Plenary Opening
Session: PLENARY OPENING PLE01
Location: Auditorium 1 - Plenary Hall: 17:00 - 18:00
Over the past 30 years since its founding, the European Scientific Working Group on Influenza (ESWI), which began as a modest influenza scientific exchange group, has grown dramatically. At this moment it is an organisation where stakeholders, coalition partners, clinicians, scientists and policymakers work together to advance and implement diagnostics, treatments, antivirals, and vaccinations against acute respiratory viruses. The ninth ESWI Influenza Conference convened in Valencia on Sunday, September 17, 2023 with a warm welcome from the conference chair, Ab Osterhaus, and ESWI board members, Colin Russell and Marco Goeijenbier, at the Plenary Opening session. After 20 years of leadership as the Chair of ESWI, Ab Osterhaus introduced Colin Russell as the new Chair. Likewise, Ted van Essen stepped down after 20 years of service as ESWI Treasurer and welcomed Stefania Maggi as the new Treasurer, presenting her with a golden (empty) safety deposit box to begin her tenure.
Following the welcome and leadership transitions, Peter Openshaw highlighted the lasting inflammatory effects of acute respiratory viruses in the scientific keynote session, “Immune Responses to Respiratory Viruses and ‘Long-Haul’ Disease.” Beginning with an inspiring narrative of his early encounters with patients harbouring inflammatory and fibrotic diseases of unknown etiology, he described the immunomodulatory responses to RSV and its association with asthma. This was followed by results from the Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 cohort study (PHOSP-COVID) including the inflammation profiling and classifications of long COVID.
In addition to assembling field leaders, ESWI continues its commitment to foster and engage young scientists. Debby Van Riel, Chair of the Early Career Scientists (ECaS) Community, launched the initiative. ECaS offers financial and organisational support and networking opportunities for peer interactions and mentorship during and between conferences, allowing early career scientists to grow within an inclusive scientific community. This year, ESWI supported the attendance of 100 early career scientists from around the world. Beginning with a vibrant ECaS networking reception on Sunday evening, a website will be launched and ECaS will be informed via email in the coming months. A call for ECaS Chair and Co- Chair will be open in the next weeks for all ECaS members.
ESWI supports the ECaS with several awards: the Claude Hannoun Prize for Best Body of Work, launched in 2009, and the Award for Innovative Vaccine Research, launched in 2020. Winners of this year’s awards will present their work at the Plenary Session Dedicated to the Work of Early Career Scientists on Wednesday, September 20, 2023 from 9:15-10:15 AM.
Finally, this year ESWI is happy to announce that it launched its third award, celebrating the work of promising early career scientists from low and middle income countries.
At the conclusion of the Opening Plenary, Ab Osterhaus formally passed the gavel to Colin Russell, who gave the closing remarks as the new Chair of ESWI. The Ninth ESWI Influenza Conference promises to be an exciting week rich with the latest breakthroughs in influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 research and policy.
