American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, commonly known as ASPET, is a United States-based scientific society devoted to advancing pharmacological research and the development of experimental and therapeutic approaches to disease. It was established in late 1908 by John Jacob Abel, a prominent pharmacologist at Johns Hopkins University who also helped found the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. From its origins, the organization has connected investigators studying how drugs and other chemical or biological agents affect living systems with researchers working on the discovery, evaluation, and clinical translation of treatments. ASPET represents a broad research community spanning basic pharmacology, clinical pharmacology, drug metabolism and disposition, toxicology, neuropharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, behavioral pharmacology, receptor biology, and related biomedical disciplines. Its members include university researchers, clinicians, trainees, and scientists working in government and industry. The society’s scientific mission is centered on improving understanding of drug action and therapeutic mechanisms, while its professional role includes supporting education, recognition, networking, and career development in pharmacology. A major part of ASPET’s activity is scholarly publishing. The society publishes the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Drug Metabolism and Disposition, Molecular Pharmacology, and Pharmacological Reviews. These journals cover original research and review literature concerning pharmacological mechanisms, therapeutic agents, drug disposition, receptors, signaling, and related areas. Beginning in 2012, the society’s publications were offered online rather than in print-only form. ASPET also co-publishes Pharmacology Research & Perspectives, an open-access journal produced with the British Pharmacological Society and Wiley. Its member communications include The Pharmacologist, a quarterly newsletter, while Molecular Interventions was published by the society from 2001 through 2011. ASPET supports the field through awards, lectureships, meetings, and travel assistance. Its recognition programs honor achievement in areas including experimental therapeutics, drug metabolism, receptor pharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, behavioral pharmacology, and pharmacology education. Awards and travel opportunities for students, postdoctoral researchers, and educators help promote early-career participation and the transmission of scientific knowledge. The society is one of the constituent organizations of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, linking it to a wider federation of biomedical research societies. Its headquarters are in Rockville, Maryland. ASPET’s present role combines publication, professional community-building, scientific recognition, and advocacy for pharmacological research. It is not a pharmaceutical manufacturer or a consumer healthcare brand; rather, it is a membership-based scientific organization whose outputs are journals, meetings, educational resources, awards, and support for research in pharmacology and experimental therapeutics.

ASPET was founded in late 1908 by John Jacob Abel of Johns Hopkins University. Its creation reflected the emergence of pharmacology as a distinct biomedical discipline and the need for an organized community devoted to experimental investigation of drugs and their effects. Abel’s work helped establish the institutional foundations of American pharmacology, and ASPET became a vehicle for promoting research, communication, and professional identity in the field. Over the course of the twentieth century, the society developed beyond a meeting-based scientific association into a publisher, award-giving organization, and professional network. Its journals created dedicated outlets for research on drug action, pharmacological mechanisms, drug metabolism, experimental therapeutics, and related topics. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics became a central publication associated with the society, while Molecular Pharmacology, Drug Metabolism and Disposition, and Pharmacological Reviews broadened the organization’s coverage of molecular mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and review scholarship. ASPET’s activities have reflected the widening scope of pharmacological science. Modern pharmacology incorporates molecular biology, receptor science, systems physiology, toxicology, neuroscience, cardiovascular research, behavioral science, and clinical investigation. The society’s publications and professional programs have consequently served investigators working across both laboratory and translational settings. Its members contribute to the understanding of how medicines work, how compounds are absorbed and metabolized, how adverse effects arise, and how promising discoveries may be developed into therapies. The society has also built a structured recognition and training system. Awards and named lectureships acknowledge scientific achievement and career contributions in experimental therapeutics, drug metabolism, receptor pharmacology, cardiac and cardiovascular pharmacology, behavioral pharmacology, and other specialties. Travel awards and related support encourage students, postdoctoral researchers, and pharmacology educators to participate in scientific meetings and professional exchange. ASPET expanded its communications portfolio through The Pharmacologist, a quarterly newsletter, and through Molecular Interventions, which it published from 2001 to 2011. A significant publishing transition occurred in 2012, when the society’s journals moved to online-only availability. This change aligned its publishing operations with the broader shift in scholarly communication toward digital distribution. ASPET also joined the British Pharmacological Society and Wiley in co-publishing Pharmacology Research & Perspectives as a wholly open-access journal. Institutionally, ASPET is a constituent society of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. This relationship places the organization within a larger network representing biomedical research communities in the United States. From its headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, ASPET continues to operate as a scientific and professional society rather than as a commercial drug company. Its principal contributions are the creation and dissemination of research literature, support for researchers and trainees, professional recognition, and promotion of pharmacological science relevant to therapeutic development.

