Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords COPD, exacerbations, muscle wasting, pulmonary rehabilitation Name GIAVEDONI, Santiago Project title Investigating the impact of pulmonary rehabilitation and statins administration on skeletal muscle wasting and quality of life in acute exacerbations

Home Country	Argentina
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 July 2009
Contact Email	sgiaved@gmail.com

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Sarcoidosis, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), genes, progression Name TZOUVELEKIS, Argyris Project title Association of the “Sarcoidosis disease set” with single nucleotide polymorphisms of a defined range of genes involved in innate immunity to both the susceptibility and the progression of the subsets of sarcoidosis

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	29 November 2004
Contact Email	atzouvelekis@hotmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My fellowship year was a memorable experience mainly due to the intellectual stimulation I gained on a daily basis from my research at the lab and from my colleagues. I was privileged to collaborate with fellows and colleagues that inspired me, motivated me and helped me to improve my way of thinking, which I believe is the most vital thing for a young doctor and researcher and can not be found in the lines of a medical book.

My research project was focused on single nucleotide polymorphisms of a defined range of genetic factors that are likely to dictate disease phenotype and outcome of sarcoidosis patients. We investigated genetic polymorphisms of BTNL2, a member of the immunoglobulin gene superfamily and demonstrated an association of specific BTNL2 genetic variants with sarcoidosis.

In conclusion I would like to attribute special thanks to the ERS Scientific committee for giving me the opportunity to participate in the activities of a prestigious laboratory and to encourage young researchers and fellows to apply for an ERS fellowship.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords interstitial lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis, smoking, imaging Name ANTONIOU, Katerina Project title Diffuse parenchymal lung disease: is smoking-related damage increased in prevalence, and does smoking status influence outcome?

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 June 2006
Contact Email	katerinaantoniou@yahoo.gr

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, pathogenesis, biomarkers Name MARGARITOPOULOS, Georgios Project title The identification of a pro-malignant fibrogenetic gene expression profile as a possible risk biomarker for lung cancer

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	United-Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 October 2011
Contact Email	gmargaritop@yahoo.gr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During my fellowship I had the privilege to work with Prof AU Wells, a world-wide expert in the field of interstitial lung diseases. Plainly, that was a memorable experience and I hope that the knowledge gained in both clinical and research field will be extremely helpful in the future.
My research study entitled ‘The identification of a pro-malignant fibrogenetic gene expression profile as a possible risk biomarker for lung cancer’ has been almost completed as we are awaiting for the final analyses of the data. Working with experienced stuff in the laboratory of the ILD unit, I had the chance to discuss about some of the research projects already running and update my knowledge regarding new lab techniques.
In terms of clinical experience, my participation in the outpatient clinic where I reviewed patients by myself and multidisciplinary team meetings was fully encouraged by Professor Wells and plainly, my skills in the diagnosis and management of ILDs have been impressively improved.
I would like to thank Dr Renzoni and Dr Maher, consultant respiratory physicians in ILD unit, for their precious assistance during my stay.
I will always be grateful to Prof Wells for these very rewarding 12 months spent under his supervision and look forward to our continued collaboration.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Interventional pulmonology bronchoscope TBNA Name DESHMUKH Vikrant Project title Training in Therapeutic Bronchoscopy especially in Electrocautery and Argon Plasma Coagulation

Home Country	INDIA
Host Country	ITALY
Fellowship End date	30 November 2009
Contact Email	vikrant25@rediffmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
It is an immense pleasure to submit my report of my fellowship with Dr. Stefano Gasparini from Ancona in Italy.
During my training fellowship for Interventional Pulmonology Training, I learned about econventional transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) as well as endobronchial ultrasound guided TBNA. I also realize the importance of learning the evaluation of rapid onsite examination (ROSE) of TBNA sample by pulmonologist where the ROSE is performend by pulmonologist rather than extopathologist.
I got acquainted with skills of rigid bronchoscopy and utilization of electrocuatery, argon plasma coagulation and LASER in management of central airway obstruction. I also gained familiarity with use of stents in airway stenosis. I was also involved in writing a paper which is submitted for publication. I acquired the experience of medical thoracoscopy and pleurodesis. I participated in the two courses of interventional Pulmonology and presented lectures on novel bronchoscope system with disposable endosheath.
ERS Fellowship programme is a very helpful programme that allows physicians to get experiences in the field of their specialities. My ERS training was the most fruitful of my professional career for which I am grateful to the institution. I considered myself a trained person in the dynamic field fo interventional bronchoscopy because of Dr. Stefano Gasparini, whose professionalism, expertise and warmth was instrumental in exploring this speciality.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Interventional Pulmonology, Stents, Rigid Bronchoscopy Name SAAD Talha Project title Recent Advances in Stent Placement in Central Tumours

Home Country	India
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	31 March 2010
Contact Email	dr.talhasaad@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I did my Fellowship Training under Dr .Dutau Herve at Marserille ,France. It was a great experience for me coming abroad from my country and doing training at a very new place for me .It gave me an opportunity of daily interaction with the pioneers of Interventional pulmonology.

I have my project related with stents. I got to learn the intubation technique for Rigid Bronchoscopy ,different types of stents and there application in different clinical scenarios. There is very important part to learn the appropriate diameter of Stent to be placed exactly according to the diameter of airway lumen. This need to be fine tuned in course of clinical practice over time .

In addition to my Fellowship project ,I got to learn many other procedures of Interventional Pulmonology including Endobronchial Ultrasonography (EBUS),Autofluorscence, Fluoroscopy guided transbronchial lung biopsy .I also got an opportunity to learn Thoracoscopy as this centre is world renowned for that.

I got the accommodation inside the hospital premises in the International Medical student hostel. So it was a chance for me to interact with Medical colleagues from various countries of Africa and Europe .Fortunately in the last weekend of my stay ,I got to enjoy at Marseille Carnival.

It will be very Little to just thanks ERS which gave me such a platform in my early part of career .I will be grateful to the society for always. I plan to disseminate the accquired knowledge to my juniors in future too and help Interventional Pulmonology to establish in my country.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords interventional pulmonology, tbna, ebus tbna, lung cancer, bronchoscopy Name Dinesh MEHTA Project title Traditional transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) guided TBNA for the staging of lung cancer and for iagnosis of mediastinal lesions

Home Country	India
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	26 March 2010
Contact Email	drdineshmehta@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I am very thankful to the European respiratory society as it was wholly due to their support in the form of the grant that I had the privilege of going to one of the very advanced centre of bronchoscopy in Europe to learn the basics and advanced bronchcosocpy procedures and thoracoscopy. The training involved basics of bronchoscopy and medical thoracoscopy, with organization of bronchoscopic and thoracic endoscopy unit. The fellowship involved management of the patients before, during and after the interventional procedures including complications if any. I saw the use of Transbronchial Needle Aspiration by Conventional as well as Endo-Bronchial Ultrasound guided methods. Also special emphasis was given on ROSE (rapid onsite evaluation) for which separate classes were taken by the expert team of Dr. Ferreti and Dr. Sara coordinated by Dr. Gasparini. Also newer diagnostic modalities like Autoflourescence & Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy in Peripheral pulmonary Nodules were taught on the mannequin and then live cases were demonstrated. It was a thrill to observe Rigid Bronchoscopy procedures, placement of stent. The bronchoscopic techniques in management of Emphysema like endobronchial valve placement and Bronchopleural fistula were few of the newer modalities being used there routinely. It was a joy to assist the masters in Medical Thoracoscopy viz. dr. Stefano Gasparini and dr. Lina Zuccatosta for various pleural pathologies. Also the use of such cost effective modality like Fluoroscopy for various lung and pleural pathologies together with the assistance of the radiologist dr. Betty was a once in a life time experience to be remembered and cherished. Though I had asked European respiratory society for decreasing my duration of stay since I was well versed in basic bronchoscopic procedures but I stayed a little extra time to participate in the week -long International training course on Interventional pulmonology held at the department and presented a lecture there and also interacted with some of the best names in bronchoscopy in Europe. That was a golden opportunity not to be missed as only during workshop one got to do the procedure on their own. The whole team working at interventional broncoscopy like Dr. Gasparini, Dr. Lina, Dr. Migelle, Dr. Federico, Dr. Ferreti, Dr. Sara, Dr. Valeria, Dr. Niki were all very helpful and understanding making my stay a pleasant one. But I owe most gratitude to the ERS for providing me with this opportunity which I hope will turn as a benchmark in my career. If it would not have been for the open hearted, speedy and frank support from the team of ERS, seeing the exciting new dimensions in which the present day bronchoscopists fathom, would have remained a cherished dream only. Hence my sincere gratitude to ERS for providing this opportunity to budding interventional bronchoscopists like me to achieve my dream.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Interstitial lung disease, biomarkers, interleukin 6, survival Name De Lauretis, Angelo Project title Evaluation of serum interleukin 11 and interleukin 17 as biomarkers of pulmonary fibrosis

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 May 2009
Contact Email	angelo.delauretis@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The ERS-STRF program was the incredible occasion to work at the Royal Brompton Interstitial Lung Disease Unit, one of the largest diffuse lung disease centres in Europe. My Host supervisor was Dr E Renzoni, whose outstanding experience in the field of interstitial lung diseases (ILD), open mind and highly supportive tuition made my staying far more fulfilling and enriching than any expectations!

The initial focus of my project was to evaluate the role of serum IL-17 and IL-11 as biomarkers of pulmonary fibrosis.
This hypothesis was not confirmed in a small group of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and scleroderma associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).
We thus decided to conduct an exploratory analysis using a multiplex panel of ten cytokines and chemochines. Subsequently, IL-6 was identified to be tested in a larger sample of SSc-ILD as an independent prognostic factor.
Preliminary results were presented as poster discussion presentation at ATS 2010 (results of the multiplex analysis) and at ERS 2010 (role of IL-6 in SSc-ILD). A manuscript is almost ready for submission.
I was also founded by my Home institute to prolong my stay in order to complete data collection and analysis. Importantly, there is a continued collaboration between the Home and the Host institutions, currently aimed at studying new aspects of functional evaluation in ILD.
During my fellowship, I was encouraged by Dr Renzoni and Prof Wells to take part at multidisciplinary meetings and ILD clinic.
In conclusion, it is difficult to exaggerate the numerous advantages which have derived from this fellowship. Indeed, this six month period was the most important experience of my career. It certainly broadened my scientific perspective, furthered my experience in the clinical management of complex ILD patients, boosted my knowledge in statistical analysis (and in English language, as well).

I would like to thank again Dr Renzoni and her staff. I strongly recommend the ERS fellowship to any young clinician.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords sarcoidosis, berylliosis, mycobacterial antigen, CD4 T-cell Name CERVIS, Luminata Iuliana Project title Quantification of beryllium, mycobacterium tuberculosis and propionibacterium acnes specific CD4 T-cells in patients with sarcoidosis

Home Country	Romania
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	30 September 2008
Contact Email	lumicervis@yahoo.co.uk

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I am a pneumologist involved in the research activity, with long-standing interest in the field of interstitial lung diseases and particularly in sarcoidosis. Ever since the beginning of my professional activity I understood that improving my theoretical and practical knowledge is essential for my activity. In order to achieve this I have always intended to work in a reference pulmonology research centre. Some years ago I heard about the ERS Funding Programme Fellowship. Thus I have seen the opportunity for my dream to come true. In 2007 I had the chance to be awarded an ERS LTRF grant. This gave me the possibility to join and to work with a world-wide renowned well-established group of Prof Dr Joachim Muller-Quernheim and to conduct the research project under the supervision of PD Dr Antje Prasse.
I choose this host institution because the team of Department of Pneumology, University Hospital from Freiburg, Germany is one of the leaders in the world for research in the field of sarcoidosis. Therefore I considered that this centre provides an excellent setting to learn a lot in this field.

The main scientific aim of my fellowship project was to elucidate the potential role of beryllium, as well as various bacterial antigens in the aetiopathogeny of sarcoidosis. We measured the peripheral blood CD4 T-cell specific response in patients with this disease and in control subjects, by assessing their cytokine release after stimulation with granulogenic antigens by flow cytometry.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords COPD-inflammation-chemokines-polymorphism Name YANBAEVA, Dilyara Project title Chemokine and Chemokine Receptor Gene Variants and Risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Home Country	Russia
Host Country	Netherlands
Fellowship End date	31 December 2005
Contact Email	d.yanbaeva@pul.unimaas.nl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The study of genetic background of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation (i.e. increased C-reactive protein, CRP) in COPD patients has been launched within framework of ERS Fellowship.

A total of 265 clinically stable patients with moderate-to-severe COPD patients entering pulmonary rehabilitation and 90 healthy smokers were recruited. The investigation was designed as case-control association study. All COPD patients and control subjects have undergone spirometry to determine FEV1 and FEV1/FVC.

Six tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within CRP gene have been selected for genotyping from Seattle SNPs database (r2> 0.8, minor allele frequency > 5%) All SNPs were detected by TaqMan.
Pilot results show that carriers of 5237TT genotype (rs2808630) had 50% lower risk of having COPD (p=0.006, recessive model).

In addition, two trends have been shown: homosigosity of 1444A (rs1130864), previously associated with elevated CRP plasma levels, has increased the disease risk by 2.1-fold (p=0.06, recessive and additive models), and carriage of 1059C allele (rs1800947) also was found to be associated with increased risk of COPD (p=0.07, OR=1.93, additive model).

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords obesity, metabolism, upper airway function, murine model Name Maria Pallayova Project title The influence of metabolism on upper airway function and the modulation of its structural and neuromuscular properties in an obese murine model

Home Country	Slovakia
Host Country	United States
Fellowship End date	30 June 2010
Contact Email	maria.pallayova@upjs.sk

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I have completed a European Respiratory Society (ERS) sponsored international long-term research fellowship in the Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
My research work was focused predominantly on how the metabolism may influence the function of the upper airway in an obese murine model. I ran a series of experiments in mice to see how the airway works and to find out what makes someone susceptible to having sleep apnea. Specifically, I have examined the effects of diet and leptin deficiency on fat deposition patterns in mice, an issue with potential significance for the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea. The data provide strong evidence that leptin modulates pharyngeal structural loads through effects on central adiposity in obese mice lacking leptin compared to age- and weight-matched wild type mice and may constitute a primary defect in upper airway function. Utilizing the obese murine model, we further investigated effects of leptin deficiency on upper airway neuromuscular control. The results indicate that leptin deficiency but not obesity increases the susceptibility and severity of upper airway obstruction in mice under anesthesia.
The ERS fellowship has immensely improved my skills as a researcher and provided an excellent opportunity for personal development. I have learned many new experimental and laboratory techniques currently not available in European Host institutes. In addition, I gained invaluable knowledge and developed comprehensive data analysis skills, which was essential for getting actively involved in the management of my research project. The Host institute provided all the training and expertise necessary for the successful completion of the research project. I took a number of research, statistics, and epidemiology courses that broadened my knowledge and improved my skills with regards to taking initiative and encouraging independent thinking. I have expanded my research expertise and the skills acquired during the first months allowed me to also work on other projects related to metabolic aspects of sleep apnea in severe obesity in humans.
In summary, the ERS fellowship was a very rewarding experience. I have returned back to the PJ Safarik University School of Medicine in Kosice, Slovakia to transfer the knowledge and implement the newly acquired techniques in my Home institute. I would like to take the opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the ERS for the unique research opportunity offered to me. I would also like to extend my appreciation and thanks to my host supervisor Dr. Alan R. Schwartz, Professor of Medicine, Director of Johns Hopkins Sleep Disorders Center and Sleep Core Laboratory, GCRC, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and his colleagues who provided me with valuable advice, support, extraordinary expertise, and guidance throughout the fellowship. I am grateful to everyone who has supported my ERS application and has made this fellowship possible. Last but not least, special thanks and my unending gratitutde go to my family for their love, patience, and support.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Stem cells,IPF,Fibroblasts,BALF Name GAZDHAR, Amiq Project title Effect of growth factors and fibrotic lung fluid (BALF) on differentiation of mouse and human ESC derived AEC progenitors

Home Country	Switzerland
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 May 2008
Contact Email	amiq.gazdhar@dkf.unibe.ch

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords COPD, exacerbation, antimicrobial polypeptides, respiratory pathogens Name ANDERSON, Rachel Louise Project title The Relationship Between Respiratory Pathogens and Airway Antimicrobial Polypeptides in Patients Hospitalised with Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Home Country	United Kingdom
Host Country	Netherlands
Fellowship End date	30 September 2005
Contact Email	RachelA@gmx.net

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords procalcitonin, COPD, infection, antibiotics Name ESPERATTI, Elbio Mariano Project title Prospective evaluation of procalcitonin value as a biological marker of lower respiratory infection in exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Respiratory Disease (COPD)

Home Country	Argentina
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	01 July 2007
Contact Email	marianoesperatti@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My experience in clinical investigation has been very fulfilling. It has not only permitted me to learn specific tasks of research and gain knowledge in the field of the fellowship project but also it has given me the opportunity of a daily interaction with distinguished researchers in different fields of respiratory medicine at a recognized centre. As a consequence of all this different activities I have acquired a progressive accumulation in scientific, human and ethical learning.

The projected work has not finished yet, it requires the inclusion of a large sample size, so my stay in host institution will be extended till the end of trial.

The amount of experience will be very useful not only for the future research activities in my home institution but it reinforces a very important medical skill: the critical thinking and critical acquisition of knowledge. In my opinion in the “information era”, it is (and will be most in near future) an essential part of medical thinking. Wide knowledge is not enough, but to discriminate the quality of it. Additionally it is the most important to acquire cognitive skills for autonomy in learning. All mentioned is possible if the post-graduate training in assistance is reinforced by research activities.

