ERS Congress 2024: Programme highlights for early career members

What are you most looking forward to about the ERS Congress 2024?

Like every year, I am very excited to meet up with friends, colleagues, and mentors. I have the privilege to co-host the Networking Excellence Training (NEXT) programme once again, which is always very inspiring and where I get to know plenty of brilliant early career members (ECMs).

Then, the ECM session (15:45 CEST, Monday 9 September, A1) and the Science Slam (15:45 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, A1) are always some of my preferred times of the congress, because they address original themes with original formats.

I will also gladly co-chair the symposium titled “Pulmonary rehabilitation: global adaptation and implementation” (13:45 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, A1). Finally, being a respiratory physiologist working in a referral centre for rare pulmonary diseases, apart from the sessions proposed on behalf of Assembly 1, I will also attend various presentations about pulmonary function tests (interpretation with artificial intelligence, the influence of race and ethnicity) and novel findings in interstitial lung diseases.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 1 at the congress?

39% of Assembly 1 members are under 40 years old. Indeed, their contribution is critical to the success of the ERS Congress, by presenting their work, giving lectures, chairing sessions…

To engage in ERS activities, I encourage all ECMs to seize every opportunity to meet with ECM fellows and ERS officers: for example, at the Opening Ceremony (17:45 CEST, Saturday 7 September, C4), from Sunday to Tuesday at lunch time in the World Village (12:30-13:30 CEST), Tuesday at the Assembly Meeting (17:15 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, A3 for Assembly 1), and afterwards at the Assembly Networking Dinner.

Postgraduate Courses and Skills Workshops might also be a nice way to combine learning and networking.

Assembly 1 being especially translational, the theme of the ERS Congress 2024 “Humans and Machines: getting the balance right” will offer more than enough opportunities to attend various appealing sessions, depending of your interests, not only disseminating up-to-date clinical and scientific advances, but opening a window onto the future of respiratory medicine as well. This is also perfectly in line with the topics of Group 1.04: M-health/e-health.

What are your top three picks for ECMs in Assembly 1 from the congress programme?

In French we say something like “to choose is to forsake”, and it is indeed very difficult for me to pick only three sessions. To this end, I will post everyday on social networks a reminder of the sessions proposed by Assembly 1 on the next day: on Twitter/X (@ERSAssembly1, @EarlyCareerERS), on Facebook (ERS Early Career Members page), and on LinkedIn (ERS Early-Career Members group).

To stick with the overarching theme, I would promote:
1 The two primary care sessions on Saturday morning, “Digital health to improve respiratory management (introducing new technologies to help primary healthcare)” (9:30 CEST, Saturday 7 September, C5), and “First-line essential interventions for appropriate primary respiratory care” (11:15 CEST, Saturday 7 September, C5).
2 The Congress chair's session “Humans and Machines: getting the balance right” (15:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September, C1).
3 “How will generative artificial intelligence support our future practice? Ask AMECA, one of the most advanced humanoid robots in the world” (11:30 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, Studio – Strauss 3).

What are you most looking forward to about the ERS Congress 2024?

This year, the theme of the congress “Humans and Machines – Getting the balance right” perfectly fits to the current and upcoming challenges that have to be solved in the respiratory critical care sector. Therefore, I am looking forward to seeing state of the art developments in this area, so that the we can improve the care for our patients due to the helpful interaction between “humans and machines”.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 2 at the congress?

As an early career member, the highlight is to experience the latest development in respiratory intensive care medicine and to connect with experts in the field. In addition, the congress is packed with practical workshops such as the postgraduate courses that I can highly recommend. The practical information is complemented by theoretical sessions giving ECMs vital information for their daily work.

What are your top three picks for ECMs in Assembly 2 from the congress programme?

1 Practical information for daily work – Lungs on fire: respiratory critical care/sleep and breathing disorders
(10:15–11:45 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C6 – live streamed)

2 Hottest news: State of the art session: Respiratory critical care
(08:30–10:00 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C6 – live streamed)

3 Glimpse into the future: Future developments in respiratory failure
(15:30–17:00 CEST, Sunday 8 September, C3 – live streamed)

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

This year it will be a very special Congress for me, and I cannot wait to see colleagues and friends in Vienna during the numerous networking opportunities. I am also looking forward to the translational sessions, especially the ‘Oral presentation: The regenerative potential of stem cells in lung diseases’, in which I will be presenting my own PhD work.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 3 at the congress?

