Chapter Update: Refocusing Efforts on Membership Retension

The Northeast Lipid Association executive committee held two meetings in 2017 and we reached consensus that we need to refocus efforts on membership retention and access to new members. The National Lipid Association is working separately on this process as well, and has created an outreach program for membership retention. The NELA hopes to bring this closer to home and support the NLA efforts.

We think that one of the best ways to keep members engaged and to recruit new members is to increase participation in non-NLA events that whet the appetite for learning and activity. The Philadelphia Lipid and Atherosclerosis club (PLAC) was started by Dave Capuzzi, Dan Rader, and Perry Weinstock and is presently chaired by Dean Karalis and Dan Soffer. We meet quarterly over dinner with a guest speaker. NLA participation is always promoted at these meetings as attendees get a taste of the quality and comradery of NLA. If your region is interested, please contact Dan Soffer (sofferd@uphs.upenn.edu) for particulars.

Merle Myerson has been busy spreading the name of the NLA/NELA. In July, Merle participated in a press conference with Rod Carew, who received a heart transplant, at the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction weekend in Cooperstown, NY. She was the director of the 4th  New York Clinical Lipid Forum held at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, NY. Merle as the editor of Dyslipidemia: A Clinical Approach that is scheduled for publication in 2018 was able to involve many members of NELA and the NLA who wrote chapters.

Congratulations to Guy Mintz who has been appointed Director of Cardiovascular Health and Lipidology at North Shore University Hospital-Northwell Health System. We feel that engaging trainees is critical. Eugenia Gianos (NYU) and I (Christiana Care Health System) are creating a prevention rotation for fellows and residents which will lead to associate membership and lipid certification. This will be based upon the materials that are already available from the NLA.

The Chair of the NLA executive council assigned to work with the chapters has asked all members to seek out members who may be eligible for certification and/ or fellowship. These accomplishments distinguish NLA members as true professionals in the field of lipidology. Please consider who in NELA meets eligibility criteria and work with them to move forward.  We find that those who are certified and become Fellows, long term are the most invested members. Members are in a unique position to identify and work with other NELA members.

Joyce Ross reports that the NLA is currently working on a new workgroup “Women in Lipidology.” Women have not become involved in NLA activities. Leadership of this group has set out to determine the why and how we go about correcting it. Emails have been sent to all female NLA members to solicit their input. There has been a good response but participation from all female members is necessary to insure that their needs are met. If interested, get in touch with Allison Fellers (afellers@lipid.org) at NLA for more information on the group.

I would like to introduce you to three associates of NELA and future leaders of the NLA. I hope their stories will help members of the NLA mentor and encourage young future members. The future of the NLA is finding and mentoring students, residents and fellows who may have an interest in lipidology.

Reed Mszar
I am a senior at Bates College studying biochemistry and sociology with a concentration in public health. Currently, I am conducting lipid-related research for my biochemistry thesis on the association between Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) and type 2 diabetes mellitus in key demographics, particularly among local founder populations. Utilizing the CASCADE-FH registry, I am closely examining whether FH truly protects a patient from developing diabetes later in life and whether certain founder populations such as Franco-Americans or French Canadians obscure this trend.

I believe it has been knowing my own family’s history of cardiovascular disease and hyperlipidemia that has drawn me to this particular field of study. It was not until I started conducting research pertaining to lipid metabolism and engaging in a clinical research internship at the National Institutes of Health, that I realized that the condition that had been impacting my paternal lineage for generations was Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH). This knowledge has provided tremendous peace of mind to my family and me. I look forward to pursuing opportunities that will combine my interests in lipid metabolism with my drive to improve diagnostic rates for FH. Moreover, the opportunity to attend the FH Global Summit and learn first-hand from esteemed professors has been invaluable.

Lars Andersen

After my junior year at Brown University, I had a summer internship in my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania working in the field of lipidology. I was assigned to help with the development of a cascade screening program for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a disorder about which I knew very little. Early in my internship I began to read research articles and textbooks piquing my interest in cholesterol metabolism, allele frequencies, and inheritance patterns. I soon realized that lipid research and clinical lipid management was going to be my career path in medicine drawing on the latest trends in medical science and remaining focused on the needs of patients. 

During my senior year in college, I did additional research focusing on FH and other inherited disorders of lipid metabolism in my community. After two years working in clinical lipid research, I am now a first-year student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. I remain involved with some of the projects I began before medical school and hope to continue contributing to research in the field.

What attracted me to clinical lipid research was not the chemistry and pathophysiology, but the sense of community and openness I encountered throughout my experience. Countless mentors and experts in clinical lipidology encouraged, guided, and supported me, most notably my father, with whom I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work on many research projects. I look forward to drawing on the lessons I have learned as a member of the lipid community throughout my career as a clinician.

Stephen Meng, MD

I am currently a third-year cardiology fellow at Christiana Care Health Systems who has been actively involved with the National Lipid Association (NLA).  My initial interest in lipidology and preventive cardiology stemmed from my family history of premature atherosclerosis. During my fellowship, I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Edward Goldenberg at weekly clinic where we manage patients with lipid disorders.  We have also co-authored several articles, including Coronary Artery Calcium Scoring in Decision Making: the MESA Score in the August 2016 edition of Lipid Spin. My experiences at the Northeast Lipid Association (NELA) events and the NLA conferences have further cultivated my passion for cardiovascular prevention. I plan on becoming board certified in clinical lipidology and look forward to continued involvement in the NLA.