SAN DIEGO — A medical doctor rather than a bench researcher has been selected as the new Executive Director of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), the world's largest organization of basic research scientists. According to Frederick R. Rickles, professor of medicine and pediatrics at George Washington University, his appointment highlights FASEB's shift in recent years toward translational, or "bench-to-bedside," research, although the focus of the organization stops short of being purely clinical, he said.
"FASEB used to be viewed as a society that focused primarily on basic research," explained Rickles, "but with the inclusion of societies such as the American Society of Clinical Investigation and others, the research focus has expanded. My selection for the position of executive director is perhaps a logical progression representing that shift."
FASEB's 60,000 members are drawn from 14 member societies and eight associate societies, making it the largest coalition of ...