- [ Up ]
- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the European QSAR Meeting held in Yugoslavia in 1986, some participants from the UK identified the niche for a regular, simple and effective means to communicate developments in the field. They formed The UK QSAR Discussion Group, later renamed The UK QSAR & Chemoinformatics Group to reflect the synergy between these fields, to meet twice yearly at venues throughout the country. Participating affiliations sponsor the Meetings that are frequented by up to 150 delegates from academia, commerce and industry.
The Group now has nearly 300 members. Its interests encompass methods development and applications in areas such as agrochemicals, cosmetics, detergents, paints and pharmaceuticals. To cater for this diversity, the one-day Meetings adopt a blend of theme-based and miscellaneous presentations. Themes so far have included Quantifying Drug Design, Property Prediction and Measurement, Library Design, Data Analysis and Lead Finding. Speakers are very largely drawn from the recognised leaders in the field: Chris Lipinski (Pfizer Groton), Jeff Morris (AZ Alderley Park), Tim Clark (U. Erlangen), Frank Burden (U. Monash), Dave Livingstone (ChemQuest), John Bradshaw (Daylight), Andy Davis (AZ Charnwood), Marcel de Groot (Pfizer Sandwich), Mike Abraham (UCL), Tudor Oprea (AZ Hassle), Alexander Alex (Pfizer Sandwich), Mike Hann (GSK) and many, many more. Most of the speakers have made their slides available through the Group's web
site (http://www.iainm.demon.co.uk/indexnew.htm).
Members describe the Group's activities as a valuable service to the QSAR and chemoinformatics community. The UK QSAR & CI Meetings fulfils well its purpose at providing a regular and informal means for scientific exchange. Students find that they are able to share their findings in a friendly and constructive environment. They gain exposure to work environments and opportunities to meet with potential employers. Sponsoring Hosts find the Meetings effective at enhancing awareness of their research activities while promoting the scientific profile of their organisations.
The 2002 Meetings will both be held at Cambridge. Accelrys will host the Spring Meeting on 11th June with Jonathan Mason (Pfizer Sandwich), John Topliss (U. Michigan), Rob Brown (Accelrys) and Dick Cramer (Tripos) amongst the invited speakers. Camitro will host the Autumn Meeting on 12 November. Programmes and registration details will be notified to members and posted at the Group's web pages.
Membership is complimentary and open to all with an interest in QSAR and Chemoinformatics. To join, simply e-mail a request to Patrick Barton (patrick.barton@astrazeneca.com). The Group continually seeks to extend its interests and will be pleased to consider suggestions for future activities.
Last updated: March 27, 2002