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords Streptococcus pneumoniae, sialidase, sialic acid, infection, immunity Name XU, Guogang Project title Pobing the biological role of sialidase NanC in Streptococcus pneumoniae

Home Country	China
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	29 February 2012
Contact Email	xuguogang@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Over the fellowship period in Siena, Prof Marco Oggioni and co-supervisor Dr Jean-Denis Docquier organized everything carefully, not only in Science, but also things to ease my life in Italy. In the lab, I have been working on the project designed in the field of pneumococcal sialidases. Genetic modification of S. pneumoniae by knocking out the sialidases genes separately or in combination is the fundamental step. The host institute has (i)nanA; (ii)nanB; (iii)nanC and (iv)nanAB mutants ready. (v)nanAC and (vi)nanBC were therefore constructed, although this work took longer time than we expected. Pneumococcal survival and lung infection in mice models are scheduled in future collaboration timetable. We also worked on the kinetic characterisation of pneumococcal sialidase with a new spectrophotonic method, which yielded a paper entitled “Optimization of a direct spectrophotometric method to investigate the kinetics and inhibition of sialidases” that had already been submitted to BMC Biochemistry journal for publication.
The host institute and the home institute have agreed too apply collaborative grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China this year, to further tighten the bond connected by this prestigious ERS fellowship.

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords COPD, exacerbation, prognostic factors, infection Name MATKOVIC, Zinka Project title Is the antimicrobial treatment useful in non-purulent exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease?

Home Country	Croatia
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	30 September 2011
Contact Email	zinka.matkovic@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
As the ERS fellowship recipient I became an associate member of the research group of Dr. Antoni Torres in the Hospital Clinic Barcelona during period of one year, and under the supervision of Dr. Marc Miravitlles I worked in the field of infection in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The primary objective of my fellowship was to investigate whether patients with severe non-purulent exacerbations of COPD can be safely treated without antibiotics. Due to slow recruitment of patients into that clinical trial, I was involved in another project on predictors of poor outcome of hospitalised COPD exacerbations. The results of our investigation were presented in the form of an abstract at the ERS Annual Congress 2011 in Amsterdam, and also submitted for publication in the form of original article. During my fellowship I also reviewed published literature on the impact of infections on stable and exacerbated COPD and prepared the second manuscript, which was also recently submitted for publication as a review article.
Although the focus of my interest during fellowship was in the first place COPD, I also became familiar with some other aspects of respiratory research that are being conducted in the host institution, for example basic research of ventilator-associated pneumonias (VAP) on animal models (piglets). Furthermore, I had the opportunity to visit another renowned medical institution in Barcelona - University Hospital Vall d’Hebron, where I was introduced to the latest improvements in the management of patients with pulmonary hypertension and lung transplantation.
My ERS fellowship year was a great life-long experience from different points of view. With a great intellectual stimulation, professionalism and enormous help and support from my mentor Dr. Marc Miravitlles, I improved my skills as a researcher in terms of understanding the scientific methodology, preparing paper manuscript, critical analysis of previously published data and dealing with all the obstacles in the complex area called science. Not of less importance is that through clinical research I had a chance to collaborate and develop friendship with people coming from all over the world, to learn a new language, as well as to become aware of cultural and social differences between host and home country and to enjoy in those differences.
I am very grateful to the ERS Scientific Committee for giving me this unique opportunity at the early stage of my medical career. In the meantime I returned to my home institution where my work is mainly based on clinical medicine, but in the future I will try to combine it with medical research implementing the newly acquired knowledge.

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords antimicrobial peptides - viral infection - COPD Name RHODE, Gernot Project title Influence of antimicrobial peptides on viral infections in COPD

Home Country	Germany
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 October 2005
Contact Email	gernot.rohde@rub.de

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I spent a magnificent year with Sebastian Johnston and his group. The scientific aim was to develop new methodologies to investigate the role of anti-microbial peptides in virus-induced airway inflammation.

At the beginning of the project a thorough literature search was undertaken in order to find already published detection methods. Based on these results sequences of primers and probes for the detection of human alpha defensins 1-3, human beta-defensins 1-4, the cathelicidine LL37 and Secretory Leukoprotease Inhibitor (SLPI) by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (TaqMan® technology) were designed. Using plasmids cloned from PCR products standards for quantitative measurements were obtained. The study of the regulation of anti-microbial peptides in vitro showed that the expression differed according to virus or cell line investigated. hBD-1 expression was significantly down-regulated during Influenza A infection in H292 cells whereas it was up-regulated in A549 cells. During Rhinovirus 16 infection there was marked up-regulation in A549 cells. hBD-2 was up-regulated during Influenza A infection but also during Rhinovirus 16 infection in A549 cells. For hBD-3 there were no differences in these cell lines but there was a trend for up-regualtion during viral infection in primary bronchial epithelial cells (PBEC). It could be shown in vitro that SLPI expression is significantly increased by fluticasone but there was no effect of viral infection in the cell lines. In PBEC there was a significant up-regulation of SLPI by Rhinovirus 1b infection. LL37 expression was not influenced by any of the stimuli used.

To study the effects of viral infection in vivo experimental Rhinovirus 16 infections in asthmatics compared to healthy controls were analysed. There was no effect on SLPI expression but a significant up-regulation of HNP 1-3 expression in bronchoalveolar lavage supernatants of asthmatics.

During the fellowship a similar project using experimental Rhinovirus infections in COPD patients was carried out and I participated in this project.

This ERS fellowship gave me the unique possibility to work with a world-wide well-established group under supervision of Sebastian Johnston and I am more than thankful to him and his collaborators for the very warm welcome and the personally very enriching experience.

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords Mycobacterium tuberculosis pulmonary infection immune protection innate immunity Name STRASSBURG, Alan Project title Pulmonary correlation of innate and adaptive immune protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Home Country	Germany
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 January 1970
Contact Email	alan.strassburg@gmx.de

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords experimental pneumonia MRSA treatment Name LIAPIKOU, Adamantia Project title Experimental pneumonia by MRSA in a pig model. The efficacyof treatment with linezolid compared with vancomycin.

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	08 March 2008
Contact Email	mliapikou@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My name is Adamantia Liapikou, i am coming from Athens, as a pneumonilogist and ERS research fellow, in the field of respiratory infections. I was in the group of A.Torres in the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona . I worked in the investigation group of Ventilator accosiated pneumonia(VAP) I was collecting the new cases of VAP in the ICUS of the hospital (6 ICU). I have learned the way of writing an article and I am waiting for the acceptance of its publication in an international journal. It has accepted as an oral presentation in ATS Congress of 2008. and in ERS Congress 2008.
I have participated in the animal experiment of our research team. One week of every mounth we inoculated MRSA by BAL into 2 intubated pigs and we followed them for 4 days.We administrated them diferrent antibiotics : Linezolid and Vancomycin and we compared all the parameters of VAP in the pigs regarding the antibiotics.When they died we took biopsy samples from the lungs,cultures and blood samples for cytokines.
In the same animal model I have participated to another study which is the comparison of diagnostic methods of MRSA pneumonia . The methods are BAS,BAL and TBNA.
With our animal model we are trying to progress our knowledge in the pathophysiology of VAP and septic shock and the results of differents antibiotics in its management.
My experience of this year in Baecelona was unforgettable and scientific useful. It is the beginning of a new carrer for me.

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords Asthma, COPD, viral infection, rinovirus, exacerbations, mechanisms Name CONTOLI, Marco Project title New human experimental model of rhinovirus induced exacerbations of COPD

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	17 November 2004
Contact Email	ctm@unife.it

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During my staying at Professor Johnston’s laboratory at St. Mary Hospital, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Imperial College, London, I collaborated in the setup of two pivotal in vivo models of virus induced asthma and COPD exacerbations and I specifically focused on the mechanisms of virus induced asthma exacerbations.

The two in vivo models aimed to investigate in details the clinical, inflammatory and immunological events that occur following rhinovirus infections in asthmatic and COPD patients. Our research highlighted novel immunological mechanisms able to explain the increased susceptibility of asthmatic and COPD patients to viral infection. In particular we found that asthmatic patients have an impaired innate immune response to viral infection. This impaired innate immune in asthmatic patients response is inversely correlated with the severity of the exacerbation following in vivo experimental rhinovirus infection. These data opened the way to the development of novel potential pharmacological approaches in the treatment of asthma.

The results achieved have been published in high rate scientific and respiratory journals (Contoli M. et al Nature Medicine 2006, Message et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 2008, and Mallia et al. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical and Care Medicine 2010).

Thanks to the precious collaboration of Professor Johnston and his colleagues I acquired knowledge on experimental infections (in vivo and in vitro); tissue culture procedures; processing and storing of clinical samples (PBMC, BAL and sputum cells); reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay; and molecular biology techniques.

I found this experience very exiting from both personal and professional point of views. My fellowship year was a memorable experience not only for the results of the research we conducted but also because it gave me the unique possibility to work in a first class scientific environment. Finally it represented the base for ongoing and future collaborations.

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords RSV, respiratory epithelial cells, costimulatory molecules, asthma Name TELCIAN, Aurica - Georgeta Project title Role of PD-L1/PD-L2 molecules on respiratory epithelial cells in regulating T-cell responses to RSV infection

Home Country	Romania
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 May 2007
Contact Email	ica_address@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The twelve months I was a visiting research fellow in Imperial College London, Department of Respiratory Medicine are valuable to my developing research career.

Prof Johnston’s group has been working for the last twelve years investigating the clinical and laboratory interactions between respiratory virus infections and airway diseases focusing on asthma. During the project I improved my skills in techniques like cell culture, virus growth and titration (RSV), cell separation (CD8+ T cells), ELISA, flow cytometry (4 colours), quantitative real-time polymerase-chain reaction.

The time spent by me at The Imperial College London will have a significant impact on my career, thus making it a useful and gratifying experience. I am very thankful for having been awarded an ERS long term research fellowship and I am sure it will positively influence my future career.

Assembly 2. Respiratory Intensive Care

Keywords Acute respiratory distress syndrome; Positron emission tomography; Mechanical ventilation; ventilator-induced lung injury; protective strategies Name BORGES, João Batista Project title Regional Lung Inflammation and Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury monitored by Positron Emission Tomography

Home Country	Brazil
Host Country	Sweden
Fellowship End date	31 August 2010
Contact Email	joao.batista_borges@medsci.uu.se

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The ERS LONG-TERM RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP was an amazing opportunity to work at the Research Department at the Department of Clinical Physiology, Uppsala University, in Uppsala, Sweden, a landmark laboratory in lung physiology and lung imaging. This experience was a turning point in my scientific career. My Host supervisor was Prof. Dr. Göran Hedenstierna, whose outstanding experience in the field of lung physiology and lung imaging, open mind and highly supportive tuition made my staying an inestimable experience. We succeeded to establish and validated a new own developed experimental model of acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ALI/ARDS), a two hit model combining repeated lung lavages followed by “injurious ventilation” [ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI)]. Moreover, we conducted a series of experiments using dynamic FDG-PET/CT that produced important new information regarding acute lung injury pathophisiology. These novel information about the location and evolution of inflammation using appropriate PET-biomarkers, about the comparative role of lung injury mechanisms, will increase our understanding of the sequence of events involved in VILI and help to improve the strategies aimed at prevent or reduce its occurrence. Importantly, there is a continued collaboration between the Home and the Host institutions. In conclusion, the fellowship contributed a lot to improving my skills as a researcher in independent thinking, designing and planning studies, and problem solving; also in key aspects needed to create, build and develop a new methodology, including data analysis and interpretation. I would like to thank again Prof. Dr. Göran Hedenstierna and his staff. I strongly recommend the ERS fellowship to any young clinician and researcher.

Assembly 2. Respiratory Intensive Care

Keywords mechanical ventilation, respiratory mechanics, monitoring, detection Name KHIRANI, Sonia Project title Monitoring respiratory mechanics in ventilator-dependent patients

Home Country	France
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	17 October 2005
Contact Email	Sonia.Khirani@imag.fr

Assembly 2. Respiratory Intensive Care

Keywords ventilation,predictors, outcome, website Name MILLER, Stanley David Winston Project title Assisted ventilation for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: The European Predictors of Outcome from Ventilation Study (The EPOV Study)

Home Country	Ireland
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 July 2008
Contact Email	stanmiller@rcsi.ie

Assembly 2. Respiratory Intensive Care

Keywords Acute lung injury, end expiratory pressure, diffusion capacity, end expiratory lung volume Name DI MARCO, Fabiano Project title Effect of different levels of positive end-expiratory pressure on membrane and capillary blood components of diffudion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxiee in acute lung injury patients

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	15 September 2006
Contact Email	fabianodimarco@tiscali.it

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I was awarded a Long-Term ERS Research Fellowship in 2005/2006. The aim of my project was to study the effect of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) on gas transfer properties of the lung in patients suffering from acute lung injury or acute respiratory distress syndrome. I performed this experience in Créteil (near Paris) in the Intensive Care Unit of the Hopital Henri Mondor, working in the Respiratory Team directed by Prof. Laurent Brochard. The Respiratory Team included 5 Medical Doctors interested in conducting clinical research in the field of respiratory failure and 2 Engineers. During the first 3 months I adapted the technique of carbon monoxide lung diffusion test (DLCO), normally used in spontaneous breathing patients, to patients under mechanical ventilation and in the next months I enrolled the patients. The activity during the Fellowship included many research meetings with physicians, engineers and researchers aimed to improve the technique and to analyse, and discuss preliminary results of my study. The Long-Term ERS Research Fellowship contributed to improve my skills in the organisation and discussion of medical researches. I’m still in contact with Prof. Laurent Brochard and the Respiratory Team for the improvement of the technique we developed during the Fellowship.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords Cytokines; Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension; inflammation; treatment targets Name SOUZA, Rogerio Project title Inflammatory response in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Home Country	Brazil
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	31 July 2006
Contact Email	rgrsz@uol.com.br

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords asthma, COPD, airway smooth muscle cells, extracellular matrix, hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid homeostasis, hyaluronic acid receptors, corticosteroids, beta-2 agonists Name Eleni Papakonstantinou Project title Effect of corticosteroids and beta 2 agonists on hyaluronan turnover in primary airway smooth muscle cells from patients with asthma and COPD

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	30 May 2010
Contact Email	epap@med.auth.gr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My six month fellowship was a great experience since I had the chance to collaborate with scientists that helped me to improve my skills as a researcher in terms of independent thinking, communication of scientific results and problem solving. I also had the opportunity to acquire state-of-the-art skills in molecular and cell biological techniques. These techniques are now applied and disseminated to other colleagues and Ph.D.
students at Home Institute and offered multiple opportunities of Ph.D.
theses on pulmonary research.
Finally, I would like to thank the ERS Scientific committee for giving me the opportunity to participate in the research activities of a prestigious laboratory and to set up a vigorous and productive collaboration.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords apoptosis, Toll-like receptors, epithelial cells, chronic rhinosinusitis Name BAINSKI, Tomasz Marek Project title The role of the innate immune system in the apoptosis of respiratory sinus epithelial cells in chronic rhinosinusitis

Home Country	Poland
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	31 August 2006
Contact Email	mtbasinscy@poczta.onet.pl

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords acute exacerbation, RSV, IL-15, airway inflammation Name ZDRENGHEA, Mihnea Tudor Project title Molecular regulation of respiratory epithelial cell IL-15 production by respiratory syncytial virus

Home Country	Romania
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 June 2006
Contact Email	zmihnea@hotmail.com

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords COPD, smoke model, adaptive immunity, B cells, T cells Name JOHN, Gerrit Project title The involvement of B cells and CD4+ regulatory T cells in the immunopathogenesis of COPD

Home Country	USA
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	31 July 2011
Contact Email	gerrit.john@helmholtz-muenchen.de

Summary of Fellowship Experience
For my long-term research fellowship I joined the Comprehensive Pneumology Center in Munich, which is one of the largest translational centers for chronic lung diseases worldwide. Headed by Oliver Eickelberg, scientists at the CPC integrate methods of molecular and cell biology, pharmacology, molecular pathology and clinical medicine in order to develop new diagnostic tools and therapies for chronic lung diseases.
Within the CPC, the research group of Ali Önder Yildirim focuses on the immunopathology of COPD, especially on innate and adaptive immune responses in animal models of COPD. For my project, I established the cigarette smoke-induced COPD mouse model at the institute and focused on the role of B cells and their interaction with regulatory T cells during the pathogenesis of COPD. During my fellowship, I was able to present data at the ERS Lung Science Conference in Estoril, Portugal, which is a great conference for junior researchers. Since it is a small conference with an outstanding line-up of keynote speakers, you are able to meet and talk to leading scientist working in the field of lung biology and disease.
Overall, my fellowship was a great experience and I am very grateful to the ERS. First, the CPC is a great research environment, with many scientists from all over the world focusing on a huge variety of research topics. The CPC has established numerous collaborations with other leading labs all over the world and has started its own graduate program for PhD students. Second, Munich is an amazing city, very open-minded, rich in culture and history, and surrounded by many lakes and close to the Alps. A perfect city for a good work-life-balance!
I strongly recommend the ERS fellowship program as well as the ERS Lung Science Conference to all junior researchers.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords Pulmonary Hypertension; Dendritic cell; Chemokines; Inflammation Name PRICE, Laura Project title Inflammation in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Chemokines and Dendritic Cell Involvement

Home Country	United Kingdom
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	01 October 2008
Contact Email	lauracprice@hotmail.com

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords Nanotoxicology; Lung Cancer; In vitro systems; In vitro analysis; Nanoparticles; Carbon nanotubes; Epithelial airway barrier Name CLIFT, Martin James David Project title An evaluation of the potential for inhaled xenobiotics to develop cancer in the lung using a 3D in vitro model of the human epithelial airway-wall

Home Country	United Kingdom
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	30 September 2011
Contact Email	cliftmjd@msn.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
In October 2010, I was awarded an ERS Long‐term fellowship to undertake the project entitled ‘An evaluation of the potential for inhaled xenobiotics to develop cancer in the lung using a 3D in vitro model of the human epithelial airway‐wall’. Throughout the fellowship period, I was able to perform my research under the guidance of Prof. Barbara Rothen‐Rutishauser. During the entire period, I received the upmost support from my host supervisor (Prof. Rothen‐Rutishauser). Also, I was able to have fruitful discussions with a number of experts within lung research, including Prof. Em. Peter Gehr (University of Bern, CH) as well as PD. Dr. Christophe von Garnier and Prof. Dr. Thomas Geiser (Inselspital, University of Bern, CH). In addition to performing the specific laboratory protocols put forward in the fellowship proposal, I had many opportunities to further my laboratory skills, my communication skills (through presenting at conferences and in‐house laboratory meetings), as well as aspects related to supervising doctoral and master’s students. In addition, I had the opportunity to be involved in the essential practice of writing grant applications. All of these aspects provided me with a fantastic basis to continue my learning as a junior researcher and for my future scientific career.

