Message from Your SDB President

5/23/2024

Dear Members of the Society for Developmental Biology,

Carl Sagan once said, "Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge. It transcends boundaries, cultures, and conflicts." This sentiment is especially relevant in today's world, where societal and global boundaries are increasingly prevalent. Science should be universal. Scientific inquiry and discoveries should be accessible to all of humanity. It should serve a common ground for collaboration and communication, fostering unity and shared progress.

This philosophy aligns with the goals of the Society for Developmental Biology. The SDB mission is to promote the study and understanding of developmental biology to everyone interested in biology. We aim to support research, facilitate the exchange of scientific information, and advocate for the application of developmental biology to societal needs. The SDB also emphasizes education and public knowledge dissemination about developmental biology.

Last week, the SDB Board of Directors released a statement on in vitro fertilization, emphasizing that reproductive care should be based on scientific evidence. You can read the full statement here. The letter is in response to the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that early human embryos are “extra-utero babies” with the same rights as any child or person. We state that human embryos are not human babies, and that it is vital to ensure the continued availability of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The SDB Board released this public announcement to underscore the importance of grounding legislation and judicial decisions in factual scientific evidence. As experts in embryonic development, the SDB Board of Directors felt compelled to share our scientific perspective with the public.

By now, you should have received several messages from the SDB about the Annual Meeting in Atlanta. I am pleased to announce that we have over 70 exciting speakers of high caliber and diversity. If you want to learn about the latest progress in developmental biology, this is the meeting to attend. It offers an excellent opportunity to meet new people and develop connections in the field through workshops and discussions. Reconnect with old friends, make new ones, find collaborators, and engage in deep scientific discussion at the newly opened and beautiful Signia by Hilton Atlanta.

I look forward to seeing you at the SDB meeting in July!

Ken Cho, Ph.D.
SDB President

Last Updated 05/23/2024