“Emerging Technologies” was the topic for the 9th Annual Symposium on Anti-Doping Science, hosted by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) October 2-4 in Lansdowne, Va.

Held just outside of Washington, D.C. this preeminent event in the field of anti-doping science gathered nearly 90 scientists, laboratory directors, and sports administrators, representing renowned entities such as research institutes, international sport federations, universities, the International Olympic Committee Medical Commission, the World Anti-Doping Agency, the International Paralympic Committee, professional sports leagues, and the London Olympic Organizing Committee. Participants traveled from nearly 30 countries to attend.

“This year’s symposium provided an invaluable opportunity to reflect on the advances we’ve seen in the past ten years in measurement approaches and technology, and explore emerging technological areas that affect the future of anti-doping efforts,” said Larry D. Bowers, Ph.D., USADA Chief Science Officer. “Exploration into protein and peptide compound development, study of first-hand sophisticated doping and masking techniques, and research into highly efficient but low-cost testing were all areas addressed, and that are timely amongst the global scientific anti-doping community, to facilitate more and greater advances in deterring doping.”

With a focus on emerging technologies, the 2010 symposium included interactive workshops and keynote addresses on specific topic areas such as Mass Spectrometry of Proteins and Peptides, Quantification and Characterization of Proteins and Glycoproteins, Strategies of Doping and Masking, and Low Cost, High Throughput Testing Strategies. This dynamic and interactive annual symposium enables scientists and experts from both in and out of the anti-doping community to share their expertise, and generate vital dialogue and illumination around the present issues facing the anti-doping movement as well as into the future.

Esteemed speakers included such experts as Dr. John Hess of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr. Lance Liotta of George Mason University, and Dr. Jeff Walker of SomaLogic.

Additionally, former professional cyclist, Bernhard Kohl, addressed the group regarding his personal experiences with performance-enhancing drugs and methods including blood transfusions. Insights such as Kohl’s are invaluable to the anti-doping, scientific community in combating doping methods using first-hand knowledge of the practices dopers undertake in an attempt to win at all costs.

Held annually, the USADA Symposium on Anti-Doping Science is designed to enable the medical and science communities to gather and discuss the science behind doping with the potential for developing a uniform testing scheme, a research agenda and timeline, and to make the science and legal aspects of testing more efficient. Previous USADA symposia focused on “Detection of Enhancement of Oxygen Transport: Seven Years of Progress” (2009); “Mitochondria to Proteins: New Challenges for Anti-Doping Science” (2008); “Oxygen Transport and Energy Production” (2007); “Intra-Individual Reference Ranges” (2006); “Muscle Development & Recovery: Implications for Doping Control” (2005); “Detection of Human Growth Hormone Abuse in Sport” (2004); “Application of Gas Chromatography – Combustion – Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry to Doping Control” (2003); and “Oxygen Transport Enhancing Agents and Methods” (2002).