hope a series of pictures from the Branch’s Spring Meeting in Edinburgh will bring back good memories of the event for those who were there, and encourage all members to attend next year’s meeting.

Jackie Linden
WPSA UK Branch Secretary

Message from the President

Autumn greetings to all of you from a rather damp Nottinghamshire! It was a real pleasure to meet so many new members and also international delegates at our 2019 annual meeting. I am always so pleased by the breadth of interests, roles, experience and nationalities among our delegates as this truly adds such vibrancy and value to the event. Many thanks to the Programme Committee for organizing the event and I know the committee is now in full swing preparing for the 2020 meeting.

I am aware that Dawn Scholey has been working closely with the British Society for Animal Science to ensure their switch from an in-house office events organising team to outsourcing goes smoothly. On this note, I would like to thank the BSAS office team for their many years of support in running the WPSA meeting.

Another event I am greatly looking forward to is the Branch’s 33rd Poultry Science Symposium on pre-and probiotics as the early list of speakers promises a global line up of experts both within the poultry sector and from associated fields.

This symposium is just one of a number of interesting opportunities available next year: the World’s Poultry Congress is in Paris from 16thto 20thAugust. WPC rotates around continents, so do take advantage of its proximity next year. If there are members looking for financial support for travel to events, there are a number of options available: WPSA global offer student travel bursaries and British Poultry Science Journal have recently changed the conditions of their travel award to cover Early Career Scientists (first 15 years).

Dr Emily Burton
WPSA UK Branch President

Rosen Research Award

The UK Branch is happy to announce a new Research Award.

Those of you who attended the AGM in Edinburgh will know that Mrs Vanda Rosen has generously offered a substantial grant for an early career poultry 3researcher in memory of her late husband, Dr Gordon Rosen. Dr Rosen was a long-time member of the Branch, a highly respected researcher, and his absence at recent meetings has been keenly felt by those of us who had the pleasure to work with him.

Further information on the Rosen Award will be released shortly.

Plan ahead for the 2020 Spring Meeting

Next year’s Spring Meeting will again be held in conjunction with the British Society for Animal Science (BSAS) –at the De Vere East Midlands Conference Centre near Nottingham on 31March and 1April. Theme of the meeting will be ‘Challenge of Change’.

Abstract submission

For the Spring Meeting is already open, as you’ll know from the Secretary’s recent email. Closing date for submissions has been extended to November 26. (Apologies for any previous confusion over this deadline.)

As in previous years, a number of Travel Grants (£310 each) will be offered by the Branch to help members of limited means to attend the Spring meeting. As in the past, students will be invited to apply for one of the grants.New for 2020… the Grant scheme will be opened up to more “mature” members, whose knowledge and experience could be of enormous value to those starting out in their career in poultry.

Details on how to apply for the travel grants —for those currently enjoying either cusp of their career —will be available soon.

Poultry Science Symposium (PSS) 2020

Arrangements by Helen Masey O’Neill and others for next year’s PSS, which will be the 33rdin the series of event organized by the WPSA UK Branch.

To be held at Clare College, Cambridge on 10-12 August, the theme of the event will be ‘Pre-and probiotics: nutritional, veterinary and production perspectives’.

This broad theme has been chosen to attract strong attendance and offer excellent networking opportunities, so please make a note in your diary to be there and support your Branch.

Further information on the meeting willfollow in due course.

World Poultry Congress (WPC) 2020

For those of us based in the UK, we’re in the happy position of being able to attend the next WPC —the 26th in the series —without incurring huge travel costs as the event is being held in Europefor the first time in many years.

Like the Olympic Games —but celebrating achievements in poultry science rather than the sporting kind —WPC only comes around every four years, and the next congress will be at the Palais des Congrèsin Paris on 16-20 August 2020.

Registration and abstract submission are already openfor you to make your contribution to the global advancement of poultry science.

A low “early bird” rates for registration (e.g. €450 for WPSA members) applies until 31December. After that, the fee is set to rise by €100 until March, and then by a further €100 for those registering up to August.

Abstract submission closes on 31st December.

Further information is on the web site, https://www.wpcparis2020.com.

Taking a look back to the 2019 Spring Meeting

Here’s a selection of the photos taken by the Secretary at this year’s Spring Meeting at the Edinburgh conference centre.

Professor Paul Barrow (left) received the Gordon Memorial medal from Dr Colin Whitehead after delivering his lecture on ‘Novel approaches to controlling bacterial infections’
Charlotte Arthur (right) of Harper Adams University was awarded the prize for the best oral presentation
Lily Ng of the Roslin Institute received Special Recognition for her oral presentation from Dr Burton

Alexandra Desbruslais of Nottingham Trent University was awarded the President’s Prize for her presentation at the meeting.

And finally, a reminder ….

Your Branch Council is having difficulty contacting some members efficiently—either because they havenot supplied us with an email address or because it hasn’t been updated when they move on.

We understand that life events make it easy to lose touch, but please let us know where you’ve gone.

We feel it’s important that you to continue to receive information in a timely manner on the many benefits of being a member of the WPSA UK Branch.

Thanks from the Secretary and Membership Secretary.