Overall, by being awarded with an ERS long‐term fellowship, it has provided me with the opportunity to gain new connections and collaborations, as well as to network within different fields of research for possible future scientific studies. It has enabled me to further my learning and my knowledge within the field of nanotoxicology, as well as to further present my research to the wider scientific community. Without a doubt, the ERS long‐term fellowship will be paramount in helping me to try and achieve a successful career in scientific research.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords IPF, wound repair, BALF, alveolar epithelial cells Name WATTS, Keira Louise Project title The effects of a pro-fibrotic milieu on lung cell behaviour in wound repair; implications for Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF)

Home Country	United Kingdom
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	01 August 2006
Contact Email	keira_watts@yahoo.co.uk

Summary of Fellowship Experience
In June 2006 I undertook a short-term research fellowship at the University Hospital Bern, Switzerland. The 3-month fellowship investigated the effects of a pro-fibrotic milieu on lung cell behavior in wound repair and implications for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

The experience of joining another research team was both stimulating and fruitful and I enjoyed both the work and social aspects of living abroad for this period. The opportunity allowed me to work with experienced researchers in the field of pulmonary fibrosis and I learnt valuable new laboratory techniques including wound repair assays and co-culture models.

The findings from the fellowship are currently being prepared for a manuscript submission and abstracts have been presented at the American Thoracic Society, and Swiss Society of Pnuemologie Annual meetings.

I would like to thank Dr Geiser and Professor Nicod for a very rewarding summer spent under their supervision and look forward to our continued collaboration.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords COPD, Pulmonary Circulation Progenitor Name RODRIGUEZ, Diego Agustín Project title Joint ERS/SEPAR Fellowship: Pulmonary Circulation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Role of Vascular Progenitor Cells into the Mechanisms of Vascular Lesion and Repair

Home Country	Argentina
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	31 May 2007
Contact Email	drodrig2@clinic.ub.es

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During my long-term ERS fellowship in Spain, I worked on a research project on airway remodelling in children with cystic fibrosis under the supervison of Professor Andrew Bush. This fascinating research project allowed me to gain insight into the clinical practice of paediatric respiratory medicine at the Royal Brompton Hospital and to learn various research techniques such as immunohistochemistry, tissue morphometry, cell culturing and immunological assays. In addition of presenting my work at several international conferences and publishing it in internationally reknown journals, I worked with various research groups and built up important collaborations. Last but not least, this fellowship in Barcelona has been a fantastic time for our whole family. We made good friends, learned at lot about the english way of life (and about the english food and weather), and even had our second child born here. Many thanks to the ERS for allowing me this unique experience!

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Pulmonary hypertension, angiopoietin-1, serotonin, cell culture Name DEWACHTER, Laurence Project title Role of angipotien and its receptor tie2 in pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension: interaction with the serotonin transporter

Home Country	Belgium
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	01 September 2005
Contact Email	ldewacht@ulb.ac.be

Summary of Fellowship Experience
After a Msc degree in Pharmacy at the Free University of Brussels, I began my PhD thesis in Cell Physiology and Molecular Biology in collaboration with the Pathophysiology Lab in Brussels (Belgium) and the INSERM U651 in Creteil (France) in September 2003. My research work focused on the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In this context, I started my ERS Research Fellowship in September 2004 and joined Dr Saadia Eddahibi and Professor Serge Adnot’s group in Creteil, France. In collaboration with the Hopital Antoine Beclere (Paris, France), I had the opportunity to work on human lung specimens obtained from PAH and control patients in order to evaluate the implication of angiopoietin and BMPR2 pathways in lung specimens and pulmonary vascular cultured cells. Therefor I learned and performed primary cell cultures of endothelial and smooth muscle cells from these human lung specimens. The work I have done there led to the Francois Brenot Award in September 2005 in the ERS Annual Meeting (Copenhaguen, Denmark) and to a publication in an international journal in November 2006 (Dewachter & al, AJRCCM, 2006 Nov, 174(9):1025-33). After that I joined Professor Robert Naeije‘s Lab in September 2006 to begin my postdoctoral training and to establish a cell culture laboratory.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords pulmonary arterial hypertension, autoimmunity, dendritic cells, regulatory T cells Name PERROS, Frederic Project title Bmpr2 mutations and dendritic cell function in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Home Country	France
Host Country	Belgium
Fellowship End date	31 March 2009
Contact Email	frederic.perros@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My ERS fellowship allowed me to join the prestigious research team of Pr Bart Lambrecht at the University of Ghent (Belgium). I learnt of lot about the dendritic cells physiology and the pulmonary immunology, and increased my skills in cell culture, imaging and flow cytometry. My post-doc in this team has led to a first author publication in the journal Allergy, the second highest journal in the field of allergy, and a co-authorship in Nature Medicine one of the leading research journals in Medicine. I also have another work currently ready for submission.
I thank ERS for giving me such a great chance.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Diaphragm EMG, respiratory drive, paralysis, diaphragm Name STEIER, Joerg Project title Measurement of neural respiratory drive with diaphragm EMG

Home Country	Germany
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 May 2006
Contact Email	joe_steier@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The early opportunity to participate in this international program was extremely helpful for my career planning. It offered the chance to focus on interesting key areas of the latest research, deepen my understanding of respiratory physiology and proceed to develop profound skills in planning, organising and undertaking my own research projects.

I learned techniques of respiratory muscle testing and electrophysiological tests of the phrenic nerves. These techniques were further used to assess patients with COPD, asthma, neuromuscular disease, obesity and in normal subjects to monitor breathing and breathlessness at daytime and in sleep.

Besides other projects, I had the chance to organise a study looking at neural respiratory drive in obstructive sleep apnoea. This study was undertaken together with the key national laboratory for respiratory diseases in Guangzhou, China. I visited Prof YM Luo, a former PhD student of my Londoner group, to work with twice.

The exchange with my peer group and the close supervision by Prof J Moxham and Dr MI Polkey were the most impressive experience and helped to make my own ideas come true.

In particular, my skills of networking, preparing a publication and fundraising were improved. This was very useful for the time after the fellowship.

In my case, I stayed in touch with both affiliations – Prof H Teschler at my home hospital in Germany and the one in the UK. I am currently undertaking a PhD thesis in the field of the respiratory muscle pump with special interest in sleep-disordered breathing being supported by my German home hospital.

A planned project of mine will look at sleep-disordered breathing at altitude in the basecamp of the Aconcagua in January 2008.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Pulmonary Hypertension Gremlin 1 Biobank Epidemiology Name O'CALLAGHAN, Dermot Stephen Project title Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension In Ireland

Home Country	Ireland
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	31 July 2009
Contact Email	dsocallaghan@yahoo.com

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Serotonin, Hypoxia, Pulmonary circulation, smooth muscle cells Name PAK, Oleg Project title The role of serotonin in hypoxic vasoconstriction of smooth muscle cells extracted from pulmonary vessels

Home Country	Kyrgyzstan
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 November 2006
Contact Email	cardio@elcat.kg

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease-Exercise-Nitric Oxide-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-Ventilation-Perfusion Mismatching Name MANRIQUE CHAVEZ, Hernán Abraham Project title Joint ERS/SEPAR Fellowship: Cardiopulmonary function, exercise and pulmonary circulation in end stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Home Country	Peru
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	31 July 2006
Contact Email	abrahammanrique@hotmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
In this year as a ERS/LTRF in the pulmonary function laboratory of Hospital Clinic-Barcelona under the group lead by Professor Robert Rodríguez-Roisín, I have acquired new skills in areas related to Pulmonary Gas Exchange with the MIGET technique. I have learned to perform bronchial challenges with direct (MCh) and novel indirect agents (AMP, mannitol, exercise) and assess airway inflammation with minimally invasive techniques (i.e. Induced Sputum and Exhaled Breath Condensate) in different asthma and COPD clinical conditions. Moreover, I was directly involved in the analysis and application of data management with graphical and statistical programs (Sigma Plot and SPSS). Finally, I have participated in the publication of the results in international journals with high impact factors.

In summary, thanks to the ERS/LTRF 185 I had the wonderful opportunity to complement my respiratory clinical background with a high level of respiratory research, and share this research-year with fellows from different countries.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords serotonin, tryptophan hydroxylase, pulmonary hypertension Name BARANOWSKA, Marta Project title Role of Tryptophan Hydroxylase 1 on the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Home Country	Poland
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 September 2008
Contact Email	mabar@amb.edu.pl

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Endothelial dysfunction, sleep apnoea, continuous positive airway pressure, cardiovascular risk Name KOHLER, Malcolm Project title Endothelial Dysfunction In Patients With Sleep Apnoea

Home Country	Switzerland
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 October 2007
Contact Email	malcolm.k@bluewin.ch

Summary of Fellowship Experience
After having finished training in Respiratory Medicine at the University Hospital of Zurich, I started my ERS long-term research fellowship in October 2006 in Oxford, UK. As my former research has focused on obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), my project was a randomised-controlled trial looking at the effects of CPAP on various aspects of endothelial function in patients with mild-moderate OSA. Thanks to the warm welcome and support by the members of the research team, it took only a few weeks before I felt integrated into the Sleep Unit of the Oxford Centre of Respiratory Medicine. During my stay in Oxford I was able to set up and conduct multiple additional studies looking at diverse aspects of vascular function in patients with OSA, some of which have already been accepted for publication by leading journals in the field of Respiratory Medicine. In 2007, I was awarded the first James B. Skatrud New Investigator Award by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) for contributions to the field of Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology. In 2008, I was invited to become a member of the program committee of the ATS (Sleep and Respiratory Neurobiology), and to speak about my research at major national and international conferences. After completing my ERS fellowship, I returned to the Pulmonary Division of the University Hospital of Zurich, and am planning exciting research projects in collaboration with my colleagues from the Sleep Unit in Oxford. Thanks to the ERS fellowship I had the opportunity to work in a new and stimulating environment, in my opinion the foundation for productive high quality research and lasting friendships.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords coronary artery disease, sleep apnoea, CPAP, randomized controlled trial Name TURGUT CELEN, Yelda Project title Randomized intervention with CPAP in coronary artery disease and obstructive sleep apnoea (RICCADSA): a long-term follow-up.

Home Country	Turkey
Host Country	Sweden
Fellowship End date	31 August 2008
Contact Email	yelda_turgut@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
In November 2008 I undertook a long term research fellowship at the University Hospital Sahlgrenska, Skövde,Sweden. Joining a friendly and helpful research team was conforting as Sweden is highly different in culture from my home country. The other exciting experience was the very cold winter and continious snow which I barely witness in my hometown. Therefore, I enjoyed both work and geographical as well as social aspects of living abroad. The period I spent in Sweden was productive as I obtained priceless information regarding research methods, preparing a manuscript as well as statistical analysis due to the opportunity I’ve been given to work with Dr.Peker who is a very experienced and excellent researcher. I would like to thank everyone in Sahlgrenska Hospital Sleep Laboratory for a very rewarding year.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords sleep apnea, gender, cardiovascular complications Name AYDEMIR, Nese Project title Gender differences and cardiovascular complications in patients with obstructive sleep apena

Home Country	Turkey
Host Country	Sweden
Fellowship End date	01 September 2006
Contact Email	naydemir@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I lived for 1 year in Sweden with my family, it was a great experince to me, living in a different country and working in a different university. The weather was so cooler than my country and the winter was so darker but my collagues were so warm and helpful, a long one year passed over quicklly with many nice rememberings, I miss my Goteborg days a lot and I will always miss them. I learned a lot of things about sleep medicine not only my proffessor but also all team in Sahlgrenska Hospital Sleep Laboratory, I want to hank all of them with my all heart in front of you, I miss you a lot ant want to meet again in a time.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords ENaC, Type II pneumocytes, patch-clamp Name SHLYONSKIY, Vadim Project title Integrated study of alveolar ion conductances using a novel in situ lung slice model

Home Country	Uzbekistan
Host Country	Belgium
Fellowship End date	31 August 2006
Contact Email	shlyonsky@hotmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Within the frameworks of this fellowship I was able to continue my research of the ion transport properties of alveolar epithelial cells.

The major aim was to elaborate a functional model of alveolar epithelium in situ, which would be suitable for electrophysiological patch-clamp examination. This aim was fully achieved in creation of a model of lung slice preparation. This lung slice model permitted us to study ion transport in alveolar Type II cells. We show that lung slices retain live alveolar Type II cells for up to three days in culture and this cells are accessible for patch-clamp pipettes and can be patched in whole-cell configuration. We characterised basic electrical properties of these cells (capacitance, cell resting membrane voltage) as well as inward cation whole-cell currents, and functional response of whole-cell currents to acute elevation of intracellular cAMP content and to chronic presence of dexamethasone.

On another hand, this fellowship permitted me to collaborate and to share experience with collegues in the host laboratory.

Assembly 5. Airway Diseases

Keywords Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, PLUNC, Biomarkers Name BERGAMO DE ARAUJO, Bianca Project title INVOLVEMENT OF PLUNCS IN INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE

Home Country	Brazil
Host Country	England
Fellowship End date	02 December 2011
Contact Email	bba@usp.br

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The principal purpose of my fellowship was gain experience of a range of new research techniques in molecular biology. The aim of the project was the investigation of the involvement of the Palate Lung Nasal Epithelium Clone (PLUNC) family in Interstitial Lung Disease. Preliminary results of this study have been presented during the ERS Congress in Amsterdam.
I would like to thank my Home Supervisor Dr Thais Mauad for supporting my application, Dr Colin Bingle and his wife Dr Lynne Bingle for hosting me and offering me the chance to develop my scientific knowledge. Work under their supervision was a memorable experience.
I would like to thank all the members of the Department of Infection and Immunity and Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology at The University of Sheffield that were very supportive, helpful and offer an exceptional scientific environment to undertake a Fellowship.
I would like to thank the ERS for providing me this unique opportunity to work in a foreign lab.

Assembly 5. Airway Diseases

Keywords β- catenin/wnt signaling pathway, Sirtuin-1, oxidative stress, COPD Name PAPAIOANNOU, Andriana Project title Role of reduced sirtuin SIRT1 on the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway as a novel mechanism of COPD pathogenesis

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	United-Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 August 2011
Contact Email	papaioannouandriana@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My fellowship was a fantastic and memorable experience. I had the opportunity to work in one of the most important research centers in Europe and to gain a lot of experience and knowledge from my colleagues and supervisors. All the researchers that I have worked with were excellent and have provided me with invaluable help. They have also spent time to teach me new techniques and to train me in numerous procedures. Additionally, they helped me improve my skills as a researcher, interpret my data and to be more open minded in using my previous results in order to plan my future steps.
My study was about the role of sirtuin-1 in the activation of wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Having results from previous studies that sirtuin-1 is decreased in COPD patients and that β-catenin related proteins are increased in COPD patients we have tested the possible relation between sirtuin-1 reduction and activation/stabilization of β-catenin. I was mainly working in cell cultures and I have used several types of cell lines. During my research I have tested the levels of β-catenin after inhibiting sirtuin-1 in several ways and after stimulating the cells with several factors causing oxidative stress. My experimental results gave me and my host supervisors many ideas on planning future research projects and I will be really happy to continue working with them by starting a collaboration between the home and the host institute. .
In conclusion I would like to thank the ERS scientific committee for giving young researchers the opportunity to work in known and important departments around the world and to suggest to young scientist to apply for and ERS fellowship.

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords airways, signal transduction, vagus, methylxanthines Name FREUND-MICHEL, Véronique Project title A novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of cough: identification of novel mechanisms involved in the inhibition of sensory nerve function

Home Country	France
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 August 2007
Contact Email	veronique.michel@u-bordeaux2.fr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Being granted by an ERS Long Term Research fellowship has been really valuable in my working career, giving me the opportunity to join the group of Pr Peter Barnes and conduct research projects under the supervision of Pr Maria Belvisi. I have in particular been given the opportunity to acquire some expertise in in vivo work, complementary to my previous in vitro experience acquired during my PhD studies. The research projects conducted during this fellowship have been successful and have lead to very interesting results. Some of them have recently been accepted for publication in the European Respiratory Journal, and another manuscript is currently submitted for publication. After this fellowship, I applied for positions back in France, and am now undertaking a permanent position as a lecturer in Pharmacology at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Bordeaux. My experience in Pr Belvisi's Group, thanks to this ERS fellowship, has definately played a major role in my success in this application. My new research group is still in the field of airway diseases, and I have kept excellent contacts with Pr Belvisi, looking at collaborative opportunities between the two groups. Being a past ERS Fellow will also be of valuable help to start making contacts and establish future collaborations with other European airway Groups.

