The Constitution of the Society
The Latin American Society for Maternal Fetal Interaction and Placenta (SLIMP) is a nonprofit membership organization of investigators studying this subject, under the clinical and basic research perspectives.
The idea of a Latin American organization to congregate investigators working on this area was born together the establishment of PAA-The Placenta Association of the Americas (which included in its scope all American countries), in 2000, during the 6th Meeting of the International Federation of Placenta Associations (IFPA) and the last Rochester Trophoblast Conference, Rochester, USA.
The Latin American investigators in Rochester therefore, decided to start the organization of a Latin American Group interested on Maternal-Fetal Interaction and Placenta (currently, Latin American Society for Maternal Fetal Interaction & Placenta- SLIMP) outlined with the following mission:
- To establish an organization for facilitating interaction between investigators of the American countries
- To promote education and to spread awareness about issues affecting the Latin American community within the framework of the maternal fetal interaction and placenta (disseminating and collecting information regarding conferences, training positions, funding opportunity information, courses, awards, fellowships, etc…)
- To help the collaboration on education and research to facilitate scientific exchange of its members with other communities.
- To work together PAA and IFPA to promote to encourage personal growth of all members to their fullest potential.
Three years after this meeting, representative of the Latin American countries succeed to organize the 1st SLIMP in Embu das Artes, SP, Brasil. The meeting was supported by PAA, IFPA and the Brazilian Society for Cell Biology. It was a time for scientific reflection, for mutual knowledge and cultural and linguistic exchange.
The second meeting was in Chile, in 2005, much more organized and structured. It was a joint meeting with the Chilean Society of Physiology, organized by Gloria Riquelme, Luis Sobrevia and Paola Casanello.
The third one has been held in Los Cocos, Argentina, organized by Dr Suzana Genti-Raimondi and collaborators.
In 2010, the fourth SLIMP meeting was held together with IFPA in also in Santiago, Chile. In this meeting the SLIMP, Plenary Assembly deliberated on the legal organization of a Latin American Society, whose structure should be discussed in the next Assembly (ATA 1).
The fifth SLIMP Meeting was held in Brazil in 2013, Iguazu Falls, chaired by Dr. Estela Bevilaqcua and collaborators.
The sixth SLIMP Meeting was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina in 2015, chaired by Dr. Alicia Jawerbaum and collaborators.
Our last SLIMP Meeting was held in Puerto Varas, Chile in 2017, chaired by Dr. Luis Sobrevia and collaborators.
SLIMP is growing up along the time; it is formed by approximately 80 groups spread in the Latin American countries working on different themes.
SLIMP is also committed with education. Pre meeting activities have been organized in different countries (pre-meeting Workshops) as a unique opportunity to four days of deeply technical hands-on trainings.
Slimp today is formed by approximately 50 groups spread in the Latin American countries working on different themes.