American Society of Parasitologists

The American Society of Parasitologists (ASP) is a United States-based scientific and professional organization founded in 1924 to advance the study of parasitology. Its membership includes approximately 500 scientists working in academic, industrial, and governmental settings. The society brings together researchers and educators whose work concerns parasites, parasitic diseases, and parasitism, including their effects on humans, animals, plants, ecosystems, development, and evolution. ASP operates as a disciplinary community rather than as a commercial product brand. Its scope spans a wide range of biological and medical specialties, including behavior, biochemistry, ecology, immunology, medicine, molecular biology, physiology, and systematics. By supporting research across these areas, the society helps maintain connections between highly specialized fields that might otherwise develop separately. Its stated mission is to improve understanding of parasites, parasitic diseases, and parasitism on a global basis and to disseminate that knowledge to people and institutions that need it. The society's principal scholarly publication is the bimonthly, peer-reviewed Journal of Parasitology, which provides a venue for original research. ASP also supports knowledge exchange through its annual scientific meeting, newsletter, online discussion groups, educational materials, and public-facing advocacy and outreach activities. These channels allow members to present new findings, debate methods and interpretations, follow developments in the discipline, and communicate parasitology to educational institutions, government agencies, public organizations, and private-sector audiences. ASP's community is supported by regional affiliates, each with its own membership, leadership, and annual meeting structure. The listed affiliates are the Annual Midwestern Conference of Parasitologists, the Helminthological Society of Washington, Northern California Parasitologists, the New England Association of Parasitologists, the Rocky Mountain Conference of Parasitologists, the Southern California Society of Parasitologists, the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists, and the Southwestern Association of Parasitologists. These affiliates extend the society's network across multiple regions while providing additional opportunities for local and specialist exchange. The society also emphasizes recruitment, retention, and support for emerging research areas and new members. Its activities combine professional networking, publication, education, advocacy, and scientific conference programming. Among its notable members is William C. Campbell, who received the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. ASP remains an active professional association, with its official activities including publication, member communication, outreach, and annual meetings. A future meeting is identified in the reference material for July 20–29, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.

The American Society of Parasitologists was established in 1924 as a professional and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of parasitology. Its formation provided a formal community for scientists studying parasites and parasitic relationships at a time when the discipline drew on many different areas of biology and medicine. From its beginning, the society's role has extended beyond a single disease or organism group, encompassing the broad scientific study of parasitism and its consequences for living systems. Over time, ASP developed a structure centered on scholarly communication, professional meetings, and education. The Journal of Parasitology became its principal peer-reviewed publication and continues to provide a channel for original research. The society's annual meeting serves as a forum where researchers present findings, discuss new methods, and exchange ideas across specialties. Additional communication has been supported through the ASP Newsletter, online discussion groups, educational resources, and public advocacy activities. The intellectual scope of the society expanded with developments in parasitology and related sciences. ASP members have contributed to research in parasite behavior, biochemistry, ecology, immunology, medicine, molecular biology, physiology, systematics, and other fields. This breadth reflects the society's understanding that parasitism is a central biological relationship affecting the health, development, and evolution of humans, animals, plants, and ecosystems. The organization therefore seeks to preserve and encourage both broad interdisciplinary work and highly specialized areas of research. ASP's regional network has also been an important part of its professional structure. The society is supported by eight regional affiliates: the Annual Midwestern Conference of Parasitologists, the Helminthological Society of Washington, Northern California Parasitologists, the New England Association of Parasitologists, the Rocky Mountain Conference of Parasitologists, the Southern California Society of Parasitologists, the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists, and the Southwestern Association of Parasitologists. These affiliates maintain their own members and leadership arrangements and organize regional annual meetings, complementing the national society's activities. The society's mission emphasizes dissemination as well as discovery. ASP seeks to communicate parasitological knowledge through scientific publications, meetings, educational systems, government bodies, public agencies, and private organizations. It also aims to recruit new members, retain established researchers, encourage new research areas, and support the continuation of specialized branches of parasitology. A notable member is William C. Campbell, who shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. The society remains active, with a meeting scheduled for July 20–29, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.

• 2026

  Scheduled annual meeting in Orlando

  [1]American Society of Parasitologistsen.wikipedia.org

  The society's next meeting is listed for July 20–29, 2026, in Orlando, Florida.

• 2015

  Member William C. Campbell receives the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

  [1]American Society of Parasitologistsen.wikipedia.org

  William C. Campbell, identified as a notable ASP member, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015.

• 1924

  Society founded

  [1]American Society of Parasitologistsen.wikipedia.org

  The American Society of Parasitologists was founded to advance the scientific study and teaching of parasitology.

A specialist scientific society serving as a research, publication, education, advocacy, and professional-networking platform for the global parasitology community.

• Peer-reviewed scientific journal

  Journal of Parasitology

  The Journal of Parasitology is the society's bimonthly peer-reviewed publication. It provides members and the wider research community with a formal outlet for original findings in parasitology and related biological and medical fields.

• Scientific conference

  ASP Annual Meeting

  The society's annual meeting is a central forum for presenting research, discussing new information, building professional connections, and maintaining exchange across the broad discipline of parasitology.

• Member publication

  ASP Newsletter

  The ASP Newsletter supports communication within the society by sharing information relevant to members and the parasitology community.

• Public engagement program

  Public Advocacy Network

  The Public Advocacy Network is one of the society's channels for communicating parasitological knowledge and issues beyond the membership, including to public, governmental, educational, and private organizations.

1. 1American Society of Parasitologistsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2American Society of Parasitologists official websiteamsocparasit.org