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords substance P, NGF, allergen, Ozone Name DINH, Q. Thai Project title Mediation of neuronal responses by nerve growth factor in a mouse model of asthma and ozone exposure: role of substance P

Home Country	Germany
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 November 2007
Contact Email	q-thai.dinh@charite.de

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords Osteopontin, tolerance, lung, DCs Name ALISSAFI, Themis Project title Role of Osteopontin in the regulation of dendritic cell biology in the lung

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	Belgium
Fellowship End date	24 November 2008
Contact Email	talissafi@bioacademy.gr

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords activin-A, vitamin-D3, regulatory T cells Name Maria Semitekolou Project title Role of the cytokine activin-A in the regulation of allergic asthma

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	London
Fellowship End date	09 February 2010
Contact Email	msemi@bioacdemy.gr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
In my Home Institute we have extensive experience in mouse models of allergic airway disease however, we lack knowledge and technical expertise on immunological assays using human samples. I chose to attend Dr. C.M. Hawrylowicz’s laboratory as they have extensive experience in the study of human immune responses and also have the resources and facilities required for the proposed studies. During my stay, I gained expertise in performing new protocols to study allergic immune responses in humans. This has considerably advanced my knowledge in the field of human immunology. In addition, it has helped me obtain a broader view of the immune response regulation. This project is of significant clinical relevance and will initiate translational research studies in my Home Institute as well. I believe that translational research is particularly interesting and will advance my career in the field of respiratory medicine

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords angiogenesis, remodelling, asthma, COPD Name PUXEDDU, Ilaria Project title The role of ADAM33 in angiogenesis: implications for airway remodelling in asthma and COPD

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 October 2006
Contact Email	i.puxeddu@soton.ac.uk

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords Asthma Obesity TNF-alfa Airway inflammation Name HEFFLER, Enrico Marco Project title Obesity and Asthma

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	15 September 2007
Contact Email	enricomarco.heffler@fastwebnet.it

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords Smads, Inflammation, Fibrosis, MAPK Name MAGNO, Francesca Project title Role of Smads in bronchial inflammation/remodelling of stable COPD patients of different severity

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 May 2008
Contact Email	francymagno@libero.it

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords murine model of non-atopic asthma, immunoglobulin (Ig) free light chains, mast cell, inflammation Name KACZYNSKA, Katarzyna Project title Immunoglobulin free light chain immunotherapy in asthma

Home Country	Poland
Host Country	Netherlands
Fellowship End date	31 August 2006
Contact Email	kkacz@cmdik.pan.pl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I received an ERS long-term fellowship to carry out research: “Immunoglobulin free light chain immunotherapy in asthma” at the Department of Pharmacology & Pathophysiology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands under the guidance of Professors: Frans Nijkamp and Frank Redegeld.

This interesting research project allowed me to learn in vivo modeling of non-atopic airways inflammation and contact dermatitis in mice and various research techniques such as tissue sampling, histological examination, cell culturing, ELISA and flow cytometry.
I am also co-author of an original paper published in Clinical Experimental Allergy.
Thanks to my host institution I also had the chance to attend Workshop on Asthma in Animal Models in Hannover (Germany).

I evaluate my experience in the laboratory very highly. It was great opportunity to work in such excellent research group, among always friendly and helpful people.

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords dendritic cells, proteomics, RNA interference, mouse model asthma Name GERBER, Peter Jules Project title The Hygiene Hypothesis of atopy: the role of dendritic cells

Home Country	Switzerland
Host Country	Netherlands
Fellowship End date	30 September 2006
Contact Email	peter.gerber@insel.ch

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords allergy, children, vaccination, infection Name KARADAG, Bülent Taner Project title Prevention of allergy - Effects of vaccinations, infections and antibiotic use on sensibilisation in children related to farming and anthroposophic lifestyle

Home Country	Turkey
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	28 February 2006
Contact Email	bkaradag@hotmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
ERS Fellowship programme was a great opportunity for me to get involved in a scientific team and having experience in epidemiolgical studies. At first, I was introduced to the new area of statistics and epidemiology. Then, I enjoyed the happiness of discovering the pearls of the data sets. Everybody working in the team were so helpful and friendly to me.
When I was back to Istanbul, I realised how much experience I got in this one year period. Now, I am the Head of Peadiatric Pulmonology Subgroup in the Turkish Thoracic Society and doing my best to start multicentre studies in Turkey.
I would like to thank ERS for giving me such a great chance.

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords Regulatory Cells, Toll Like Receptors, Allergic Inflammation, Tolerance Name KUCUKSEZER, Umut Can Project title Breaking of Allergen-Specific Tolerance by Toll-Like Receptor-Activated B Cells and Dendritic Cells

Home Country	Turkey
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	31 October 2007
Contact Email	windsurferumut@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
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Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords PI-3K, GRapha, Glucocorticoid and COPD Name MARWICK, John Project title The role of PI-3K signalling on GRalpha function in COPD

Home Country	United Kingdom
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	31 May 2009
Contact Email	j.marwick@imperial.ac.uk

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I undertook my fellowship at the Centro di Ricerca su Asma e BPCO, Università di Ferrara (Ferrara, Italy) with Prof Gaetano Caramori and Prof Alberto Papi. My project was to investigate the potential role of phosphoinisitide-3 kinase in the mechanism of reduced sensitivity seen in to glucocorticoids in COPD patients.
I received an incredibly warm welcome when I arrived and was help to settle in to my apartment and get set up with the day-to-day things like banking. Ferrara itself was amazing, a stunning medieval walled town - quite a change from London! The food and wine weren’t too bad either!!! A large part of m project hinged on the access to clinical samples and patient recruitment for my study. I was given a huge amount of support on patient recruitment and sample collection by all the doctors in the clinic and by the research staff at the centre. This allowed me to complete my study within the relatively short time scale of the fellowship and even start some new studies for future collaborations.
During my study I was able to establish that the PI3Kdelta isoform may have a role in the mechanisms that induce a relative glucocorticoid insensitive lung inflammation in COPD patients. This was particularly interesting as it confirms previous results using a cigarette smoke-mediated model of relative glucocorticoid insensitivity. We will now take these studies further and look in other diseases which have an oxidant burden and are relatively insensitive the glucocorticoid treatment to see if this may be part of a wider oxidant-mediated mechanism that may be present across diseases.
A large part of this fellowship was also to gain new scientific networks and the opportunity for new collaborations. We all viewed this fellowship as the ‘beginning’ of an open-ended collaboration rather than a single period of work. I was particularly fortunate to work in a department with extremely enthusiastic people who had a passion for their research. It was fantastic to work with people who has different ideas and can see opportunities and problems from different perspectives. These collaborations have already started to show some promising results.
I would highly recommend this fellowship to anyone who is looking to take a step forward in their career. However, I cannot stress enough the importance of planning as it is such a short time scale and when you are in a new country it takes time to settle in to do even the most basic things. The more detailed planning including alterative strategies you have the more you will get out of the fellowship.

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords epidemiology,COPD,natural history Name KOHANSAL, Robab Project title Joint ERS/SEPAR Fellowship: An Interdisciplinary Group to explore the Set-up of a population cohort in the Balearic Islands to investigate the Natural History of COPD

Home Country	Austria
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	01 March 2008
Contact Email	robab.kohansal@wienkav.at

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords air pollution, lung imaging, lung function, airway reactivity Name JANOSI, Tibor Project title Effects of allergens and atmospheric gaseous pullutants on lung responsiveness: structural and functional manifestations

Home Country	Hungary
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	31 December 2008
Contact Email	janositib@yahoo.com

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords respiratory symtomp, passive smoking,COPD, lung function Name PERMANA, Firdy Project title Does ‘common’ exposure to tobacco smoke affect respiratory health of population in Indonesia?

Home Country	Indonesia
Host Country	Sweden
Fellowship End date	31 August 2007
Contact Email	firdyp@yahoo.com

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords air pollution; perception; respiratory health; socioeconomic and demographic conditions Name GRILLO, Francesca Project title PErception of Polluted Air and respiratory health within 8 European countries (acronym PEPA). Role of demography and socio-economic factors.

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	31 May 2006
Contact Email	grillo@free.fr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Our project wanted to investigate how socio-economic and demographic status modulate the interrelationships between indoor air pollution, perception and respiratory health condition (chronic diseases and symptoms). Data from WHO Housing and Health Survey (www.euro.who.int/housing): 8 European cities; 3,373 dwellings, 8,519 individuals, all ages.
After analysis (Multiple Corrispondence Analysis to construct synthetic indicators of SES and Demographic characteristics and Hierarchical Classification to classify subjects; Logistic Regression to assess relationship between health outcomes with respondent’s characteristics), was assessed that more disfavoured people had higher risk of respiratory diseases and symptoms. Asthma attack during precedent twelve months wasn’t associated to SES, but only to geographical differences.

Considering different variables as proxy of SES lead to different results. In surveys more data are needed to assess better SES at all different levels (individual, household and area or neighbourhood level), so allowing detecting and identifying appropriately respiratory health inequalities and areas of intervention, and then defining efficient individual and collective preventive measures.
Overall, the study of the relationship between perception and respiratory diseases should rest on the implementation of standardised indicators of SES and demographic characteristics, that must be appropriate and must consider all the various dimensions of socio-economic and demographic factors into account.

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords Ultrafine particles, PM2.5, Respiratory effects, Cardiovascular effects Name ALFARO-MORENO, Ernesto Project title Mechanisms of the respiratory and cardiovascular effects of pollutants particles: ex-vivo and in vitro approaches

Home Country	Mexico
Host Country	Belgium
Fellowship End date	24 January 2007
Contact Email	ealfaro@salud.gob.mx

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Receiving an ERS fellowship has been a crucial event in my development as a scientist. As a Mexican, with a background in biochemistry and toxicology related to environmental pollution and cancer, the chance to interact with the leading groups of respiratory research in Europe is a great opportunity. The time I have been at the K.U. Leuven has been very productive, and the encouraging academic atmosphere leads to try new and exciting ideas. For instance, we developed a novel system of multiple co-cultures of pneumocytes, macrophages and mast cells to evaluate the inflammatory effects of urban particulate matter. Technically, the challenge was big, and the first 6 months, the project was leading to nowhere, that’s why I consider that 12 months is a short period for original scientific research, and extensions in scholarships would be fantastic to consolidate the work of the postdoctoral fellow. The ERS scholarship allowed my family to have a very good quality of life. Living in Belgium is a very nice experience, and Leuven is a very international city, with people from all the continents. Getting the visa to live in Belgium could take up to 3 months when moving with a family. Although it is easy to communicate in English with most of people in Belgium, learning basic Dutch or French in advance would help to have a better integration in the daily life.

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords Tuberculosis, Russia, immunological analysis Name BALABANOVA, Yanina Project title A modern approach to the molecular epidemiological, radiological and immunological analysis of tuberculosis in Samara, Russia

Home Country	Russia
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 September 2005
Contact Email	yaninabalabanova@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The principle objective of the fellowship was: To perform modern molecular epidemiological, radiological and immunological analysis of tuberculosis (TB) in Samara, Russia. The proposed research consisted of 3 parts:
1. Comparative radiological analysis of tuberculosis (TB)
2. Molecular comparative analysis for Beijing and non Beijing family isolates- clinical, demographic, radiological and drug resistance as factors associated with infection with TB strains of the Beijing family.
3. Pilot analysis of the utility of a gamma-interferon assay ESAT 6 assay for the clinical diagnosis of TB and the assessment of treatment success or cure.
I was based at the host institution 60% of my time, during the rest of the time performing field-work in Russia. The research group at the host institution was very friendly and helpful, there was a continuous interaction with the supervisor and his valuable support that enabled me to successfully achieve the goals and objectives of the fellowship as well as to adapt to the new working environment. All studies were completed; results are published in peer-reviewed international journals.

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords power laws, airway, paediatric, asthma Name THAMRIN, Cindy Project title Variability of airway calibre in healthy and asthmatic children as a predictor for disease severity in asthma

Home Country	Australia
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	30 October 2007
Contact Email	cindyt@ichr.uwa.edu.au

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords Lung Development, Paediatric Asthma, Paediatric Allergy, Protective Environments Name FUCHS, Oliver Project title Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors, Respiratory Symptoms and Lung Development in Infants and Children

Home Country	Germany
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	30 June 2010
Contact Email	oliver.fuchs@med.uni-muenchen.de

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During the project period and during the stay in the Host Institution (University Children’s Hospital Bern, Prof. Urs Frey, MD PhD) the recipient has analyzed data from infant lung function testing, including measurements of tidal breathing (TBFVL), multiple breath washouts (MBW) using sulfurhexafluoride as tracer gas, interrupter measurements (Rint) and measurements of exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) in a cohort of healthy term-born infants 5 weeks after gestation, the Bern Infant Lung Development (BILD) cohort.
Data from infant lung function has been used to publish equipment-specific normative data for infant lung function tests (TBFVL, MBW, Rint) and eNO. In addition, a comprehensive review of the BILD cohort, a so-called Cohort Profile, has been recently accepted for publication. This describes in detail the study background, the study aims, the study design, involved data collection including objective measurements and all findings published so far since its implementation in 1999.
Currently, lung function data derived during the BILD follow-up at age six years (n=184) is being analyzed to assess tracking of lung function and eNO in concert with the impact thereon by genetic risk factors (i.e. SNPs in genes relevant for detoxification of outdoor air pollutants, airway branching, alveolarization, childhood asthma and childhood wheeze) and outdoor or indoor air pollution. The genetic analysis will be performed in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Michael Kabesch, Hannover Medical School using the latest DNA Chip technology (Illumina 750 Quad) for the whole genome association study (GWAS) of study participants’ DNA. Due to limited power, the resulting GWAS dataset will be analyzed in a hypothesis-driven approach as described above. This is planned to be finalized until February 2011, and results will then be published.
Work at the laboratory also provided other opportunities: (1) applying multilevel modelling on data derived from the BILD cohort, such as assessing the effect of outdoor air pollution on respiratory symptoms during the first year of life and (2) being involved in the development of other lung function tests in the laboratory, e.g. a single-breath washout technique using two inert gases as tracer gases.
In cooperation with the Home Institution in Munich (University Children’s Hospital Munich, Prof. Erika von Mutius, MD MSc), further data have been obtained in two large EU-funded multicenter studies, the GABRIEL consortium (FP6, n=895) and the EFRAIM birth cohorts (FP7, n=1,000). Here the Bernese Host Institution was involved in organization of lung function and eNO measurements in a cross-sectional study about the influence of farming environments on lung function and eNO in rural populations in alpine regions (Austria, Germany, Switzerland; GABRIEL) and in five European birth cohorts (Austria, Finland, France, Germany Switzerland; EFRAIM) also assessing the influence of farming environments on the same outcomes, but in a prospective setup. Data analyses of GABRIEL results have been completed and are currently being published. Data collection during the EFRAIM project will be completed until January 2011 and publications derived from this project are planned for 2011 continuing the close collaboration between the Host Institution in Bern and the Home Institution in Munich.
Due to further funding that could meanwhile be obtained, the final return of the LTRF recipient to Munich is currently planned for end of 2011 as opposed to the original plan of returning there end of 2010. After the return, the recipient of the fellowship will finish his training in paediatrics, will implement infant lung function measurement in the Host Institution in Munich and will continue research in the comprehensive research field of childhood airway disease as part of the group of Prof. Erika von Mutius.

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords asthma and atopy, children, genetic variants, innate immunity Name TESSE, Riccardina Project title Genetic alterations in the innate immune system and their effects on respiratory diseases

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	31 March 2011
Contact Email	nucciatesse@googlemail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During my ERS Fellowship I was part of the research group of Professor Dr Michael Kabesch (Department of Pediatric Pneumology, Allergy and Neonatology, Hannover Medical School), which is dedicated to elucidate the genetic susceptibility and the molecular background of asthma and allergies.

I was involved in a research project on the relevance of genetic alterations in the innate immunity pathway. This included an extensive data mining and subsequent genotyping in a large population of German origin. I specifically focused on the influence of genetic variations in Toll-like receptors (TLRs) genes on asthma and atopy in childhood.

I carried out laboratory experiments, contributing to the preparation of plasmid DNA containing specific TLRs promoter constructs to be followed up in functional studies.

I have systematically reviewed the most recent published articles on the effect of genetic variation in TLR pathway genes in allergy-related diseases (Tesse et al., Allergy 2011), and conducted an intensive literature search on common aspects between asthma and endocrinopathies, focusing on the potential benefit of comparative genetic analyses between asthma and endocrine diseases (Tesse et al., Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 2010).

The ERS fellowship provided me with a great opportunity to establish collaborations between the home and host institute. Additionally, I improved my skills in preparing scientific proposals, designing research projects, performing experiments and communicating scientific results. This fellowship year has been a memorable experience not only for the results of the research I conducted but also because it gave me the unique possibility to work with an European well-established group under supervision of Professor Dr Michael Kabesch.

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords Primary ciliary dyskinesia, spirometry, nutritional status Name MAGLIONE, Marco Project title Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia: raising standards through the development of a quality improvement tool

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	04 July 2011
Contact Email	maglione84@libero.it

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I’m glad to submit the end-of- fellowship report of my experience at the Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK, where I spent six extremely interesting months under Prof A. Bush’s supervision. During the fellowship I was given the opportunity to participate to the intense clinical activity of the Department of Paediatric Pulmonology and I strongly improved my research skills, particularly carrying out a project in the field of primary ciliary dyskinesia.
The research project I developed focused on the evaluation of nutritional status and lung function over time in subjects with primary ciliary dyskinesia. In the development of such project I had the unique opportunity of attending the respiratory clinics at the Royal Brompton Hospital experiencing a useful comparison between the managements of paediatric respiratory diseases in London and in my Home centre.
Furthermore, I had the possibility to attend the bronchoscopy sessions and the X-ray meetings, that represented valuable occasions to improve my knowledge of how some complicated clinical situations are managed in a highly-specialized tertiary care centre.
I would like to thank all the colleagues I met at the Royal Brompton Hospital who contributed to create an extremely stimulating research setting and the ERS Scientific committee for giving me the opportunity to experience the activities of a prestigious Department and to encourage young researchers and fellows to apply for an ERS fellowship.

