The Italian Association for the Study of Pancreas (AISP) is a peculiar scientific society which differs for many features from the majority of scientific associations. AISP counts in fact only about 400 members (a small number if compared to other Italian surgical and gastroenterological societies), however its seniority and scientific attitude are out of ordinary.
The history of AISP dates from about 30 years ago: it was launched in 1974 thanks to the medical schools of Verona and Bologna, chaired respectively by Professor Scuro and Professor Labò. They were two of the most representative Italian physician of the last century, and their original and winning idea was to consider pancreatology as a potential independent medical branch.
From its beginning, AISP raised slowly but continuously, improving scientific and medical development of pancreatology, and promoting more and more widespread awareness of different aspects of pancreatic diseases. Several categories interested in pancreas slowly gathered around this association: gastroenterologists, surgeons, endoscopists, basic scientists, radiologists, oncologists, pathologists, etc. So AISP actually became a multidisciplinary society, characterized by remarkable enthusiasm and energy. People who meet AISP for the first time are usually impressed by the drive and honesty by which clinical and scientific problems are debated, and by the high rate of attendance to the annual congress. As a consequence of this attitude, several scientific papers have been published in the last years by AISP members, and four multicentric studies have been undertaken by AISP itself. Another merit of this Association was in fact the creation of a solid network of Centers, comparable for clinical standards and scientific background, that collected and analyzed a large amount of data on inflammatory and neoplastic pancreatic diseases.
To take part in AISP not only means to participate in an highly qualified “élite” on pancreatology, but has also some advantages from a practical point of view: the free attendance to the annual congress of the Association and the subscription to “Digestive and Liver Disease”. We think that to join AISP is a bright and useful choice for all the people interested, even marginally, in pancreatic diseases.
info: Questo indirizzo e-mail è protetto dallo spam bot. Abilita Javascript per vederlo.