There are plenty of interesting sessions tailored to everyone’s expertise, so be sure to make your agenda with plenty of time not to miss anything. I would highlight the Expert interview: When the clinician meets the basic scientist (12:25–12:50 CEST, Saturday 7 September, Studio).

Joining the Assembly 3 meeting (17:15 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, A1) and social event is also very important for ECMs to hear the latest news on our Assembly and perhaps to meet your future collaborators or the reviewers of your work.

With this in mind, please tell us your top session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

My top picks would be:

1 Basic/translational science symposium The metabolic niche in pulmonary fibrosis (10:15 CEST, Sunday 8 September, A2)
2 Oral presentation: Innovative perspectives on cellular mechanisms in lung diseases
(14:15 CEST, Sunday 8 September, Strauss 2)
3 Translational session: Scientific year in review
(08:30 CEST, Monday 9 September, A2)
4 These are in addition to the oral presentation in which I will present my own PhD work: The regenerative potential of stem cells in lung diseases
(09:30 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, A1)

What are you most looking forward to about the ERS Congress 2024?

I am always very excited to attend the ERS Congress, and this year even more so as the ECM Representative of Assembly 4. In particular, the NEXT programme event provides a platform to learn new content, meet new people and build a network, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages the sharing of ideas and experiences among participants.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 4 at the congress?

For me, the most interesting topics will be:
- The latest findings from new international guidelines and clinical trials on non-continuous positive airway pressure therapy
- The latest findings on sleep-associated breathing alongside ventilation disorders
- Focus on the advances in diagnostic tools and technologies for sleep disordered breathing

Please let us know your top three picks from the congress programme for ECMs in Assembly 4?

My top picks will be:

1 Postgraduate course on sleep-disordered breathing
09:30–17:30 CEST, Strauss 2
This session represents an overview of the entire management of sleep breathing disorders, from phenotyping to new diagnostic aspects and possibilities for new therapies. Understanding these aspects is crucial for improving patient outcomes and tailoring individualised treatment plans in clinical practice.

2 All the poster sessions
These sessions allow researchers to present their work in a detailed and interactive manner, receiving direct feedback and building potential collaborations.

3 Symposium on novel diagnostic approaches to sleep-disordered breathing and translation to personalised patient care
15:30–17:00 CEST, Sunday 8 September, C5 – live streamed
In the era of machine learning and artificial intelligence, understanding novel approaches and their applications can enhance clinical practice or research, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

This year’s congress offers numerous sessions aimed at early career members in the form of educational resources, scientific discussion, networking and career development. I look forward to participating in these sessions and making the most of opportunities to meet fellow early career members. The various symposia organised by Assembly 5 allow us to hear from key opinion leaders in the field of airway disease, I am very excited for this and look forward to exploring the poster sessions, learning from authors and having the opportunity to discuss topics in-person.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 5 at the congress?

To select a few, we are spoilt for choice with postgraduate courses on Saturday 7 September, I recommend PG3: Masterclass in asthma and PG8: Masterclass in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for updates on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, assessment and monitoring of COPD and asthma, the latest pharmacological treatment, and co- and multimorbidity in patients with COPD and asthma.

Also on Saturday 7 September, the NEXT programme offers a comprehensive training programme to those invited, the programme is packed full of resources for career development, with a keynote lecture from Prof. James Chalmers on Manuscript writing and publishing. At 15:45 CEST on Monday 9 September, join fellow early career member discussions on key aspects for career development in respiratory medicine and to learn more about opportunities for you within the ERS. Finally, do not forget to visit the world village on Monday 9 September at 12:30, to meet your early career representative for more information on how to get involved with ERS activities and to share your ideas.

With this in mind, please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

1 Symposium: Implementing new strategies and treatments in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Monday 9 September, 08:30 CEST
Global leaders will meet to discuss novel therapies developed in recent years for airway diseases. The symposium includes a talk by Prof. Brightling, promising to give insights into the use of biologics in COPD. A very topical subject given recent results from randomised clinical trials in the field.