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords pre-school, atopic and non-atopic wheeze, respiratory function tests, respiratory phenotype Name BASTARDO, Maria Cristina Rebelo Mendes Project title Evaluation of the nature and severity of airway dysfunction in wheezy preschool children

Home Country	Portugal
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 August 2007
Contact Email	cmbasta@hotmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During the fellowship I had the opportunity to learn the essential aspects of research methodology and actively participate in a research project with an internationally recognised team that allowed me to acquire skills related to methodological and analytical issues associated with lung function tests in young children. I am very pleased with all the support and training I had during this fellowship.
The ERS fellowship provided an exceptional opportunity to increase my skills in preparing scientific proposals, designing research projects, pursuing scientific thought processes and in critical discussion and interpretation of study results; all essential aspects of research methodology which I intend to use in future research in paediatric respiratory field in my home Institution. This will also include teaching and helping to create a greater interest in the field of paediatric respiratory medicine and physiology in Portugal. It certainly was a very complete and fulfilling fellowship.

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords lung injury; mechanical ventilation; prevention; children Name CANNIZZARO, Vincenzo Project title Strategies to prevent ventilator associated lung injury in children

Home Country	Switzerland
Host Country	Australia
Fellowship End date	30 June 2008
Contact Email	vincenzo.cannizzaro@kispi.uzh.ch

Summary of Fellowship Experience
From the professional point of view it has been an interesting, valuable, and instructive experience which allowed me to achieve my preset goals. Thanks to the ERS/ELF fellowship I gained practical experience in the design, methodology, and conduct of basic research studies. Moreover, I was also trained in basic laboratory techniques, animal handling, and tissue sampling and processing. Furthermore, using sophisticated and unique techniques I became skilled at measuring lung function in mechanically ventilated small rodents. In addition, I learnt how to interpret and deal with scientific literature, how to write ethics and research grant applications, and how to publish results in scientific journals. Finally, in an attempt to reduce the gap between experimental and clinical research in the pediatric field of ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI), I developed different acute lung injury infant rat models. In summary, thanks to the ERS/ELF research fellowship I was able to carry out basic research projects and to acquire knowledge, skills, and techniques for my future research activity in the area of pediatric VALI

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords cystic fibrosis inflammation remodeling infant Name REGAMEY, Nicolas Project title Is there any relationship between early onset of inflammation and structural airway wall changes in cystic fibrosis?

Home Country	Switzerland
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 June 2006
Contact Email	N.Regamey@imperial.ac.uk

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During my long-term ERS fellowship in London, I worked on a research project on airway remodelling in children with cystic fibrosis under the supervison of Professor Andrew Bush. This fascinating research project allowed me to gain insight into the clinical practice of paediatric respiratory medicine at the Royal Brompton Hospital and to learn various research techniques such as immunohistochemistry, tissue morphometry, cell culturing and immunological assays. In addition of presenting my work at several international conferences and publishing it in internationally reknown journals, I worked with various research groups and built up important collaborations. Last but not least, this fellowship in London has been a fantastic time for our whole family. We made good friends, learned at lot about the english way of life (and about the english food and weather…), and even had our second child born here. Many thanks to the ERS for allowing me this unique experience!

Assembly 9. Allied Respiratory Professionals

Keywords COPD – Integrated Care – Home Hospitalization Name GODOY, Ilda Project title Integrated care for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD: a new healthcare concept)

Home Country	Brazil
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	27 September 2011
Contact Email	ildadegodoy@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The Fellowship allowed a better understanding, knowledge, and skills development in (the):
1. importance of the effects of telemedicine tools, such as an intervention program of Integrated Care for patients with COPD compared with conventional care;
2. difference between groups of patients who do or do not use these tools in terms of utilization of health services: number of hospitalizations, time to first readmission, length of stay and number of visits to the emergency room;
3. difference between patient groups in terms of mortality, quality of life, respiratory symptoms, depression and anxiety;
4. cost effectiveness of telemedicine interventions as part of integrated care compared with usual care for patients with COPD;
5. organizational impact of implementing the intervention of telemedicine in health services;
6. compliance with treatment and self management of disease.
7. Description of the clinical characteristics, functional status and profile of fragility of the participating patients,
8. Improve coordination between levels of care (primary care vs tertiary) with social support.

Therefore, the work can fulfill its primary purpose the acquisition of knowledge and skills development and skills in new information and communication technologies in health and scientific monitoring of activities carried out, thus bringing benefits to complete vocational training, academic and research in this area of activity which will allow deployment of the integrated care in the institution to which he belongs and, if requested, will advise the Ministry of Health of Brazil.

Assembly 9. Allied Respiratory Professionals

Keywords COPD, exercise, ribcage, symptoms Name ALBUQUERQUE, Andre Luis Pereira Project title The role of paradoxical ribcage movement in determining symptoms and exercise performance in stable COPD

Home Country	Brazil
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 August 2008
Contact Email	andrebauru@terra.com.br

Assembly 9. Allied Respiratory Professionals

Keywords Magnetic Stimulation Training Weaning Name MAREI, Zeyad Project title The Effect of Repetitive Magnetic Stimulation Training on Quadriceps Muscle Function in Patients Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation

Home Country	Egypt
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 June 2009
Contact Email	zamfus@gmail.com

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Lung Cancer, Pleural Disease, Bronchoscopy, Thoracoscopy Name BREEN, David Patrick Project title Interventional Pulmonology in Ireland

Home Country	Ireland
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	31 August 2007
Contact Email	davidpbreen@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords COPD, exercise capacity, pulmonary rehabilitation Name CIOBANU, Laura Project title Examination of the time course of changes in health status and exercise capacity following a pulmonary rehabilitation programme in COPD patients

Home Country	Romania
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	28 August 2006
Contact Email	lauraciobanu@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Starting as an internal medicine specialist I have decided a few years ago to continue my career into the chest medicine field. The section I’m working in since 1991 has had from its opening a cardio-pulmonary rehabilitation special interest based on an old experience and limited professional training. It was a must to improve my theoretical and practical knowledge by an overseas activity. Through its fellowship programme the ERS offered me the opportunity to fulfil my wish. I was so lucky to be accepted and trained by the much regretted Dr Timothy Griffiths, a wonderful person and professional, who unfortunately has passed away by the end of my fellowship. Meeting Dr Griffiths and its team was an unforgivable experience in terms of information, training, advice and directly seeing the results of their work. I came back home with lot of information on pulmonary rehabilitation and smoking cessation, knowing very well how to organize a special unit dedicated both to in and out patients. I was happy enough to largely open my heart to the Celtic culture, baroque music and beauty that Britain land generously offers to everyone.

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords lung function, infants, asthma, EMG Name HUTTEN, Gerard Jeroen Project title Lung function testing in infants, electrical activity of respiratory muscles; an indirect measure to follow the course of disease, and to measure reversibility in infants with recurrent wheezing illness

Home Country	Netherlands
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	31 May 2006
Contact Email	G.J.Hutten@amc.uva.nl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
It was a great experience to colloborate with prof dr Frey and to learn the infant lung function and to validated the electromyography of the respiratory muscles. The latest method provides additional information about the control of breathing in infants.

The results are interesting and have led to publications and two presentations on the ERS Congress (Stockholm and Berlin)

I will finish my PhD in january 2009.

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords allergy, asthma, diagnose, techniques Name STOICA, Ion Gabriel Project title The approach of the respiratory diseases seen in the light of allergology

Home Country	Romania
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	01 July 2007
Contact Email	ion.gabriel@xnet.ro

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I would like to thank to the ERS for the great chance an opportunity you have given me by granting the LTTF fellowship. I like also to give all my gratitude to all the staff of my host Clinic, especially to Prof Giuseppe Girbino, the manager of the Respiratory Diseases Clinic from the University Policlinic in Messina, Italy.

The purpose of the training probation chosen by me was to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge that make me able to diagnose, treat and follow patients with respiratory diseases in which the etiology is also allergic.

It was a wonderful experience this possibility of getting into a University Clinic where the accumulated knowledge, the techniques I have learnt, the professional and friendly contacts make me to the end, to be content with myself.

In a few words, I have performed my activity, which is the same as the type of the fellowship, within a Clinic where I have participated to seeing the patients, to the sessions for discussing the cases, to the classes of the professor-director of the clinic for doctors under specialization.

In addition, by the goodwill of the staff I was able to participate to all the scientific events, congresses, symposiums, improving classes, etc.
The main activity has performed within the department and the respiratory allergology ambulatory, where I have assimilated the practical diagnosis techniques, interpretation of the results and treatment techniques, but most of all; I had the possibility of seeing the evolution of the patients in order to establish their efficiency.

Within the clinic, there are periodically organized suggestion sessions on research themes to which I have always participated. During one of these sessions I have proposed a prospective study theme regarding the report between the complex treatment of bronchial asthma associated to allergic rhinitis and the duration of this and of the disease.

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords siRNA, Nanoplexes, pulmonary infections Name DANDEKAR, Prajakta Project title Nanomedicine Approach for Targeting Mannose Receptors of Alveolar Macrophages for Improved GeneTherapy of Infectious Lung Diseases

Home Country	India
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	31 July 2011
Contact Email	praj_dan@hotmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I have been a Postdoctoral researcher at Helmholtz Institute of Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS), Saarbrucken, Germany on the ERS/Marie Curie Joint Research Fellowship (RESPIRE program). My research involved formulation of siRNA loaded nanoplexes employing a novel class of positively charged polymers, the polyrotaxanes and studying their cellular uptake, cellular safety and biological efficacy. The ultimate objective was to provide safe and efficacious ‘nanomedicine’ approach for treatment of lethal pulmonary infections through siRNA delivery to alveolar macrophages, the reservoirs of infectious intracellular parasites.
This fellowship awarded me an excellent opportunity to conduct my research in a different scientific and cultural setting. It was a wonderful opportunity to build-up a good scientific network and discuss and execute my ideas on an international platform. This fellowship has presented me with an opportunity to participate in the panel discussion and present my research results and fellowship experience on the wide platform of ERS Annual Congress, a wonderful opportunity to connect with peers and eminent scientists involved in Respiratory research. The research work carried out during the fellowship tenure received a good response at the scientific conferences, from scientists involved in multi-disciplinary research. During these meetings I had an opportunity for making professional associations with experts and peers, from Germany and other countries, with whom I hope to work on collaborative projects. Further, the work burgeoned into some new scientific ideas which presented me with additional association with my Host Institute. Thus the fellowship period was highly beneficial and satisfactory in scientific terms. I am thankful to my Host supervisor, Prof. Dr. Claus-Michael Lehr and ERS/ Marie Curie co-fund for making this possible.
The tenure of this fellowship has also been instrumental in shaping my attitude towards good research, management and networking skills which I can apply upon my return back to my Home Institute. The work conducted and experimental skills acquired also supported me to secure the position of an Assistant Professor at my Home Institute (Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technology, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, India). Upon my return to my Home Institute I intend to work in the area of respiratory research and be an active member of future ERS endeavours.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords asthma, exercise training, pulmonary rehabilitation, airway remodeling, immunopathology, dendritic cells Name DE PAULA VIEIRA, Rodolfo Project title Evaluation of the Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Anti-inflammatory Effects of Aerobic Exercise in a Murine Model of Asthma

Home Country	Brazil
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	20 June 2011
Contact Email	rodrelena@yahoo.com.br

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I and my family had a very good personal experience during my ERS/Marie Curie Fellowship. The fellowship was developed in Germany in a good lab focused on study of pathophysiology and pre-clinical studies of asthma, COPD, ARDS and pulmonary fibrosis. In this lab I had the opportunity to bring and share my previous knowledge related with lung pathology and immunopathology and also to learn some more techniques in the field of cell and molecular biology. The support that we received from ERS team was really commendable. This was a unique opportunity offered by ERS, Marie Curie Foundation and European Union to really stimulate my career development. My study was focused in the evaluation of the effects of aerobic exercise training on chronic allergic airway inflammation and remodeling. More specifically, the study investigated some cellular and molecular via of the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise training in animal models of “asthma”, i.e. on the extracellular nucleotide (ATP) pathway and also on the dendritic cells maturation and activation. This was an interesting study showing that aerobic exercise reduces the levels of pulmonary extracellular ATP, which is now recognized as an important mediator of pulmonary inflammation. The study also demonstrated that chronic aerobic exercise training modulates dendritic cells maturation and function, what could be involved in the possible mechanism for the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise for asthma.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords acute lung injury, cell therapy, mechanical ventilation, lung inflammation Name CHIMENTI, Laura Project title Potential therapeutic effects of stem cells in a rat model of acute lung injury

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	27 September 2011
Contact Email	laurachimenti@yahoo.it

Summary of Fellowship Experience
As ERS/Marie Curie Fellow I joined the Unit of Biophysics and Bioengineering, at University of Barcelona, Spain, supervised by Prof. Ramon Farré. The work of this group is based on an interdisciplinary approach, with integration between basic and clinical research in respiratory pathophysiology. The main objectives are to study the biophysical mechanisms determining respiratory function, and the development of models and methodsfor the processing of biomedical images and signals. The aim of my project was to assess whether pre-treatment with bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) could attenuate ventilator induced lung injury (VILI) in an acute rat model induced by high tidal volume ventilation. We also investigated whether intravenous or intratracheal administration of MSCs would result in the same potential reduction of VILI. The results obtained in this highvolume ventilation experimental model confirmed the hypothesis that MSCs may contribute to prevent the lung injury induced by high amplitude mechanical ventilation. The early potential therapeutic effect of MSCs was similar for both local (intratracheal) and systemic (intravenous) infusion. However, MSCs were localized in lung tissue only in case that these cells were injected intravenously, whilst MSCs intratracheally applied were only found in broncoalveolar lavage fluid. Our findings received good scientific feedbacks at the ERS Congress 2011, in Amsterdam, and provided me with new international scientific contacts to boost my professional career. Furthermore, the manuscript describing the project results was recently accepted for publication at the European Respiratory Journal. I’m very grateful to the ERS for giving me the opportunity to join this excellent group and I’m really satisfied of what I did during my ERS/Marie Curie fellowship in the Barcelona lab. I was trained to be able to work with animals, mechanical ventilation and MSCs, I acquired expertise in new techniques and increased my knowledge in a field that was new to me. I exchanged my laboratory expertise with my junior and senior colleagues and improved my skills as a researcher in respiratory pathophysiology. Moreover, I learned a foreign language and established new professional contacts that gave me new job opportunities. Specifically, I was offered a position as post-doctoral researcher in the group of Dr. Antonio Artigas, Laboratory of Translational Research and CIBERes in the Department of Critical Care Center, Hospital de Sabadell, Spain.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, treatment, pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, pulmonary endothelial cells Name DE MAN, Frances Project title Cross-talk between endothelial dysfunction and smooth muscle cell hyperplasia in patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension: a novel approach by transcriptome profiling

Home Country	The Netherlands
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	01 March 2011
Contact Email	fs.deman@vumc.nl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The ERS/Marie Curie Fellowship allowed me to work as post-doctoral researcher at the prestigious laboratory of prof.dr. Marc Humbert and dr. Saadia Eddahibi in Paris (France). To work with human specimens and perform research with cell cultures of pulmonary artery smooth muscle and endothelial cells was challenging, but everybody was patient and eager to teach me how to use these techniques. Furthermore, the laboratory has a tremendous amount of techniques running and ready to use, which saved me a lot of time at the beginning of the project. The atmosphere between the different research groups is good and a wide knowledge about the pathophysiology of PAH is present. This fellowship has brought me all what I had expected and I would highly recommend this institute for possible future ERS fellows.

Assembly 5. Airway Diseases

Keywords Short-chain fatty acids, asthma, dendritic cells, airway inflammation Name TROMPETTE, Aurélien Project title Short-chain fatty acids are potent modulators of allergic airway inflammation

Home Country	France
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	20 June 2011
Contact Email	aurelien.trompette@chuv.ch

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The goal of my ERS / Marie Curie fellowship project was to investigate the impact of short-chain fatty acids on airway inflammation using a mouse model of asthma and identify the molecular pathways through which they exert their function in order to translate the obtained results into translational reality.

During the course of my ERS fellowship, we have found that short-chain fatty acids have intrinsic immunomodulatory functions with the ability to dampen lung inflammation in a mouse model of acute and more chronic allergic asthma using either the cat allergen Fel d 1 or an house dust mite extract, respectively.

Regarding my degree of satisfaction with the ERS fellowship, I can honestly say that the ERS fellowship allowed me to thrive, both scientifically and personally. Indeed, it gave me the opportunity to gain more experience in my field of interest: research. I acquired new techniques and knowledge and had access to new- cutting-edge- technologies. I could improve my basic research skills and interact with a new scientific and clinical community. Being granted by an ERS Research fellowship has been really valuable in my working career, giving me the opportunity to join the group of Pr. Benjamin Marsland at the CHUV in Lausanne and ultimately, at the end of my fellowship, I was offered a permanent position in the same division to complete my ERS fellowship project and start new ones based on the questions that have risen during the course of my ERS fellowship. Being a past ERS Fellow will also be of valuable help to establish new collaborations with other scientific or clinical groups in Europe.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Thrombosis, angiogenesis, endothelium Name Sherin Puthenkalam Project title Cell-dependent thrombolysis

Home Country	Austria
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	14 April 2010
Contact Email	sherin.puthenkalam@meduniwien.ac.at

Summary of Fellowship Experience
For three months I performed experimental studies during an ERS Short term Research Fellowship at the laboratory of Prof. Klaus T. Preissner at the Institute of Biochemistry, Medical School, Justus-Liebig University Giessen, Germany
.
I studied the role of angiogenesis in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), a late sequelae of venous thromboembolism affecting 0.1 to 8.8 % patients surviving symptomatic pulmonary embolism. CTEPH is characterized by non-resolving thrombi in the pulmonary arteries leading to right heart failure and death. We hypothesized that thrombus non-resolution in CTEPH results from dysfunctional thrombus angiogenesis.

