Munich 2006 Highlights

Interventional Pulmonology Travel Awards

sponsored by Olympus Optical Co. Europa GmbH.

Tom Dekeukeleire
(Brussels, Belgium) for his abstract entitled “Fluoresceine enhanced autofluorescence thoracoscopy (FEAT) versus white light thoracoscopy (WLT) in primary spontaneous pneumothorax and in normal subjects: a prospective, controlled pilot study”.
Luc C. Thiberville
(Rouen, France) for his abstract entitled “In vivo endoscopic analysis of the bronchial structure using fluorescence fibered confocal microscopy”.





Noninvasive Ventilation Awards

sponsored by ResMed Limited (Australia)

Helen F. Coles
(Dumfries, United Kingdom) for her abstract entitled “MRSA – An issue for non-invasive ventilation?”.



Michael Dreher
(Freiburg, Germany) for his abstract entitled “Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) during walking in patients with severe COPD: A randomized cross-over trial”.

Cell and Molecular Biology Young Scientist Travel Awards

sponsored by AstraZeneca

Hajime Yoshisue
(Southampton, United Kingdom) with an abstract entitled “Molecular mechanisms of the synergy between cysteinyl-leukotrienes and receptor tyrosine kinase growth factors on human bronchial fibroblast proliferation”.


Juanita H. J. Vernooy
(Maastricht, The Netherlands) with an abstract entitled “Suppressed pulmonary expression of leptin in lipopolysaccharide-induced acute and chronic lung inflammation”.



Melanie Koenigshoff
(Giessen, Germany) with an abstract entitled “Wnt-Inducible protein (WISP-1) is a key regulator of alveolar epithelial cell hyperplasia in pulmonary fibrosis”.


Stephen A. Renshaw
(Sheffield, United Kingdom) with an abstract entitled “The molecular controls of resolution of inflammation: What can we learn from Zebrafish?”.



Suzanne Zuyderduyn
(Leiden, The Netherlands) with an abstract entitled “Role of purinergic receptors in the activation of human airway smooth muscle cells by the antimicrobial peptide LL-37”

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Research

Sponsored by Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd

Ralph T. Schermuly
(Giessen, Germany) for his abstract entitled “Phosphodiesterase 1 upregulation in pulmonary arterial hypertension – Target for antiremodelling therapy”.

Travel grant for Sleep Medicine
Sponsored by Weinmann

Maria Pallayova
(Kosice, Slovakia) for her abstract entitled “The effect of continuous positive airway pressure on glucose excursions in diabetics with sleep-disordered breathing: the results of continuous glucose monitoring”.


Silke Ryan
(Dublin, Ireland) for an abstract entitled “Predictors of elevated tumour necrosis factor-α level in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome”.





Yoshihiro Kitahara
(Hiroshima City, Japan) for his abstract entitled “Effect of CPAP on brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity in patients with OSAHS”.		 

ERS Clinical Annual Allergy and Immunology Awards

sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline

Erica Bazzan
(Padova, Italy) with an abstract entitled “Angiogenesis in the airway wall of atopic children without asthma”.



Marco Idzko
(Freiburg, Germany) with an abstract entitled “Local application of FTY720 to the lung abrogates experimental asthma by altering myeloid dendritic cell function”.

Ilonka H. van Veen
(Leiden, The Netherlands) with an abstract entitled “Mannose binding lectin (MBL) levels predict lung function decline in severe asthma”.

Occupation and Epidemiology Best Paper Annual Award 2005

with the support of GlaxoSmithKline (UK)
The first prize has been awarded to

Trude D. Skorge
(Bergen, Norway) for her paper entitled “The adult incidence of asthma and respiratory symptoms by passive smoking in utero or in childhood” published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

The second prize has been
awarded to

Francesco Forastiere
(Roma, Italy) for his paper entitled “A case-crossover analysis of out-of-hospital coronary deaths and air pollution in Rome, Italy” published in the American Journal Respiratory Critical Care Medicine.


The third prize has been
awarded to

Cleo van Diemen
(Groningen, The Netherlands) for her paper entitled “A disintegrin and metalloprotease 33 polymorphisms and lung function decline in the general population” published in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine.

Annual Award for Paediatric Respiratory Research in Europe

sponsored by AstraZeneca

First prize Mariëlle Wilhemina Helena Pijnenburg
(Rotterdam, The Netherlands) for her research on “Exhaled nitric oxide in childhood asthma”.


Second prize Silvia Carraro
(Mira Venezia, Italy) for her research on “Non invasive markers of airway inflammation and redox biochemistry applied to asthma”.

Lung transplantation best abstract award

sponsored by Novartis Pharma Schweiz AG and Roche Pharma AG

Kathleen Blondeau
(Leuven, Belgium) for her abstract entitled “Acid and nonacid reflux after lung transplantation. Impedance-pH monitoring in patients with and without pulmonary allograft dysfunction”.


Katharina Krenn
(Vienna, Austria) for her abstract entitled “Validation of a bronchiolitis obliterans rat lung transplant model: The role of MMP-9”.




Rachel Stovold
(Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom) for her abstract entitled “Evidence of increased gastric aspiration in acute lung allograft rejection”.

The Allied Respiratory Professionals Best Abstract Award

sponsored by Smiths Medical (Wampsville, USA).

Maureen P. Verheggen
(Subiaco, Australia) with an abstract entitled “Fitness to fly guidelines are not suitable for infants”.

The Allied Respiratory Professionals Congress Travel Grants
provided by VIASYS Healthcare GmbH (Germany), and Roche Netherlands BV (The Netherlands).

Cathy Lodewijckx
(Leuven, Belgium) for her abstract entitled “Smoking cessation during hospital stay: nursing action and answers”.




Miguel Goncalves
(Porto, Portugal) for his abstract entitled “Comparison of two different modes during bi-level positive pressure ventilation in patients with restrictive disorders: spontaneous versus assist-control”.

Aidan Laverty
(London, United Kingdom) for his abstract entitled “The establishment of a database for appointment booking, study reporting, discharging, non-invasive ventilator equipment tracking and auditing of a sleep laboratory”.

Respiratory Infections Awards

sponsored by Bayer plc (UK).

Daiana Stolz
(Basel, Switzerland) with an abstract entitled “Diagnostic value of Procalcitonin, CRP, leukocytes and BAL neutrophils for pulmonary complications in the immunocompromised host”.
Jean-Paul Janssens
(Geneva, Switzerland) with an abstract entitled “Contribution of the T-SPOT.TB assay for detection of latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) in contact tracing procedures” .

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