2 Oral presentation: Knowing your ABCs of airways disease: advances, biomarkers and control
11:00 CEST, Sunday 8 September
A session of translational science, featuring 10 talks which will undoubtedly spur valuable discussion among both basic scientists and clinical researchers.

3 Poster session: Clinical chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
12:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September
A poster session with a clinical tag, featuring some interesting posters the use of pulmonary function testing in identifying clinical phenotypes in COPD.

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

I am very much looking forward to the oral presentations on the most recent research, particularly how far artificial intelligence has come in respiratory medicine and epidemiology. ERS Assembly 6 covers various respiratory diseases, with environmental factors and epidemiology as the common denominator. This means that the research activities and presentations within our assembly give a great opportunity to get an insight and update on a broad range of respiratory conditions.

A key element in the ERS Congress is the social aspect, where you can meet international colleagues in person and foster future collaborations.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 6 at the congress?

Firstly, I congratulate all the ECMs presenting their research projects in various session types. For those ECMs who will present an abstract for the first time, I am sure this year's ERS Congress will be memorable. Secondly, I will encourage the ECMs to come by the World Village on Sunday, September 9, from 12:30-13:30 CEST, where we will have “meet your ECM” sessions.
Finally, I will recommend taking advantage of all the educational activities, such as postgraduate courses offered on Saturday 7 September - if you would like to book a course, you can add a booking via the congress registration page.

With this in mind, please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

1 Hot topic: Chronic respiratory disease burden in Europe: towards health equity in 2050 – Clinical World Health Organization and European Respiratory Society recent outputs
08:30 CEST, Monday 9 September, C1

I am quite sure that this session is on many delegates' "must-see" list. In this session, the joint report of WHO Europe and ERS on Chronic Respiratory Disease will be presented, and the audience can expect to get an update on the current global burden of chronic respiratory disease, the need for international collaborations, and proposals on how to intervene in the future to reduce the disease burden.

2 Symposium: Lung function abnormalities, chronic obstructive lung disease, and multimorbidity
15:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September, A2

I look forward to the symposium 'Lung function abnormalities, chronic obstructive lung disease, and multimorbidity' taking place Sunday 8 September from 15.30–17.00, which I also have the pleasure of co-chairing. I expect to get a nice overview and update on the link between lung function patterns in obstructive lung diseases versus restrictive lung disease and their association with cardiometabolic comorbidity through known and more novel common risk factors between these conditions. The symposium will also showcase how artificial intelligence can model lung function trajectories and put epidemiological studies into a clinical perspective.

3 Oral Presentation: Lifetime impact of environmental and occupational exposures on respiratory health
08:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September, Strauss 1

This session will cover an important and well-known risk factor for various respiratory and allergic diseases: air pollution. This session will bring new insight as we will be introduced to the 'exposome' approach and the interaction between genetics and air pollution. There is an increasing focus on environmental exposure over a lifespan on the risk of chronic respiratory diseases and allergies.

What are you most looking forward to about the ERS Congress 2024?

I am really looking forward to meet up and engage with peers and experts. The annual congress provides a great opportunity to catch up with ERS colleagues, as well as meet new early career members, have plenty of nice coffee, exchange ideas and start new collaborations. Furthermore, it is inspiring to learn from the leading experts on the latest scientific and clinical advancements. And I am looking forward to present my own research as well.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 7 at the congress?

One of the highlights in my opinion is the paediatric (half) day on Saturday from 13.45–17.30.
It includes three different sessions ranging various and highly relevant topics for both healthcare providers and researchers: such as predicting asthma, the new RSV vaccination, sleep-disordered breathing, and health inequalities. It is really exciting to have a half day on Saturday specifically dedicated to paediatric pulmonology with so many top experts presenting.

Please let us know your top three picks from the congress programme for ECMs in Assembly 7?

My top three sessions, in addition to the paediatrics half day, are:

1 Hot topics session: Paediatric asthma 2024
13:45–15:15 CEST, Tuesday 10 September
From prevention to transition – what is the current state of the art and what are the challenges for transition from adolescent to adult asthma?

2 Little humans and machines, getting the balance right in childhood asthma
15:15–16:00 CEST, Sunday 8 September
This session will focus on a key question – how can we integrate digital health technologies in the management of asthma?