I acquired many state-of-the-art skills in molecular and cell biological techniques, especially the angiogenesis assays such as spheroid and sprouting Assays. With these methods and other technologies I shall be able to expand my experimental approaches.

Two-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel-electrophoretic (PAGE) analysis of proteins from CTEPH thrombi was carried out and compared with fresh pulmonary emboli. Coomassie staining of the 2D-gels revealed that both categories of thrombi have a completely different proteomic pattern.

Furthermore, Western Blot analysis of CTEPH thrombi was performed by 1D-SDS PAGE using panels of antibodies against molecules relevant in angiogenesis, e.g. vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiogenin, plasminogen and angiostatin.
Different approaches were undertaken to integrate the CTEPH thrombi in angiogenesis assays to investigate its angiogenic potential.

Three months were too short to gain statistically meaningful results, but those will be obtained in the upcoming months.

This fellowship was a unique opportunity to work in a foreign lab, exchange knowledge, gain international research contacts and make new friends. During my stay at the Host Institution, Prof. Klaus Preissner and the members of his laboratory were very supportive and helpful and made my stay in Giessen enjoyable.

This fellowship deepened the long-term collaboration between the Institute of Biochemistry, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Germany (host Institute) and the Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria (home Institute).
I would like to thank the ERS for providing me with this opportunity, Professor Klaus T. Preissner for hosting me, and Professor Irene M. Lang for supporting my application and providing my research background.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords airway remodelling, smoking, COPD, tumorigenesis Name MIKES, Romana Project title The expression and potential role of the airway remodelling gene ADAM33 in smoking induced COPD and tumorigenesis

Home Country	Austria
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 September 2011
Contact Email	r.mikes@salk.at

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary fibrosis, proteoglycans, glycosaminoglycans Name PAPAKONSTANTINOU, Eleni Project title Glycosaminoglycan and proteoglycan dysregulation during interstitial remodelling in lung diseases

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	31 August 2005
Contact Email	epap@med.auth.gr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The 2 month ERS research fellowship was of great importance since it provided the key initial step for a long-term collaboration between the Medical Schools of the University of Giessen, Germany (Host Institute) and the University of Thessaloniki, Greece (Home Institute). This collaboration aims to elucidate the role of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in lung diseases with emphasis on pulmonary hypertension and fibrosis. Part of the results obtained so far during this active collaboration was already presented in International Conferences and two scientific papers have been prepared for publication.
Furthermore, during my stay at the laboratory of Dr. Oliver Eickelberg, I had the opportunity to acquire state-of-the-art skills in molecular and cell biological techniques. These techniques are now applied and disseminated to other colleagues and Ph.D. students at Home Institute and offered multiple opportunities of Ph.D. theses on pulmonary research.
Finally, during my stay at the Host Institution and thereafter, Dr. Oliver Eickelberg and the members of his laboratory were always very supportive and helpful and made my stay in Giessen agreeable and our on going collaboration vigorous and productive.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Interstitial Lung Disease, pulmonary fibrosis Name Margaritopoulos Georgios Project title Scleroderma Lung Disease: is smoking-related damage increased in prevalence, and does smoking status influence outcome?

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	14 November 2008
Contact Email	gmargaritop@yahoo.gr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During my fellowship I had the privilege to work with a world-wide expert in the field of interstitial lung diseases like Prof AU Wells. That was a memorable experience and the knowledge gained helped me to offer a better care to patients with ILD’s upon my return to my home institute.

The purpose of my fellowship was to find out whether smoking is implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis and lung involvement and moreover if it has an influence in outcome. During these three months I have made a database with information that I have collected from the medical records of patients from the Interstitial Lung Disease Unit at Royal Brompton Hospital and I participated in the evaluation of emphysema and lung fibrosis using the high resolution CT scan. Preliminary results of this study have been presented during the recent ERS congress in Vienna, and we are almost ready for the manuscript submission.

Prof. Wells have also encouraged me to participate at clinical meetings and out-patient clinics which offered me the opportunity to be more familiar with the clinical approach, diagnosis, and therapy of patients with interstitial lung diseases.

I would like to thank Prof. Wells and his colleagues for these very rewarding three months spent under their supervision and look forward to our continued collaboration.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords COPD, labelling, mental health, quality of life Name KOTZ, Daniel Project title The effects of labelling on health perception, mental health, and quality of life in smokers with previously undetected chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Home Country	Netherlands
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	26 October 2007
Contact Email	d.kotz@hag.unimaas.nl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I am an epidemiologist with particular interest in tobacco research. The ERS Short Term
Research Fellowship offered me the opportunity to collaborate with one of the world's leading researchers in this field and his team; Prof. Robert West. I worked on two projects during my fellowship. First, I analyzed data from my home institution's smoking cessation trial in smokers with previously undetected COPD. I was interested in the underlying psychological mechanisms of a treatment that uses confrontation with spirometry for smoking cessation. Second, I used the host institution's data from a large cross-sectional household survey on smoking in England. I evaluated variation across social grades in rates of attempts to stop smoking; use of smoking cessation medication and NHS Stop Smoking Services; and success rates of quit attempts. This fellowship was a great experience to me. I learned a lot from the expertise of the host institution's researchers. We produced two articles that are currently under review. Most importantly, this fellowship resulted in an ongoing collaboration between the two institutes. I have been invited to London two more times since then to work on new projects, and I have involved prof. West in our latest grant application for a new smoking cessation trial. I can recommend every (young) researcher to collaborate in an international network and to use the opportunities of a research fellowship.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords COPD, exacerbation, inflammation, oxidative stress Name BATHOORN, Derk Project title Role of gastro-esophageal reflux in COPD

Home Country	Netherlands
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 February 2007
Contact Email	d.bathoorn@mca.nl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Experience:
It was an unique opportunity to work in a foreign lab, exchange knowledge, make new friends who work in the same field, and, not unimportant, I had a great time in Edinburgh!

Achievements:
o Gained international research contacts
o Learned new labaratory techniques, and introduced these to the affiliation of origin.
o Published a review with host supervisor and wrote an original research manuscript, to be submitted

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords COPD, tobacco, prevalence, diagnostics Name ANDREEVA, Elena Project title RESearch on the PrEvalence and the diagnosis of COPD and it’s Tobacco related etiology (the RESPECT study) PART I

Home Country	Russian Federation
Host Country	Belgium
Fellowship End date	17 December 2011
Contact Email	klmn.69@mail.ru

Summary of Fellowship Experience
As the ERS fellowship recipient I became an associate member of the research group of professor Jean-Marie Degryse in the Université Catholique de Louvain during period of three month. The main objective of my fellowship was the preparation for the RESPECT study (RESearch on the PrEvalence and the diagnosis of COPD and it’s Tobacco related etiology). This is a collaborative project between Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium), the St. Petersburg Medical Academy of Postgraduate Study and the Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk (Russian Federation). I have been focusing on the design of the RESPECT study, an in depth study of epidemiological research methods and multivariate analysis, and the study of the collection methods and laboratory techniques needed to analyze the cellular elements in induced sputum.
My ERS fellowship was a unique experience from different point of view. With a great intellectual support from my promoter professor Jean-Marie Degryse I applied to PhD position and achieved it. I had possibility to collaborate with excellent scientists. I had a chance to know nice country as Belgium is, I enjoyed of its culture and cuisine, and communication with different people from different parts of the world.
I am greatly thankful to the ERS Scientific Committee for haven given me this opportunity to improve my professional skills, develop my scientific carrier and to continue my research. As a associated professor of my Home Institute I can share my knowledge and experience with my colleagues and postgraduate students, and help my COPD patients in better way.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Asthma, Childhood, Inhaled corticosteroids, Pharmacogenetics Name KOSTER, Ellen Project title Pharmacogenetics of anti-inflammatory treatment in asthma

Home Country	The Netherlands
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	21 April 2011
Contact Email	e.koster@uu.nl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During the last phase of my PhD project, I applied for an ERS short term fellowship to be able to do research outside the Netherlands. Since I had been working mainly with epidemiological data and our department has not a lab of his own, I felt that I needed to learn more about lab techniques. As the Population Pharmacogenetics group at the University of Dundee in Dundee (United Kingdom) has great experience in the field of population pharmacogenetics, I contacted Prof. Dr. Colin Palmer for the possibility to work in his group for a month.

It is very important to obtain more insight in asthma treatment response, as approximately 10% of the asthmatic patients are poor therapy responders. During my fellowship in Dundee I learned a lot about genotyping and genotyped almost 70 SNPs in around 600 samples of our own PACMAN cohort. In addition, we are now working on genotyping these SNPs in the Dundee BREATHE study. Both studies are very similar and therefore, this cohort would be very suitable for replication of findings.


Although the project took only 1 month, I really learned a lot about the techniques that I used in the laboratory. I am sure that these techniques will be included in future projects (one of my colleague PhD students will also visit the group of Colin Palmer next year). In addition, I also experienced that working in different environment broadened my perspective, not only scientifically but also socially. I would certainly recommend young PhD's to go abroad for a research fellowship. I would like to thank the European Respiratory Society and my host supervisor Prof. Dr. Colin Palmer. The ERS Fellowship Program is a great incentive for young researchers and provided me an important opportunity

Assembly 10. Respiratory Infections

Keywords Tuberculosis, MIRU-VNTR, Spoligotyping Name STAGG, Helen Project title How can different methods of typing Mycobacterium tuberculosis improve contact investigations?

Home Country	United Kingdom
Host Country	United States of America
Fellowship End date	27 April 2012
Contact Email	helen.stagg@hpa.org.uk

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The principle aims of the fellowship were to compare different typing techniques for use in 1) Mycobacterium tuberculosis lineage designation and 2) identification of transmission events. Using a spoligo- and 24-loci Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive Units-Variable Number Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typed dataset of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) collected from households in Peru, lineages were assigned using these techniques alone or in combination. Several new online resources were utilised to designate lineages and the results compared. Lineage assignments were identical regardless of the typing technique and online resource used, although sublineage designations (of the Euro-American lineage) varied. I discovered that only a single loci was required in order to differentiate between the two lineages present. Within households, multiple introduction events were identified using the full typing information available, with single MIRU-VNTR or spoligotype changes representing either introduction of a new strain or bacterial evolution.

These results were compared to 24-loci MIRU-VNTR typing data collected from English TB patients over a single year. Markedly different patterns of lineages and sublineages were responsible for MDR TB in these two countries, which in part reflects differences in the origin of cases (e.g. migrants and non-migrants). Upon my return, this dataset will be expanded to include additional years and variables. A publication comparing the Peruvian and English cohorts is in preparation.

My experience at the Harvard School of Public Health has been an exceedingly positive one. I was well supported by both my home and host institutes for the duration of my fellowship and had excellent opportunities to meet new professional contacts, as well as to expand my scientific skill set. I look forward to fruitful collaborations with my host institute in the future.

Assembly 11. Thoracic Oncology Section

Keywords qRT-PCR squamous cell lung cancer adjuvant chemotherapy gene expression Name SKRZYPSKI, Marcin Tomasz Project title Validation of the prognostic value of the 3 gene expression profile in early stage squamous cell lung cancer

Home Country	Poland
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	30 September 2007
Contact Email	mskrzypski@amg.gda.pl

Assembly 2. Respiratory Intensive Care

Keywords mechanical stretch, activated protein C, endothelial cells, thrombin Name Eleftheria LETSIOU Project title Modulation of human lung endothelial cell responses to mechanical stretch by Activated Protein C

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	USA
Fellowship End date	19 April 2010
Contact Email	ele_letsiou@yahoo.gr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to the European Respiratory Society for awarding me a 3-month International fellowship.

During my PhD thesis, I studied the utility of Activated Protein C (APC) in a mouse model of Ventilator- Induced Lung Injury (VILI). The ERS offered me the opportunity to further expand my studies by visiting Dr. Vlahakis NE’s Lab in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at the Mayo Clinic.

My research project was focused on the investigation of the effects of APC treatment in an in vitro model of VILI. Human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were subjected to cyclic stretch and we studied whether APC could modulate the stretch- induced cell responses. During the fellowship, not only I had the chance to be trained in important research techniques (mechanical stretching, confocal and fluorescence microscopy, flow cytometry), but I also obtained very important results which provide important mechanistic insight about the pathogenesis and the therapeutic modulation of VILI.

In the Host Institution, Dr. Vlahakis and the members of his Lab were always very supportive. I feel really privileged that I had the chance to meet these great people who motivated me and helped me to improve my research skills.

I feel confident that the scientific knowledge I obtained during the fellowship period will allow me to further develop my research career and I hope that a long-term collaboration will be established between the home and the host Institution.
Finally, I would like to recommend to young researchers to apply for an ERS fellowship and to thank ERS again for giving me this unique opportunity.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords sarcoidosis, inflammation, chemokines, expression Name TSYRULNYK, Andriy Project title Accumulation of inflammatory cells in the lung of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis and histiocytosis X: roles of monocyte chemoattractant family of chemokines and its receptors

Home Country	Czech Republic
Host Country	Austria
Fellowship End date	29 November 2004
Contact Email	a_tsyrulnyk@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I would like to start by congratulating the European Respiratory Society for providing students with incredible opportunities that allow them to further their scientific careers.

My name is Andriy Tsyrulnyk, originally I am from Lviv, Ukraine. In 2001, I was awarded my masters degree in the field of Biochemistry at the National University of Lviv. My education continued over the years and took me to the Medical Faculty at Palacky University, Olomouc in the Czech Republic. Here I furthered my education “Lung inflammation and sarcoidosis”. The European Respiratory Society (ERS) is the leading organization promoting and supporting the cooperation between scientists and training of students in the field. Conferences, workshops and training courses organized by ERS initiate and support establishing of productive cooperation and transferring of experience between the scientists.

Due to the obvious importance of lung disease research, I was given the opportunity to further my education through the ERS fellowship in prestigious Universities around Europe. In 2004 I applied and was awarded with “ERS short term fellowship” to perform experiments and learn “Gene Micro-Array Technology” in Medical University of Graz. This was a valuable learning opportunity and my work here was later published and presented at various conferences. The ERS offered me the chance to develop my scientific knowledge and get new practical experience in the field of respiratory medicine. This particular experience has proven to be very useful important for my scientific career. Now three years later, looking back on it, I consider myself lucky to be given this opportunity as ERS training course has allowed me to further work at prestigious universities in Europe such as University in Heidelberg (Germany) and Medical University of Wien (Austria).

I would like to thank the ERS again and am grateful and lucky to be a part of them during my scientific career.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords COPD, airways, phenotype Name BRASHIER, Bill Project title Airway Cellular and Molecular Phenotyping of Smoking versus Non-Smoking COPD

Home Country	India
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 October 2009
Contact Email	bbrashier@crfindia.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The research fellowship for sputum induction technique was completed in 3 months and comprised of 4 phases.
Phase 1:
This phase was be for 7 days, wherein I had initial overview and accompanied reading of all the sputum induction and sputum sampling techniques, and various techniques required for studying and identifying the sputum cells, sputum inflammatory mediators, cytokines and chemokines and their clinical and research implications.

Phase 2:
This was the critical phase of the fellowship training which was on 2 months duration and comprised of training in the sputum induction, sputum processing, immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization, analyzing fluid phase mediators of sputum, cellular protein estimation by ELISA technique, DNA extraction from sputum, reverse transcription and polymerase chain reactions to study cellular mRNA transcriptional changes in sputum.

During this training, I learnt the following:
• Facilities and equipments required for sputum induction.
• Nebulisers required for adequate sputum induction.
• Various techniques to prepare hypertonic saline, particularly 3% and 4.5% in sterile conditions and their possible outcomes and effects on the sputum cells, along with their safety profile.Safety of sputum induction in different severities of COPD and asthma.
• Possible adverse events that could occur during the course of the test and the predictors and mechanism which determine the adverse events during sputum induction and the procedures to reduce the adverse event.
• Techniques and durations of inhalation, and stratification of cells and fluid phase inflammatory markers at early and late phases of sputum induction.
• Sputum sample homogenization and reagents required for homogenization of sputum, and duration and the right temperature which affectively homogenizes the sputum
• Sputum filtration methods to separate it from mucus and debris.
• Counting of total and differential sputum cells and staining techniques to check the viability of these cells. Preparing slides and assuring quality of slides and cell counting.
• Techniques to separate the fluid phase of sputum and its storage.
• Cytospins preparations.
• Immuno-cyto-staining and in-situ hybridization techniques in the cells of induced sputum.
• Analysis of fluid phase components of induced sputum with methods like bioassays, enzyme assays and immunoassays.
• Protein estimation in the sputum by ELISA techniques and DNA extraction from sputum and nasal cell pellets, reverse transcription and polymerase chain reactions to study cellular mRNA transcriptional changes in sputum.

Phase 3
This phase of fellowship was important as my training was verified by my guide and supervisors. This exercise went on for for 15 days, wherein I did the following
• Conduct sputum induction on 10 COPD and 10 asthmatic subjects.
• Process the induced sputums, sampled them, separate the cells and fluid phase mediators, prepare cytospins, stain the cells, count the cells and assay the fluid phase mediators.
• Studied the inflammatory mediators such as IL8, IL6. MIG and gro alfa using ELISA technique
All these procedures were under the observation of my trainer, Peter Fenwick, who finally verified my techniques in accordance international standards and his, satisfaction.

