Dear ISC Board of Governors,                                                   Haifa, March 21st, 2022

Dear Members of the ISC,

Dear Colleagues,

One of my tasks as the President of the ISC is to widen the collaboration of the ISC with other societies in the field of cryosurgery and cryobiology as well in biomedical science and practice.

On 8th March 2022, a virtual meeting between myself and Prof. Korpan and Nicole Evans, Executive Director the Society for Cryobiology (SfC) and John M. Baust, member of the SfC Board of Governors as well as Prof. Ido Braslavsky, recent Board Member of the SfC , took place.

The meeting was very positive and there are several Items that are easily/immediately actionable by both societies.

Background

The ISC was established in 1972 and this year is the 50th Anniversary to celebrate.

Members are primarily clinicians (physicians, surgeons, dermatologists, and other medical and engineering professionals). As you know, the meeting is held every second year and is heavily clinical in nature. 
SfC established in 1964. Members are primarily academic/research focused with a smaller percentage of industry members. Large student membership. Meeting is held annually which typically have one thermal medicine/cryosurgery session at the meeting.

Following the discussion below are the Items that are easily/immediately actionable:

Annual Meeting:

ISC could organize a session at CRYO2022

Long term idea - in ‘off’ years of ISC meeting, SfC could ramp up cryosurgery sessions to create a one day track of cryosurgery.

SfC could nominate representative speaker to ISC meeting on fundamental cryo topic of ISC choice

ISC Representative to Cryobiology Editorial Board and Journal Special Issue

The ISC would like to propose an ISC representative to the Editorial Board in Cryobiology.

Cryosurgery research currently has no ‘home’ as articles are published in the discipline’s main journal (e.g. plastic surgery, dermatology, urology, etc). 

There could be potential for a broader thermal medicine or more specific cryosurgery special issue ofCryobiology. 

Webinar

SfC can make webinar slot available to ISC for a special webinar of interest to both societies’ members (earliest available is September 2022)

Networking & Research Collaboration

There are cutting edge research areas which could benefit from a collaborative approach e.g. cryoimmunology. SfC/ISC to encourage interdisciplinary research.

Promote Membership

ISC/SfC to exchange memberships of key individuals in each Society.

More broadly, ISC and SfC to actively promote each other’s membership

Advertising/Event Promotion

SfC/ISC to promote relevant events (e.g. meetings) to each other’s membership.

SfC can add ISC to scientific partners page of SfC website - see https://sc.memberclicks.net/scientific-partners and vise-versa.

Nicole Evans will forward the proposed actionable items to the SfC Board of Governors and to Janet Elliott (Cryobiology Editor) for their approval.

We would like to have your approval from the side of ISC.

Following the approval from both sides we shall implement the items.

Looking forward for your reply,

Best regards,

Prof. Dr. Yaron Har-Shai

ISC President