• 2012

  Journal portfolio moves online

  [1]American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeuticsen.wikipedia.org

  ASPET’s publications began being offered online-only, marking a transition away from print distribution for its journals.

• 2011

  Molecular Interventions publication ends

  [1]American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeuticsen.wikipedia.org

  The society’s publication of Molecular Interventions concluded after 2011.

• 2001

  Molecular Interventions begins publication

  [1]American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeuticsen.wikipedia.org

  ASPET began publishing Molecular Interventions, a magazine focused on communicating developments in molecular pharmacology and related biomedical science.

• 1908

  Society founded

  [1]American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeuticsen.wikipedia.org

  John Jacob Abel of Johns Hopkins University founded ASPET in late 1908 to promote the growth of pharmacological research.

A professional scientific society and publisher serving researchers, clinicians, educators, and trainees in pharmacology and experimental therapeutics. ASPET is positioned around rigorous biomedical research, drug-discovery knowledge, professional recognition, and translation of pharmacological science into disease-fighting therapies.

• Research journal

  Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

  ASPET’s flagship research journal covering experimental pharmacology and therapeutics. Its subject matter includes drug effects, mechanisms of action, pharmacological experimentation, and research relevant to the development of treatments.

• Research journal

  Drug Metabolism and Disposition

  A specialist journal focused on the processes that determine how drugs and other xenobiotics are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated. It serves researchers studying pharmacokinetics, drug-metabolizing enzymes, transporters, and disposition-related safety or efficacy.

• Research journal

  Molecular Pharmacology

  A research publication centered on molecular mechanisms of pharmacological action. Its scope includes receptors, signaling pathways, molecular targets, cellular responses, and the biological basis of drug activity.

• Review journal

  Pharmacological Reviews

  ASPET’s review journal synthesizes established and emerging knowledge across pharmacology. It provides authoritative analyses of drug classes, therapeutic mechanisms, research methods, and important developments in pharmacological science.

• Open-access research journal

  Pharmacology Research & Perspectives

  An open-access journal co-published by ASPET, the British Pharmacological Society, and Wiley. It provides an accessible venue for research and perspectives across pharmacology and related therapeutic disciplines.

• Professional newsletter

  The Pharmacologist

  A quarterly newsletter serving ASPET members and the wider pharmacology community. It supports organizational communication and provides updates relevant to the society’s activities and professional community.

• Professional recognition

  Awards and lectureships

  ASPET administers awards and named lectureships recognizing contributions to experimental therapeutics, drug metabolism, receptor pharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, behavioral pharmacology, pharmacology education, and related areas. It also provides travel awards for students, postdoctoral researchers, and educators.

• 2012

  Adoption of online-only journal distributionStrategy

  Background

  Digital scholarly publishing was becoming the primary distribution model for scientific journals, while online access enabled faster and broader dissemination than print-only circulation.

  Action taken

  ASPET moved its publications to online-only availability beginning in 2012.

  Aftermath

  The change aligned the society’s journal program with digital publishing practices and reduced reliance on physical journal distribution.

  Source

1. 1American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeuticsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2ASPET official websiteaspet.org