I had very nice time in England. I had gone with my family, made many friends in the lab and enjoyed British culture and food

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords Alpha1-antitrypsin – monocyte – SERPINA1 Name FERRAROTTI, Ilaria Project title Investigation of Immune Function in Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) Deficiency Null Individuals

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	Ireland
Fellowship End date	30 September 2011
Contact Email	i.ferrarotti@smatteo.pv.it

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The principal objective of my fellowship was the acquisition of new skills and techniques in cell biology to improve the management of ongoing and future research. The aim of the project was the investigation of the anti-inflammatory properties of alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) by studying individuals with Null mutations in the SERPINA1 gene and comparing them to ZZ patients and MM subjects. I had the possibility to work on this project in a very friendly and competent environment. In Prof. McElvaney’s Laboratory at RCSI (Dublin, Ireland) I met a group of very collaborative people who were helpful to train me and placed their expertises to my disposal. Moreover, the fellowship gave me another perspective for setting up new research project, which I soon began to apply once back in my Home Institute. In my experience, the Short Term Research Fellowship has been a great opportunity and a positively challenging experience.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords Aspergillus fumigatus, pentraxin 3,lung, transgenic mice Name CAMOZZI, Maura Project title Generation of an inducible and tissue specific murine transgenic line for the expression of pentraxin 3

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	12 December 2005
Contact Email	camozzi@med.unibs.it

Summary of Fellowship Experience
PTX3, a prototypic member of the long-pentraxin family, binds selected microbial agents, including conidia of Aspergillus fumigatus. PTX3-/- mice show defective resistance against selected pathogens, being susceptible to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. It is known that this susceptibility was associated with defective recognition of conidia by alveolar macrophages and dendritic cells, as well as inappropriate induction of an adaptive type 2 response. Thus, PTX3 production may represent a mechanism of amplification of innate resistance against pathogens mainly acting locally at sites of infection and inflammation.
In order to analyse the protective effect of endogenous PTX3 in mice infected with Aspergillus fumigatus and the therapeutic potential of PTX3 in similar contests, I proposed to generate a murine transgenic line overexpressing PTX3 specifically in endothelial cells (ECs) via a tetracycline-inducible element. The choice of ECs as PTX3-overexpressing cells is based on the fact that the lung, the organ most affected in the Aspergillus infection, is highly vascularized and ECs represent the natural PTX3 producers.
During the short term fellowship I produced the final transgene to inject; nevertheless, this fellowship allows me to learn new in vivo techniques and to start the generation of these transgenic mice that will be useful for studying the impact of PTX3 overexpression in ECs on Aspergillus infection.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords stretch, epithelial cells, oxidants Name REYNAERT, Niki Project title Stretch as key mediator of oxidant production and inflammation in COPD

Home Country	Netherlands
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 August 2011
Contact Email	n.reynaert@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My research as a post-doc centers around redox regulation of signaling pathways, not to be confused with oxidative damage. One of my interests was to put this concept into the dynamic environment of the lungs. During normal breathing, cell experience expansion and compression forces and these are altered in disease conditions. The laboratory of prof Brightling at the University of Leicester is a leading center with respect to modeling flow and forces under normal and disease conditions and was therefore a perfect environment to perform this basic research project.
I would like to thank prof Brightling again for this opportunity and ongoing collaboration as well as the very supportive members of this laboratory.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords virus epithelium IL-15 DC-maturation Name VAN DER SLUIJS, Koenraad Friso Project title Virus-induced IL-15 production by airway epithelial cells and its role in DC maturation

Home Country	Switzerland
Host Country	Netherlands
Fellowship End date	30 April 2006
Contact Email	kvandersluijs@amc.uva.nl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Shortly after I had finished my PhD thesis, I applied for ERS short term fellowship to be able to do research outside the Netherlands. Since I had been working mainly with mouse-models for viral and bacterial airway infections, I felt that I needed to learn more about (basic) immunological techniques using human PBMC cultures and/or cultures of isolated immune cells. As the Pmeumology group at the University Hospital in Bern (Switzerland) has great experience in the field of monocyte differentiation into dendritic cells, I contacted Prof. Dr. L.P. Nicod for the possibility to work in his group for a few months.

Following on their recent observations that LPS-induced IL-15 production by airway epithelial cells could drive monocyte differentiation, we proposed to further study this mechanism of monocyte differentiation as a consequence of RSV infection in airway epithelial cells. Early in 2006 I started working in Bern. I cultured A549 and BEAS-2B cells with RSV and harvested culture supernatants for further experiments using isolated human monocytes. One of the hurdles we had to take was to prevent RSV infection of the monocyte cultures that followed after the A549 and BEAS-2B cultures. After solving this problem, we have found that RSV-induced cytokine release resulted in monocyte differentiation into DC with a similar phenotype as observed for LPS-induced cytokine release. We did observe IL-15 production after RSV-infection in both A549 and BEAS-2B cells, but it remains to be established whether IL-15 is the driving factor of monocyte differentiation during viral infection

Although the project took only 3 months, I really learned a lot about the techniques that I used in the laboratory. I am sure that these techniques will be included in future projects. In addition, I also experienced that working in different environment broadened my perspective, not only scientifically but also socially. I would certainly recommend young PhD’s to go abroad for a research fellowship.

Assembly 3. Cell and Molecular Biology

Keywords AATD, COPD, rare variant, sequencing Name DENDEN, Sabri Project title Search for novel mutation(s) in SERPINA1 gene associated with alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency in Tunisian subjects with COPD

Home Country	Tunisia
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	30 June 2007
Contact Email	denden_sabri@yahoo.com

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Cough, PAR2,TRPV1, Sensitization Name ANDRE, Eunice Project title A possible role for protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) sensitzation in transient receptor potential vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) induced cough

Home Country	Brazil
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	24 February 2005
Contact Email	andreeu@hotmail.com

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords 6-minute walking test, reproducibility, COPD Name Nidia A. Hernandes Project title Reproducibility of the 6-minute walking test in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Home Country	Brazil
Host Country	The Netherlands
Fellowship End date	11 December 2009
Contact Email	nyhernandes@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My fellowship period was from September to December 2009. During this period, I performed a retrospective study on the reproducibility of the six-minute walking test (6MWT) using a database consisting of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) entering pulmonary rehabilitation at Centre for Integrated Rehabilitation of Organ failure (Ciro), my host institution.
The progression of the study went well and my stay at Ciro enabled me to improve many scientific skills. During weekly appointments with my host supervisor, Dr. Martijn A. Spruit, I had the opportunity to share his knowledge, besides discussing several topics related to pulmonary rehabilitation with the health care professionals from the Ciro rehabilitation team.
Another highlight of the fellowship was the cultural aspect. I had the chance to get to know colleagues from different backgrounds, what will certainly be helpful in future networking. Furthermore, I had opportunity to experience a different culture and learn about the Netherlands and Europe.
I would like to thank the European Respiratory Society, my host supervisor Dr. Martijn A. Spruit and my home supervisor Dr. Fábio Pitta for the investment and reliance. The ERS Fellowship Program is a great incentive for young researchers and provided me an important opportunity of development in my scientific and professional career.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords Cytokine, Respiratory Muscle, Resistive Breathing,nitric oxide Name DIVANGAHI, Maziar Project title Intradiaphragmatic differential cytokine gene expression in response to resistive breathing: implications for diaphragmatic injury, dysfunction, and regulation by nitric oxide

Home Country	Canada
Host Country	Greece
Fellowship End date	01 January 2007
Contact Email	mdivang@mcmaster.ca

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords non invasive mechanical ventilation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, forced oscillation technique, positive end expiratory pressure (PEEP) Name DELLACA, Raffaele Project title Improving mechanical ventilation of COPD patients by automatically avoiding expiratory flow limitation

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	18 August 2005
Contact Email	raffaele.dellaca@polimi.it

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The main objective of my fellowship was to assess the feasibility and the usefulness of a new assisted ventilation modality that uses the forced oscillations technique to assess the presence of EFL and changes the PEEP to the minimum pressure able to abolish EFL.
Intrinsic PEEP (PEEPi) in COPD occurs because of EFL and constitutes an inspiratory threshold load on the respiratory muscles, increasing the work of breathing. External PEEP reduces the work of breathing, normalizes the breathing pattern and improves blood gases. However, if the externally applied PEEP is greater than the PEEPi it results in an increased EELV, work of breathing and worse hemodynamics. Tailoring the appropriate PEEP level would require the automatic assessment of the minimum PEEP pressure necessary to abolish EFL. EFL can be detected non-invasively by within-breath changes in respiratory system reactance (DXrs) measured by forced oscillation technique (FOT) (ERJ 2004;23:232-240). To identify the optimal external PEEP we studied 10 stable COPD patients during NIMV with 10cmH2O PSV. We measured EFL in real time from DXrs and dynamic PEEPi by esophageal pressure. PEEP was increased by 2 cmH2O from 0 up to 4 cmH2O above the pressure that abolished EFL for 10 min periods at each pressure. Five patients showed no EFL even at PEEP of 0cmH2O. In these patients PEEPi did not change significantly with increasing PEEP. In the other patients, EFL was abolished with an external PEEP of 8.4±3.6cmH2O. For these patients, PEEPi measured at the PEEP immediately before and after the pressure that abolished EFL was reduced significantly (p=0.03) from 2.98±1.14 to 1.34 ±1.03, respectively. Thus, we founf that the non-invasive detection of EFL by FOT allows the automatic detection of the minimum PEEP required to abolish EFL. This pressure represents the minimum pressure that significantly reduces PEEPi.

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords sleep apnea, autonomic reactivity, automated analysis Name RADLINSKI, Jakub Project title An advanced computerized analysis of autonomic signals and hemodynamic response in sleep disordered breathing. A potential method for identification and prediction of patients with cardiovascular disease and on risk for the development of cardiovascular

Home Country	Poland
Host Country	Sweden
Fellowship End date	30 November 2004
Contact Email	jradlins@zpigichp.edu.pl

Assembly 4. Clinical Physiology and Integrative Biology

Keywords COPD, muscle dysfunction, animal model, inflammation Name SANZHAROVSKAYA, Maria Project title EFFECT OF HYPOXEMIA AND RESPIRATORY LOADS ON THE SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION, OXIDATIVE STRESS AND ADIPOSE TISSUE ACTIVITY, ROLE OF TNF ALFA

Home Country	Russia
Host Country	Spain
Fellowship End date	15 November 2011
Contact Email	Maria.san@mail.ru

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During the project period and during the stay in the Host Institution (Hospital del Mar – IMIM, Barcelona, Spain, Host Superviser - Prof. Joaquin Gea Guiral, MD PhD) we have performed the experiments to investigate the effect of hypercapnia and respiratory loads on the systemic inflammation, oxidative stress and adipose tissue activity, including measurements of many physiological data from rats, such as breathing pattern variables, inspirated and expirated gases, breathing and skeletal muscles force in rats. I had the opportunity to learn the essential aspects of research methodology and actively participate in a research project. During my stay in the laboratory I studied all the methods which were planned to be used in this work: ELISA, PCR, Western-blot, assessment of the muscle tissue damage, morphometry of type I and type II muscle fibers.
Currently the physiological data derived from the animal model is being analyzed and we are preparing the abstract for the European Respiratory Congress in 2012 to publish results will be obtained from this analysis.
The rest of the lab tests will be performed by host institution team or by the fellow during the future fellowship, which could be obtained, this is planned to be finalized until the December 2012, and results will then be published.
Work at the laboratory also provided for me other opportunity – to being involved in the investigation of the proliferation and differentiation capacity of the myoblasts from COPD patients in different circumstances. This topic can become the opportunity for the future cooperation between the Host and Home institution.
The ERS fellowship provided me with a great opportunity to improve my skills in preparing scientific proposals, designing research projects, performing experiments and communicating scientific results. Although the project took only 3 months, I really learned a lot about the techniques that I used in the laboratory. I am sure that these techniques will be included in future projects.
It was pleasure for me to work with such well-established European team of clinicians and scientists.
In addition, I also experienced that working in different environment broadened my perspective, not only scientifically but also socially. I’m very grateful for the ERS for this excellent opportunity.

Assembly 5. Airway Diseases

Keywords Refractory Asthma, COPD, exhaled breath, VOCs, induced sputum Name SCHLEICH Florence Project title VOCs measurement to distinguish between inflammatory phenotypes in COPD patients and asthmatics

Home Country	Belgium
Host Country	The Netherlands
Fellowship End date	31 December 2011
Contact Email	fschleich@chu.ulg.ac.be

Summary of Fellowship Experience
The ERS Short Term research Fellowship has been really valuable in my working career, giving me the opportunity to join the group of Prof Wouters and conduct research projects under the supervision of Prof Van Schooten. My project was to identify Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) profiles for refractory asthmatics and COPD patients and to see if some of the VOCs can be attributed to sputum neutrophilic or eosinophilic inflammation. COPD and refractory asthma are both chronic airway inflammatory diseases associated with airway remodeling. Although sharing some functional features, the two diseases are deemed to be driven by different cellular and molecular mechanisms. My project involved clinical investigations and basic experimental studies. During my stay, I gained expertise in in vitro work, complementary to my previous in vivo experience as a medical doctor. The research project has considerably advanced my knowledge in the field of exhaled breath analysis. A large part of this fellowship was also the opportunity for new collaborations with Maastricht University Medical Centre that has a high experience in VOCs measurement and with Prof Wouters and his team, experts in chronic inflammatory diseases.

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords dendritic cell - NSCLC - vaccine- cytotoxic T-cells Name VERMAELEN, Karim Yves Project title Dendritic Cell-Based Immunotherapeutic Approaches in Lung Cancer

Home Country	Belgium
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	21 June 2008
Contact Email	Karim.Vermaelen@UGent.be

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My stay at the Institut Gustave Roussy, one of Europe’s largest centers in oncology, was shared between clnical and translational research actvities. For the clinical part, I assisted in consultations as well as multidisciplinary staff meetings and clinical case discussions. A major highlight was the unique opportunity to participate in the activities of IGR’s phase I clinic (heaed by Prof. J.C. Soria), where I saw an impressive arsenal of novel compounds being evaluated in a wide range of malignancies, including small-cell and non-small cell lung cancer. I was also exposed to the logistical challenges in running an oncological phase I clinic, which was also very instructive. For the research part, I worked in the research unit of Prof. L. Zitvogel, reknown for cutting-edge research in the field of tumor immunology and it’s therapeutic implications. I had the opportunity to follow both fundamental research activities (murine tumour models) as well as immunomonitoring aspects of an ongoing clinical trial. Importantly, I was assigned a specific task within a research project dealing with the immunogenicity of chemotherapy-induced cell-death. The role of host immunity in the consolidation of chemotherapy-induced tumor regression is an emerging concept, supported by strong preclinical data from Prof. L. Zitvogel and Prof. G. Kroemer’s labs and published in high-impact journals. Recent data reveal the role of endogenous “danger” signals released by dying tumor cells, subsequently sensed by dendritic cells (DCs), which are then activated and thus acquire the capacity to generate anti-tumor cytotoxic T-cell responses. I had the possibility to look at single nucleotide polyorphisms (SNPs) in genes coding for receptors and downstream signalling molecules involved in the sensing of tumor-derived danger signals by DCs. In collaboration with the genomics facility of IGR, and thanks to cutting edge high-throughput technology, I was able to perform allelic discrimination analysis on a whole range of SNPs in a large cohort of chemotherapy-treated cancer patients with an average follow-up of 10 years. Remarkably, we found that loss of function polymorphisms in two genes from the abovementioned pathway had a dramatic impact on relapse-free survival in these patients. These findings were completely concordant with a an extensive preclinical mechanistic study from the same group, which lead to my coauthorship in a major publication (Ghiringelli et al, Nature Medicine, Oct 2009;15(10):1170-8).

In summary, my stay at the Institut Gustave Roussy was an enriching experience, both from a clinical as well as a scientific point of view. I would like to acknowledge ERS for it’s support and I can safely say that this fellowship will have a significant impact on my career.

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords pneumology, pediatrics, virology, allergology, Name GOSSELIN, Nathalie Project title Clara cell secretory protein production by the bronchiolar epithelium in Respiratory Syncytial Virus induced airway disease

Home Country	Belgium
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 June 2004
Contact Email	nathalie.gosselin@mblg.ucl.ac.be

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords asthma, rhinovirus, epithelial cells, CCL-20 Name FEKETEA, Gavriela Project title Role of CCL-20/MIP-3a production in rhinovirus induced asthma

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	30 April 2008
Contact Email	gabychri@otenet.gr

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords - Name KULLMANN, Tamás Project title Handling cytokin detection methods in the analysis of exhaled breath condensate

Home Country	Hungary
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	11 March 2007
Contact Email	kullmanndoki@hotmail.com

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords Inflammation, NF-kB, IkB Kinases, COPD Name POMPEO, Flora Project title Role of NF-kB/IkB/IKKs system in the pathogenesis of COPD

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	13 July 2004
Contact Email	florapompeo@libero.it

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords COPD, adenovirus, ELISPOT, T-cells Name CERRI, Stefania Project title Analysis of the antigen-specific T-cell response in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Home Country	Italy
Host Country	United States of America
Fellowship End date	31 May 2008
Contact Email	stefaniacerri@hotmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
In my experience, the Short Term Research Fellowship has been a great opportunity and a positively challenging experience for several aspects. It allowed to increase my professional experiences and acquire new competences and technical skills. Also, it was an incomparable way for meeting with a foreign culture, making new friendships and hopefully a good chance for future international collaboration. In Prof. Lewinsohn’s Laboratory at OHSU (Portland, Oregon, USA) I met a positive environment and a group of very collaborative people, with whom I shared a good time. On the professional side, my project was focused on the application of the ELISPOT technology in the analysis of the antigen-specific immune response in patients with COPD. By working with the people in the Lab, in the first weeks I received a good training and I learned the technical issues of the ELISPOT assay. Subsequently I have been enabled to apply the technique in the development of my project, whose data are still under evaluation. Being at the end of the 3 months’ fellowship and moving from this experience, I’m looking for the future directions.

