Reflections on in-person LRI Spring Meeting
The Eighth annual Leprosy Research Initiative Spring Meeting was held on 20-21 April 2023 in Breukelen, the Netherlands. This in-person event brought together over 80 attendees from 20 countries, including LRI-funded researchers, LRI committee members, partners of LRI, and other attendees with a particular interest in leprosy research.
The Spring Meeting is an important event for presenting and discussing progress and results from ongoing LRI-funded research projects and a platform for shared learning and networking. According to Dr. Richard Truman, Chair of the LRI Scientific Review Committee, "this year's Spring Meeting was a resounding success, showcasing high-quality presentations and encouraging scholarly, social, and personal interactions among individuals in the leprosy world." Ms Linda Hummel, Director of LRI, emphasised that the importance of collaboration and scientific quality as LRI’s identity was evident throughout the event.
The two days were filled with scientific presentations, interactive sessions and opportunities for interactions. In total, 31 progress presentations were given on ongoing projects covering all five LRI research priorities and the R2STOP Initiative presented key outcomes of their funded projects. On Friday afternoon, participants attended thematic sessions on topics of their preference including transmission, research capacity strengthening, and mental wellbeing, all sparking lively discussions.
In addition, the occasion was particularly noteworthy as we commemorated the 10th anniversary of LRI. All those involved were gratefully acknowledged and an overview of LRI’s milestones to date was proudly presented.
We look back on an inspiring LRI Spring Meeting 2023, also reflected in the overwhelmingly positive feedback from the participants: “You end up seeing research results in areas that you do not work in all the time. Great for broadening perspectives of the disease.” “The opportunity of network and engagement outside of the organised sessions is priceless”.
We will review participants’ suggestions and look forward to welcome you at the LRI Spring Meeting 2024!
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Online ‘Highlights of LRI Spring Meeting’ event coming on June 1st
This year, as part of the 10-year anniversary celebrations, LRI will also be hosting an online "Highlights of LRI Spring Meeting " event on June 1st, from 14:00-16:30 CEST to allow for participation globally. The event will include the showcasing of selected project progress presentations from the in-person meeting, and a special LRI 10-year anniversary session. This event is open to everyone with an interest in leprosy research and participation is completely free-of-charge.
To participate in the event, please complete the registration form and you will receive the meeting link closer to the date
Further event details and programme will become available on the LRI website soon.
We are excited to welcome you online!