Flashback

The Executive Board of WASOG wishes all of you a happy holiday season and best wishes for the New Year.
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The combined 10th WASOG Meeting and the 12th International Conference on BAL was a great success. We had 275 attendees from more than 30 countries. It was a great honour and an enormous privilege to organize this meeting in Maastricht. The organizing committees expect that this year’s congress in Maastricht will continue the successful tradition of previous meetings. For an impression please have a look at our Photo & Video page!

Conference Report

Review and perspective of the 12th Bronchoalveolar Lavage Conference within the second joint WASOG-BAL International Conference by Prof. Herb Y. Reynolds. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis 2011; 28; 156-160. Read report.

Awards

From the 100 abstracts submitted, an international review panel selected four excellent abstracts. At the congress party of the WASOGBAL 2011 conference, in the most beautiful bookstore of the world - Selexyz Dominicanen Maastricht, these four award winners were announced. All winners received an iPad to even more improve the flexibility to continue and stimulate their research. Read more….

With Compliments

We wish to thank all speakers, chairs, participants, sponsors, the volunteers, the crew of Houben media service, of the MECC, the crew of the wonderful book store Selexyz Dominicanen Maastricht, the catering of Maison the Boer and Preuvincie creative events Maastricht, PCO Pauwels Congress Organisers, Bas Zelissen from MainPort, the City of Maastricht, Jan-Pierre Geussens, focuss22, Autocentrum Biermans BV Maastricht, Taxi van de Wall, and last but not least our webmaster Harry Gosker helping us to make the combined 10th WASOG Meeting and the 12th International Conference on BAL a great success!

Living with pulmonary fibrosis: the story of Jenny Penders

During the opening ceremony of the WASOBBAL 2011 June the 15^th at the City Hall in Maastricht, Jenny Penders told her own touching story what it means to live with pulmonary fibrosis. Jenny Penders is one of the founders of the Dutch Pulmonary Fibrosis Society. Pulmonary fibrosis causes a serious breathtaking situation. Lung transplantation might be the only option. Please realise what it means to offer someone a new chance saying after a transplant: "live!" Jenny Penders calls up to fill in your donor codicil. Watch the video...

When and where?

June 15-18th 2011 at the Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Centre (MECC).

Accreditation

For dutch only: click here for detailed information on "accreditatie"

WASOG Newsletter

The newsletter is aimed to keep you informed about the WASOG and activities organized by the WASOG. Subscribe here.

Prof. dr. mr. Gerard P.M.F. Mols, Rector magnificus of Maastricht University: "We are very proud of organizing the 10th WASOG meeting and 12th BAL meeting in June in Maastricht. It is a great honour and pleasure to host such a group of excellent scientists and practitioners, coming from all over the world, very dedicated and determined to contribute to a better under-standing of the causes as well as the treatment of sarcoidosis and other interstitial lung diseases. I am quite sure that the world WASOGBAL congress in 2011 will contribute to the development of new insights and new therapies. Even more important, I sincerely hope that new friendships are made, friendships for life, friendships to serve mankind, made in Maastricht. I would like to invite you to join us and register for the meeting a.s.a.p. so I can give you a very warm welcome to Maastricht and Maastricht University in June 2011." Read more...

Onno Hoes, Mayor of Maastricht. "It is an excellent idea to bring the top researchers from around the world together in one place. The WASOG/BAL conference is of enormous importance in the fight against lung disease. I cannot emphasise enough that the conference organisers and participants deserve maximum support, not only from policy-makers and politicians, but also from financing bodies and sponsors. It is also an excellent idea to organise this conference in Maastricht. That is not because it helps boost conference tourism here – that is of indirect significance. Much more important is that Maastricht University has a chair in interstitial lung disease and Maastricht is the home of the ild care foundation. This organisation encourages advanced research into lung disease and is active in the field of prevention. It is responsible for creating the right academic climate for this conference. There is also the fact that Maastricht is developing into an international centre for health, care and cure – another reason why a conference such as WASOG/BAL belongs here." Read more...

"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 (ref). You will enjoy and benefit from this Congress and all others in the years ahead. " Dr. D. Geraint James, MA, MD, FRCP (CV)

It was a great pleasure having you all in Maastricht!


Marjolein Drent Conference Chair	Ulrich Costabel Scientific Committee Chair	Kitty Linssen Local Co-Chair