3 Early career member session
15:45–17:00 CEST, Sunday 8 September
This session will focus on key aspects for career developments, such as improving inclusivity in respiratory research and it is a great opportunity to meet ECMs from all Assemblies!

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

I'm excited to take part in the Networking Excellence Training (NEXT) programme, which starts on September 7.
This is going to be the third time the NEXT programme is covered at Congress – it’s a full-day schedule geared exclusively towards ERS early career members. We'll have sessions devoted to crucial phases in professional growth as well as opportunities for networking and practice with colleagues from various backgrounds. I am also looking forward to the lunch sessions ‘Meet your ECM representative’ where we can meet with all the ECMs of our assemblies and share thoughts, experiences and future perspectives.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 8 at the congress?

Assembly 8, composed of Groups 8.1 (Thoracic surgery) and 8.2 (Transplantation) offers a variety of interesting and informative sessions for ECMs.
For those interested in thoracic surgery I want to highlight these two symposia:
- Lung cancer screening: considering and acting on developing needs (13:45–15:15 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C3 – live streamed)
- Gender discrepancies in non-small cell lung cancer: the challenging landscape of lung cancer in women (15:30–17:00 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C3 – live streamed)

These sessions will describe the current status of lung cancer screening in Europe, updated recommendations and also address the gender specific issues.

Regarding lung transplantation:
- I would highlight the session the changing face of lung transplantation (10:15–11:45, Tuesday 10 September, C1 – live streamed), which will focused on recent changes in the profile of lung transplant candidates and evolution of post-transplant treatment strategies
- Also the session dedicated to the ERS/EBMT clinical practice guideline for the treatment of pulmonary chronic graft-versus-host disease in adults (09:15–10:00 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C1 – live streamed).

There will also be a hot-topic session where we will discuss the future of lung transplantation in cystic fibrosis (13:45–15:15 CEST, Monday 9 September, C6 – live streamed) by considering the efficacy of the new therapeutic tools and the changing characteristics of this specific group of patients together with the post-transplant care.

I want to highlight the oral and poster sessions for both 8.1 (thoracic surgery) and 8.2 (transplantation) which will be presented mainly by ECMs, giving them the chance to share and discuss their findings with colleagues with similiar interests.

With this in mind, please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

It is quite difficult to choose only 3 sessions and I am planning to participate to as many as I can! However, I would pick:

1 Symposium: Gender discrepancies in non-small cell lung cancer: the challenging landscape of lung cancer in women
15:30 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C3

2 Symposium: The changing landscape of lung transplantation
10:15 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C1

3 Oral presentation: Strawberry fields forever - lung transplant outcomes
09:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September, Strauss 2

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

I am looking forward to hear the most recent and upcoming evidence around the novel non-pharmacological care for patients with different respiratory diseases. We will have a busy programme with many posters, oral presentations and late-breaking abstracts showing us research of different allied healthcare professionals on this topic.

I am also looking forward to the assembly meeting and our networking event, a great way to meet other early career members of our assembly. As an early career member, I am also looking forward to attending the early career symposium on Monday. The Mina Gaga lecture provided by the ECM awardee is always a very inspiring talk giving new energy to researchers and clinicians in the early career phase.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 9 at the congress?

There are many interesting topics for our assembly, it will be hard to include all the interesting sessions in one programme.

Looking into the abstracts that will be presented during the congress, we see more and more research into non-COPD. Many research groups investigate the importance of the non-pharmacological care to other diseases. This includes the care provided by physiotherapists, nurses, behavioural scientists and lung technicians. In this, we see more and more interdisciplinary management of patients.

With this in mind, please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

As a physiotherapist I am very much looking forward to hear all the high quality abstracts and learn about the findings of different studies. Looking at the abstracts that will be presented, we will hear many randomised controlled trials (RCTs) testing the effectiveness of a wide range of physiotherapy interventions in different populations. It is always very interesting to hear these recent findings and discuss with presenters and colleagues.

Oral presentation: Best abstracts in respiratory physiotherapy
09:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September, A1
As a physiotherapist I am very much looking forward to here all these high quality abstracts and hear the findings of different studies. Looking at the abstracts that will be presented, we will hear many RCTs testing the effectiveness of a wide range of physiotherapy interventions in different populations. It is always very interesting to hear these recent findings and discuss with presenters and colleagues.

