Welcome

It is a great honor to welcome you to the combined 10th WASOG Meeting and the 12th International Conference on BAL. The meeting is co-organized by the Dutch Society of Pulmonologists (NVALT), and endorsed by the European Respiratory Society . The scientific program will be finalized by the end of November 2010 and will be available to you soonafter.

Mission

The World Association of Sarcoidosis and Other Granulomatous Diseases (WASOG) organizes meetings for physicians involved in interstitial lung diseases especially sarcoidosis and other granulomatous diseases, educates people interested in these diseases, and offers opportunities to exchange scientific experience.

Aim

The principal aim of the 2nd joint WASOG and the International Conference on Bronchoalveolar Lavage (BAL) meeting will be to emphasize the importance of a multidisciplinary approach for investigating interstitial and granulomatous lung disease The focus will be the exploration of teamwork in all its facets involving in exchanging knowledge. We wish to invite people with diverse scientific and clinical backgrounds to participate in challenging discussions and stimulating discourse.
 

President Emeritus WASOG

This cordial greeting to all participants carries a commemorative background of over sixty years married to dear sarcoidosis. My interest was aroused by Professor Guy Scadding in 1948 and fortified by Dr Louis Siltzbach in 1951, when I was spending a year as postgraduate research fellow in New York. They were two strong backers when I organised the first Sarcoidosis Conference in London in 1958; the first of several congresses around the world. I coined the term WASOG to provide a mother-hen for all these conferences and as an international passport for all detective-scientists armed to seek the causes of sarcoidosis. WASOG has succeeded for those of you reading this welcome message are now part of its structure and influence.  It is up to you to pass WASOG on to a new school of scientists equally anxious to unravel granulomatous disorders worldwide (James DG, Sharma OP. Curr Opin Pulm Med 2002; 8: 416-23). You will enjoy and benefit from this Congress and all others in the years ahead.

Dr. D. Geraint James, MA, MD, FRCP (CV)

 

Conference accommodation

The Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Centre (MECC) will be the Congress venue. It is a first class ultramodern, dynamic organization that organizes and provides accommodation for fairs, conferences and major cultural and sporting events.It is conveniently located and offers unlimited opportunities to enjoy the city of Maastricht. Click here for an impression of MECC Maastricht!

Hotel accommodation

The Organization Committee has selected the most appropriate accommodations in Maastricht. We will find a suitable accommodation for every guest, based on the location preference, character of the district, budget and , amenities. To give you an idea of the choices that are available, you will receive a random selection from our partners will soon.

Travel arrangements

To make your trip as comfortable as possible, please arrange your total journey and hotel accommodation through the Organization Booking Service. Once you have arrived at one of the airports in the area, the Conference Agency Maastricht will arrange your transport to your hotel. This service is provided from the following airports: Maastricht-Aachen Airport; Eindhoven Airport; Zaventem Airport-Brussels;Train station Liège, Köln / Bonn Airport and Düsseldorf Airport.

Transport at location

During your stay in Maastricht taxi arrangements can be made by The Conference Agency Maastricht. Should you prefer to be flexible during your stay, you can rent a car from several locations.

Scientific program

We are presenting you an overview of the scientific program, where you can see that renowned scientists in the field have honored us with their participation. What we need now is an equally high quality of original work to be presented in wasogbal2011. The best abstracts will be published in 'SARCOIDOSIS Vasculitis and Diffuse Lung Diseases', the official journal of WASOG.

For whom?

General practitioners, internists, pulmonary physicians, other specialists and health care workers from various disciplines involved in diagnosing and treating patients with interstitial lung diseases, granulomatous disorders, vasculitis and related illnesses.

When and where?

June 15-18, 2011 in Maastricht, the Netherlands
 

Looking forward to seeing you in Maastricht in June 2011!

Marjolein Drent Conference Chair	Jules M.M. van den Bosch Conference Co-Chair	Ulrich Costabel Scientific Committee Chair	Kitty Linssen Local Co-Chair