She is the association's first woman president.

Dr. Sloane, Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Wayne State University School of Medicine's Department of Pharmacology, and Distinguished Professor of the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, will serve as president-elect of the association until the winter of 2009. She will then take on the role of president, and will serve in that capacity until the winter of 2011.

"I am honored to be elected to serve as president of AMSPC," Dr. Sloane said. "This society serves as an important forum through which chairs can discuss the profession of pharmacology and how to work together to respond to issues facing our profession such as inadequate federal funding for research, changes in medical curricula and modifying pre-doctoral training for non-academic careers.

"I look forward to building on the momentum set in motion by the current president, Dr. Kenneth Tew, Chair of the Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics at the Medical University of South Carolina," she added.

Dr. Sloane, who has led the Department of Pharmacology since 1995, will organize and chair the association's winter meetings in 2010 and 2011. She will also chair business meetings held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Along with representatives of similar organizations and scientific societies, Dr. Sloane will meet with members of Congress to appeal for increased federal funding for research.

The Association of Medical Pharmacology Chairs is composed of current and emeritus Chairs of medical school pharmacology departments in the United States and Canada, and associate members from other countries. The association works to promote pharmacology as a discipline.