Links:
Vitiligo and melanoma-associated vitiligo: Understanding their similarities and differences
The genomic landscapes of individual melanocytes from human skin
The PanAmerican Society for Pigment Cell Research (PASPCR) is dismayed by recent events highlighted by the injustices concerning Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and others. These acts of violence highlight the persistence of racism and systemic injustices against Black people. PASPCR is a scientific community that welcomes members from all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions and cultures.
By John D’Orazio, MD/PhD, PASPCR President-Elect
I’ve been thinking about what PASPCR represents and what the Society has meant to me in my journey as a pigment cell biologist. Thanks to all of you and to those who came before us, the PASPCR is a robust group of collaborative scientists united by all things “pigment.” We study melanin chemistry, melanin regulation, melanocyte development melanocyte biology, melanocyte response to environmental stressors, diseases of disordered pigmentation and, of course, melanoma. We appreciate that melanocytes and pigmentation can be excellent model systems to study general processes of cell biology. We’re a small Society, yet there is hardly a meeting I enjoy more than our annual meeting to catch up with old friends, explore new collaborations and see each other grow in our careers.
But to me, the biggest gift PASPCR has given me has been the gift of mentorship.
“Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Siamese cats were critical to our understanding of how pigment is important for development of the visual system. Read more about the story here and the genetic defects in these animals here.
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The PASPCR is part of International Federation of Pigment Cell Societies (IFPCS) along with our three sister societies, the Asian Society for Pigment Cell Research (ASPCR), the European Society for Pigment Cell Research (ESPCR) and the Japanese Society for Pigment Cell Research (JSPCR).
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