Over 230 participants attended VPH2010. This first meeting gave a demonstration of the many different VPH projects which are currently taking place, not just across Europe, but across the world. There were representatives from Australia, Singapore, Japan and South Korea to name a just a few of the International countries who participated.
The conference was opened on 30th September by Zoran Stancic, Deputy Director General (DG Information) who gave a talk on the role of the European Commission in the VPH Initiative. This was followed by Aleksander Popel (Johns Hopkins University) who gave a keynote lecture on systems biology of angiogenesis. Nadia Rosenthal (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) gave a keynote lecture in the afternoon on Enhancing mammalian regeneration. On the second day of the conference Norbert Graf (University Hospital of the Saarland) presented a keynote lecture on the clinician's view of systems biology modelling, with a particular emphasis on oncology and and Janet Thornton (European Bioinformatics Institute) gave a keynote lecture discussing the challenges and progress of ELIXIR: A European Infrastructure for Biological Information.
The conference programme itself was organised into four themes with a focus on the Cardiovascular System, Other Organ Systems, Policies and Tools and Methods. Poster sessions were divided into seven themes (1) Modelling organ systems and disease; (2) Modelling from cell to organ; (3) Data management, (4) Numerical methods and modelling tools; (5) Research methodology: experiments, probabilistic, integrative, data processing; (6) Systems biology / systems physiology; Screening, diagnosis, testing, medical devices and model assisted planning; and (7) ‘Other’. The conference also hosted 9 Demonstration stands from VPH projects within Framework 6 and 7.
Congratulations go to the authors of the two best posters of VPH2010 (judged by a Poster Committee Team during the conference). The two posters were poster number 51 'Development of a network model to support surgical planning of vascular access creation' by Kroon et al. and poster number 32 'Implementation of a multiscale model for molecular dynamics simulations of protein folding and aggregation in Adun' by Villà-Freixa et al. The authors of these posters were given a bottle of champagne each at the prize giving ceremony and an invitation to submit a paper for peer review in Interface Focus. The best VPH2010 papers (on the basis of reviewer scores) and posters (on the basis of the Poster Committee Judging Team) have been invited to submit a paper for peer review to be published in Interface Focus in 2011. Interface Focus is a new themed journal of the successful Royal Society Interface Journal and the VPH2010 issue will be one of its first publications.
To date, over 1100 downloads have been made on the conference programme from the VPH NoE website which gives some indication of the growing interest in the VPH initiative. Feedback was requested from all VPH2010 participants. Positive feedback was given for the organisation of the conference and overall all aspects of the conference were rated as 'very good'. Comments for the future were that there should be more hands on demonstrations and workshops and we will certainly take this on board when planning VPH2012. Over 95% of respondents stated that VPH2010 met with their primary objectives and 90% stated that VPH2010 was relevant to their practice, research or work. 73% of respondents from the feedback forms stated that they came to VPH2010 because of networking opportunities. This demonstrates a real need to continue with dissemination activities and VPH NoE will be continuing to host VPH events throughout 2011 and 2012.
To view the book of abstracts, please explore VPH 2010 Repository (VPH Events / VPH 2010 / page 2):
http://www.vph-noe.eu/vph-repository
About the VPH Network of Excellence
The VPH Network of Excellence (VPH NoE) is designed to foster, harmonise and integrate pan-European research in the field of i) patient-specific computer models for personalised and predictive healthcare and ii) ICT-based tools for modelling and simulation of human physiology and disease-related processes.
The main objectives of the VPH Network of Excellence are to support the:
- Coordination of research portfolios of VPH NoE partners through initiation of Exemplar integrative research projects that encourage inter-institution and interdisciplinary VPH research.
- Integration of research infrastructures of VPH NoE partners through development of the VPH ToolKit: a shared and mutually accessible source of research equipment, managerial and research infrastructures, facilities and services.
- Development of a portfolio of interdisciplinary training activities including a formal consultation on, and assessment of, VPH careers.
- Establishment of a core set of VPH-related dissemination and networking activities which will engage everyone from partners within the VPH NoE/other VPH projects, to national policy makers, to the public at large.
- Creation of Industrial, Clinical and Scientific Advisory Boards that will jointly guide the direction of the VPH NoE and, through consultation, explore the practical and legal options for real and durable integration within the VPH research community.
- Implementation of key working groups that will pursue specific issues relating to VPH, notably integrating VPH research worldwide through international physiome initiatives.