Symposium: Behaviour change and self-management in chronic respiratory disease
08:30 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, A2
As mentioned, I am looking forward hear research on multidisciplinary treatment of patients. This symposium will provide a great insight into such initiatives and discuss holistic needs of patients by including psychosocial aspects of care, discuss social dimensions of care and approaches to enhance self-management.

Hot topics: race and ethnicity in pulmonary function testing
10:15 CEST, Sunday 8 September, C5
This symposium will tackle a very hot topic. This session will explain the importance of ethnic or racial classification in pulmonary function testing, which is very relevant in the present multiracial generation we live in. Very important the session will provide insight on the consequences of ethnic or racial misclassification and will focus both on adult and pediatric populations.

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

I am eager to hear from both experts and early career members (ECMs) on the latest developments and most pressing issues in respiratory infections. I'm also looking forward to networking both with fellow ECMs and senior members of the assembly and to exchange views and ideas.

The assembly meeting and the ‘Meet your early career representative’ events on Monday 9 September, 12:30 CEST seems like great opportunities to do both. With so many engaging sessions planned, from symposia to poster presentations, I plan to attend as many as I can.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 10 at the congress?

The ERS Congress offers a comprehensive programme for ECMs, from the interesting postgraduate courses to the NEXT programme, which provides a useful training and a good opportunity for network for promising early-career professionals.
The Congress also features many stimulating sessions, from state-of-the-art sessions to symposia, offering invaluable opportunities for professional growth and knowledge acquisition. Furthermore, ECMs have the opportunity to present their research and forge connections with peers and leading experts in the field.

With this in mind, please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

This is a very tough question, as this year’s programme is rich with interesting sessions. However, my top picks would be:

1 State of the art session: Respiratory infections/Pulmonary aspergillosis
08:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September, A1
Pulmonary aspergillosis is a fascinating and challenging field, and this state-of-the-art session will provide us with valuable insights into the diagnosis and management of this condition.

2 Symposium: Rethinking post tuberculosis prevention and care in the face of major adversities
10:15 CEST, 10 September, C3
Tuberculosis remains a significant global health challenge. This session will provide valuable insights into managing tuberculosis and post-tuberculosis lung disease in adverse settings, as well as exploring the potential of artificial intelligence to improve care.

3 Symposium: Cystic fibrosis beyond cystic fibrosis – recent advances and new perspectives
13:45 CEST, 10 September, A2
The increased life expectancy of cystic fibrosis patients has led to the need to address new clinical issues, requiring personalised approaches. This symposium will provide us with the knowledge and tools to explore these topics in greater depth, addressing global inequalities in cystic fibrosis care and incorporating the latest standards of care from the European Cystic Fibrosis Society.

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

The annual ERS Congress offers a high-quality programme that will enable us to keep abreast of the latest scientific advances. It is always a privilege to be able to take part in this congress and I am looking forward to meeting colleagues and friends, establishing new contacts enabling us to create new projects, present our scientific work and learn from the experts.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 11 at the congress?

Firstly, we will have our third edition of the NEXT (Networking Excellence Training) programme specially designed for promising early-career clinicians, researchers and allied health-professionals who will present their work at the ERS Congress. It provides comprehensive support to participants before the Congress in a one-day dedicated training session aimed to enhance their professional development. Secondly, hands-on workshops and postgraduate courses are tailored to ECMs to enhance their skills and professional development; the interactive symposia and panel discussions on the latest advancements and challenges in the field will provide to ECMs up-to-date knowledge and insights in lung cancer and pleural disease (since diagnosis to treatment).

Finally, this congress offers the opportunity for ECMs to present their scientific work, showcasing their contributions to the field.

With this in mind, please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

In my opinion the three top sessions from thoracic oncology are:

1 Clinical Trials Session
10:15 CEST, Sunday 8 September, C2
The ALERT session from thoracic oncology (Abstracts Leading to Evolution in Respiratory Medicine Trials) will focus on artificial intelligence and its role in bronchoscopy, impactful smoking cessation strategies, and results from RCT in stage IV lung cancer treatment, all of which are crucial for advancing respiratory healthcare.