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords ADAM33 methylation polymorphism epithelium Name VAN DIEMEN, Cleo Catharina Project title Methylation profile of ADAM33 in epithelial cells in COPD and asthma

Home Country	Netherlands
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	01 January 1970
Contact Email	c.c.van.diemen@epi.umcg.nl

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords - Name BRAUER, Ruth Project title A pilot study to investigate whether theophylline can enhance the anti-inflammatory effect of corticosteroids and thus control the underlying disease process in COPD

Home Country	Netherlands
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	04 April 2008
Contact Email	R.Brauer@student.unimaas.nl

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords nitric oxide asthma antigen airway smooth muscle contractions Name LARSSON, Anna-Karin Project title Role of mediators and nitric oxide in antigen-induced reactions in the precision-cut lung

Home Country	Sweden
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	24 January 2006
Contact Email	Anna-Karin.Larsson@imm.ki.se

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I have together with the research group in Borstel established the guinea pig precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) as a new pharmacological tool (Ressmeyer et al, Characterization of guinea pig precision-cut lung slices: Comparison with human tissues. Eur Respir J. 2006;28: 603–611). PCLS consist of very thin lung slices maintained alive in medium and having functional airway ciliar beating and mucus transport. Physiological studies of airways and vessels are done by comparing the area of the airway or the vessel before and after treatment with different drugs with a digital video camera. Our data suggest that the guinea pig PCLS is most relevant for human comparisons during the early allergic airway response.

I have also studied the influence of prostanoids on antigen-induced contractions in rat PCLS, indicating that also compounds synthesized by the cyclooxygenase pathway are involved in the early allergic airway response (Abstract at ERS in Stockholm entitled “Modulation of antigen- and serotonin-induced airway contractions in rat precision cut lung slices by prostaglandin E2”). I have recently set up the PCLS preparation at Karolinska Institutet and I will continue to apply and improve this very useful method. The ERS fellowship has been very valuable for my thesis and also for my on-going research resulting in a good network between our research groups.

Assembly 5. Inflammatory Airway Diseases and Clinical Allergy

Keywords Eosinophil, PI3-kinase, Apoptosis Name FARAHI, Neda Project title Determining the role of PI3-kinase isoforms in airways inflammation

Home Country	United Kingdom
Host Country	Sweden
Fellowship End date	01 August 2007
Contact Email	nf231@cam.ac.uk

Summary of Fellowship Experience
I received an ERS short-term fellowship in 2007 to carry out research at the University of Lund, Sweden under the guidance of Professor Carl Persson and Dr. Lena Uller. The main aim of my research was to learn in vivo modelling of allergic airways inflammation in mice. I am currently in the final month of my research and have already acquired numerous new techniques and skills. Specifically, I learned how to perform OVA sensitization and challenge in mice and lung tissue sampling for histological examination. My experience in the laboratory has been very positive and I have felt fully integrated into the research environment in Lund. In addition, I am sure that this fellowship has provided the foundation for future scientific collaborations. I would like to thank the ERS for providing me with this opportunity, Professor Persson for hosting me and Professor Edwin Chilvers for supporting my application.

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords Epidemiology, Rotterdam Study, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), Excacerbations Name LAHOUSSE, Lies Project title Epidemiological study of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations

Home Country	Belgium
Host Country	The Netherlands
Fellowship End date	31 October 2011
Contact Email	lies.lahousse@ugent.be

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Thanks to the ERS Short-Term Research Fellowship, I had the great opportunity to carry out research at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, under the excellent guidance of Professor Bruno Stricker. The main aim of this project was to improve my epidemiologic research skills by conducting the onset of an epidemiological study of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Exacerbations. I have been taught to plan, formulate and implement epidemiological research and to be aware of the challenges and fallacies in observational studies. Working in a foreign, talented and youthful research group was an enriching experience of great value for my further scientific career. Therefore, I would like to acknowledge the European Respiratory Society, my host supervisor Professor Stricker and my home supervisor Professor Brusselle for their support.

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords Rhinoconjunctivitis ISAAC atopy risk factor Name WEINMAYR, Gudrun Project title International variation in the prevalence and determinants of hay fever in children

Home Country	Germany
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	30 May 2005
Contact Email	gudrun.weinmayr@medizin.uni-ulm.de

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords St George Respiratory questionnaire, quality of life, Morocco Name KARIMA, El Rhazi Project title Validation of the Saint George's Respiratory Questionnaire in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Morocco

Home Country	Morocco
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	31 March 2005
Contact Email	elrhazi_karima@yahoo.fr

Summary of Fellowship Experience
First I thank very much the ERS for this Fellowship Grant that was very beneficial for me and helped me in my work. It allowed me to do many activities. Some details are listed below:
• It allowed me to cover my travelling costs and my training in the host country (France/Bordeaux at the “Institut de Santé Publique, d'Epidémiologie et de Développement (ISPED)”.
• It has improved my knowledge about quality of life and to develop this field in my laboratory in Morocco.
• Conduct the study of “Validation of the Saint George Respiratory Questionnaire in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Morocco” in different Moroccan centers.
• Submit a paper of “Validation of the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire inpatients with COPD or asthma in Morocco” that was published in INT J TUBERC LUNG DIS , reference : INT J TUBERC LUNG DIS 10(11):1273–1278
• Award Bronze sponsorship to attend the ERS Munich Congress in September 2006 where the Poster entitled “Validation of the St George’s Respiratory. Questionnaire inpatients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Morocco” was presented.
I thank the ERS once more for this opportunity and I wish that will be repeated in the future because we always need encouragement and assistance to improve more and more our skills.

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords asthma, brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene, association, single nucleotide polymorphism Name SZCZEPANKIEWICZ, Aleksandra Project title Association analysis of SNPs within the BDNF gene in families with asthma

Home Country	Poland
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	12 August 2006
Contact Email	alszczep@amp.edu.pl

Summary of Fellowship Experience
ERS short-term fellowship enabled me to gain experience in advanced genotyping methods used currently in molecular biology such as 5’-nuclease assay (TaqMan) and high-resolution melting analysis and apply them to genotyping of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the BDNF gene in association analysis with asthma. Analysis was performed in the cohort of 340 British families with asthma with at least 2 siblings with diagnosis of asthma. The assumption was that given the relationship between BDNF and allergic airway inflammation and neuronal dysfunction in atopic asthma, polymorphism of the BDNF gene that alters its expression or function will alter susceptibility to, or severity of, asthma. Analysis of BDNF polymorphisms which potentially regulate BDNF expression or function may be useful for determination of its relationship with asthma. If the association is confirmed within families, it can be then analyzed further to determine the relationship between analyzed SNPs and their impact on the pathogenesis of allergic inflammation in airways and neurogenic background of bronchial hyperreactivity. The results are now in preparation by statistician and will be published as an original paper.

I was given an opportunity not only to work with an excellent research group in the field of asthma genetics but also to know recent research strategies used in genetic analysis of complex disorders. The experience I gained during the fellowship allows me to introduce the 5’-nuclease assay as a new genotyping method in my home laboratory in Poland and will help me to improve the quality of my research.

Assembly 6. Occupation and Epidemiology

Keywords dampness, moisture, school, children, respiratory symptoms Name BORRAS SANTOS, Alicia Project title Qualitative and quantitative assessment of exposure to dampness and microbial agents in primary schools in an epidemiological study on asthma in school children

Home Country	Spain
Host Country	The Netherlands
Fellowship End date	01 October 2011
Contact Email	aborras@creal.cat

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During the summer of 2011 I undertook a short-term research fellowship at IRAS (Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences) in Utrecht, The Netherlands. The 2-month fellowship wanted to study the association between dampness and mould in school buildings and pupil’s respiratory health in 3 different European climatic regions.
The experience of working in a research International environment in one of the leading European centres in Environmental Epidemiology was fantastic. Moreover I had the opportunity of living in a different culture and get to know another country.
The findings from the fellowship are currently being prepared for a manuscript and an oral communication was presented at the ISEE congress in Barcelona in September 2011.
Finally, I would like to thank the European Respiratory Society, my host supervisor Dr. Dick Heederik, my colleagues in IRAS and my home supervisor Dr. Jan-Paul Zock for giving me the opportunity of living this great experience.

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords paediatrics, pulmonary function testing, follow up Vmax 26 Name LONE-LATIF, Saeeda Jabeen Akhtar Project title Paediatric pulmonary function testing using the Vmax26 also known as exhalizer-D

Home Country	Netherlands
Host Country	Switzerland
Fellowship End date	01 April 2006
Contact Email	s.j.lone@amc.uva.nl

Assembly 7. Paediatrics

Keywords lung function, neonates Name PETROVA, Natalia Project title Structured Light Plethysmography (SLP) for lung function evaluation in newborn children

Home Country	Russian Federation
Host Country	United Kingdom
Fellowship End date	31 December 2011
Contact Email	natalja5@yandex.ru

Summary of Fellowship Experience
First of all I would like to thank ERS for the opportunity of visiting Addenbrooke’s hospital, which is very lively from both clinical and research points of view.
The main target of the project was assessing the applicability of Structured Light Plethysmography (SLP) in measuring lung function in newborn children. From the first days of my fellowship I started to learn the SLP technique and took part in collecting data in adults and elder children (big trial comparing SLP and spirometry data had just started). Unfortunately the kit for neonates was not ready but it was still very useful to make measurements in children. Having established good connections with respiratory team at Addenbrooke’s I plan another short visit after measurements in neonates start as I feel SLP could further be successfully used in our Perinatal Centre.
Despite these changes in research plan I gained valuable experience in planning and taking part in clinical studies. Unfortunately, medical research planning is not always optimal at my home country, so we need this experience.
During my fellowship I have completed Good Clinical Practice course.
Under Dr. Ross Russell’s supervision I planned a “Bronchiolitis and overnight oxygen saturation study”, developed a protocol, parent information sheet, data collection sheet. The study had been approved by the Ethics Commity and R&D by the end of my stay and we started examinations of controls. The study will be held further and I will take part in analyzing the data and creating abstracts.
As my research and clinical interests have been lying in sleep study field for a long time period I was happy to visit a paediatric sleep laboratory at Yorkhill RHSC, Glasgow. They are very well equipped so I could learn the lab’s organization and observe all levels of sleep research – from screening oxygen saturation studies to full polysomnography. I had been observing sleep studies’ planning, performing and analyzing for a week and took part in Niel Gibson sleep clinic.
I took part in sleep study activities and sleep clinic with Dr. Rob Ross Russell at Addenbrooke’s throughout all my time there and appreciate this experience very much because of Rob’s talent to organize valuable educational discussions on every case.
I took part in a “Cooling neonates” course and will make my best to bring this method to my hospital.
I took part in a paediatric resuscitation simulation course, ward rounds at NICU, PICU, paediatric wards, and clinics (respiratory, neonatal follow up, child developmental, fetal, allergological, immunological).
Together with Dr. Ross Russell we have created a case report “snoring in sickle cell disease” for ERS. We also submitted an article “Exposing children to second hand smoke” which was accepted by Thorax.
I would specially like to say the best words about Dr. Ross Russell’s supervision. He seemed to be really interested in helping me to integrate and involving me in all possible activities around. It was a pleasure to work with Dr. Ross Russell and the whole respiratory team.

Assembly 9. Allied Respiratory Professionals

Keywords pulmonary rehabilitation, physical activity, COPD, electrical stimulation Name SAGLAM (OZTURK), Melda Project title Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for acute exacerbation of COPD

Home Country	Turkey
Host Country	Belgium
Fellowship End date	30 April 2008
Contact Email	ptmeldaozturk@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
During my stay, pilot data were obtained in preparation of a multi-centered study with Edinburgh University. We established a protocol with five patients from each institute. We assessed the potential of neuromuscular electrical stimulation to counteract the systemic effects on the skeletal muscle in COPD. Six patients were tested as a pilot study. Provided results from stimulated vs non-stimulated leg. The study has provided important insight in designing the final study (e.g. stimulation period will be lengthened).
I had opportunity to take part in two other projects of doctoral students. A first project concerned responders and non-responders to a pulmonary rehabilitation program. In this study, I was involved in testing peripheral muscle function using maximal voluntary contraction and the more elaborate technique of magnetic stimulation and electromyography assessment and analysis. The second project was about validation of an activity monitor to detect postures and energy expenditure during daily activities. I enhanced my knowledge on physical activity monitoring, its advantages and pitfalls.
I was also able to the clinical departments and could participate in the activities of the outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation, lung function, cystic fibrosis center, and intensive care unit as an observer. I attended lectures of international visitors, conferences, and also lectures in doctorate program in Host University.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords - Name ENCHEVA, Milena Project title Interventional Pulmonology in Bulgaria

Home Country	Bulgaria
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	31 August 2008
Contact Email	milena_en@abv.bg

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Bronchoscopy, Thoracoscopy, Diagnostic, and Interventionl Name IBRAHIM, Emad Eldin Mustafa Hassan Project title Interventional Endoscopy Training

Home Country	Egypt
Host Country	Belgium
Fellowship End date	31 December 2005
Contact Email	emadusa2000@yahoo.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
My short fellowship with Prof Dr Noppen in university hospital AZ VUB, Belgium was training fellowship for Interventional Endoscopy Training. In the beginning I was a close observer; I attended the clinical rounds in the department, the bronchoscopic lab, the PFT lab, teaching lectures, and the operative theatre for the rigid bronchoscopy and thoracoscopy. During that period Dr Noppen was explaining all the procedures to me. Next step was the assistance of Prof Noppen under his close supervision. Addirionally, Dr Noppen gave me a simulator tarining for the use of rigid bronchoscopy using a domy and gave me enough time to tain my self. After 3 weeks of observation and assistance; Prof Dr Noppen gave me the operator position and he did assistated me during the whole procedures. I am now consider my self a newly trained person for the use of Medical Thoracospy and interventional bronchoscopy. I got good expeience for the use of stents too. I was involved also in the writing of two review articles and one case study which I am trying to publish. ERS Fellowship program is a very helpful program that allow physician to get experiences in the field of their specialities in the places where the best experitse are there like prof Dr Marc Noppen. I will remember that fellowship and gift of the ERS for ever.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Bronchoscopy Thoracoscopy COPD Cancer Name MAKRIS, Demosthenes Project title Interventional Broncho-ThorascopyHospital – University of Lille

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	France
Fellowship End date	15 December 2006
Contact Email	apollon7@hotmail.com

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Interventional Pulmonology, Interventional Bronchoscopy, Endobronchial Ultrasound, Thoracic Malignancies Name CHRYSANTHIDIS, Miltiadis Project title Current trends in interventional endoscopic techniques for diagnosis, staging and treatment of thoracic malignancies

Home Country	Greece
Host Country	Germany
Fellowship End date	30 March 2007
Contact Email	m.chrysanthidis@otenet.gr

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Interventional Pulmonology,Lung cancer,Bronchoscopy,Stenting Name Bharat Gopal Project title Role of Interventional Pulmonology in management of patients with Lung Cancer

Home Country	India
Host Country	Italy
Fellowship End date	31 December 2009
Contact Email	drbgee@gmail.com

Summary of Fellowship Experience
Due to the support of ERS which provided the grant, I was able to learn right from the
basics of the indication for bronchoscopy and medical thoracoscopy, use of instruments, accessories and organization of a thoracic endoscopy room including the sterilization techniques. As the fellowship progressed I was trained regarding the management the patients before, during and after the interventional procedures including complications if any. I acquired the skills in Transbronchial Needle Aspiration in the diagnosis of hilarmediastinal lesions by Conventional as well as Endo-Bronchial Ultrasound guided methods. Also included in the training were newer diagnostic modalities like EBUS, Autoflourescence & Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy in Peripheral pulmonary Nodules. It was a thrill to learn Rigid Bronchoscopy procedures including use of laser, electrocautery, APC and both silicon & metallic stent placements in the management of benign and malignant tracheobronchial obstruction & Bronchoscopic Techniques in management of Emphysema like endobronchial valve placement and Bronchopleural fistula. I also acquired the skills in Medical Thoracoscopy in the diagnosis, staging and treatment of lung cancer and other pleural pathologies like empyema. One of the eye-openers was the use of a cost effective method like Fluoroscopy for guidance of diagnostic and therapeutic purposes of lung & pleura and use of Rapid Onsite Examination (ROSE) for cytology on our own .I participated in the two, week -long International training courses of Interventional pulmonology held at the department and presented lectures on Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy. It also gave me a chance to interact and learn from other global leaders in the field of Interventional Pulmonology.

I have written one review article on Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy & two case reports on rare presentations like Bronchomediastinal Fistula & Cryptococcal Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy, which have been sent for publication in indexed journals ERS Fellowship program is an extremely useful tool that allows physicians to harness their skills in the field of their specialty. My ERS training has been the most satisfying periods of my professional career so far for which I am grateful to the institution. Even after finishing this short training, I am very confident in the field of interventional pulmonology because of my mentor Prof. Stefano Gasparini, whose professionalism, skills and cooperation was the reason behind this successful completion. As promised to ERS I will do my best to spread the knowledge gained in the field among my colleagues on reaching back my institution.Once again my sincere gratitude to ERS for providing this opportunity to achieve my dream.

Assembly 1. Clinical

Keywords Transbronchial needle aspiration, malignancy, granulomatous disorders, interventional bronchoscopy Name TABUENA, Rollin Project title The use of transbronchial needle aspiration for diagnosis of malignancy and granulomatous lesions