2 State of the art session: Lung cancer diagnostics and treatment challenges
13:15 CEST, Sunday 8 September, C6
This session will address the indications and applications of robotic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis and management of early-stage NSCLC; will focus on the latest advancements in the treatment of resectable disease and will discuss the role of molecular biomarkers in lung cancer management. Undoubtedly, this session will provide cutting-edge knowledge, practical applications, and a comprehensive understanding of the latest trends and innovations in thoracic oncology.

3 Hot topics: Malignant pleural effusion diagnosis and management – practical solutions for optimal outcomes
09:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September, C2
The diagnosis and management of MPE are complex and require a multidisciplinary approach. This session will address these complexities, providing practical solutions for healthcare professionals.

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

I am very excited about the theme of this year’s ERS Congress – “Humans and machines: getting the balance right”. It’s especially relevant for ECMs with a long career in respiratory medicine ahead in which artificial intelligence will definitely have an increasingly important role. I am also looking forward to meeting other early career members and discuss about the future of ILD. The ERS Congress is one of the best networking events of the year!

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 12 at the congress?

This year’s scientific sessions really cover ILDs from bench to bedside, with basic and translational sessions, sessions that focusing on novel ways of diagnosis and monitoring of disease, tools for prediction of disease progression, and advances in pharmacological management.

There are also many abstracts in the field of ILD that align with this year’s congress theme. So, depending on your research interests, there are exciting sessions to visit for everyone.

What are your top three picks from the congress programme for ECMs in Assembly 12?

It’s difficult to pick only three sessions, as there will be lots of interesting ILD sessions throughout the conference! I would advise ECMs to visit as many poster sessions as they can, as this is an easy way to meet other researchers in their field and to start collaborations.

Moreover, I think postgraduate courses are very valuable for ECMs. On Saturday there will be a postgraduate course on early diagnosis and management of interstitial lung diseases (09:30–13:00 CEST, Saturday 7 September, C3 – live streamed) which also includes discussion of clinical cases.

This year, there will be some novel, intereactive sessions in the studio. For the first time, there will be a session called 'enthusiast meets experienced', in which an early career member discusses newest data in the field with an ILD expert. There will also be a skills session about imaging in ILD.

Two pro-con debates in the studio will also discuss interesting and difficult clinical questions:

1 Should connective tissue-related interstitial lung diseases be treated at the earliest opportunity?
10:30–11:15 CEST, Sunday 8 September
2 Should advancing age and comorbidities prevent you from initiating antifibrotic therapy?
10:00–10:45 CEST, Wednesday 11 September

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

I am looking forward to the scientific programme of the congress this year. At almost every hour of the congress, one can find sessions covering the field of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary embolism, meaning that so much of the programme will be relevant for ECMs in ERS Assembly 13 – pulmonary vascular diseases.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 13 at the congress?

On Monday 9 September from 12:30-13:30 CEST we will have a “meet your ECM” lunchtime session in the world village. I encourage all ECMs to drop buy for a chat. It would be lovely to meet everyone in person.

Please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

Three sessions in particular that I would pick out from the extensive congress programme are:

1 Skills workshops “practical pulmonary hypertension” – SW13 from 08:00–10:20 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, STOLZ 1 and SW14 from 10:40–13:00 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, STOLZ 1.

2 Hot topics in pulmonary hypertension
08:30–10:00 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C2
This session will provide a conclusion and detail the controversies from the 7th World Symposium on PH.

3 Pro-Con debate: Cracking the clot – debates on the management of high-risk pulmonary embolism
Saturday 7 September, 09:15–10:00 CEST, Studio.

What are you most looking forward to about this year’s ERS Congress?

My personal favourite part of the congress is always the oral presentations of the latest research. Every year I am amazed by the brilliant ideas from our colleagues all over the world. For my assembly, I think the theme of this year’s congress is particularly interesting for assembly 14 members. The use of new technology is highly relevant for ultrasound, imaging and interventional pulmonology.

As every year, I think this year’s congress offers many opportunities for ECMs. Aside from a very interesting congress programme, the skills workshops and postgraduate courses include ultrasound – highly relevant for members from many assemblies. I think the combination of courses, examinations and the newest research will provide participants with both new skills and inspiration for use in clinical practice.

What will be the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 14 at the congress?

For me, the highlights for ECMs in Assembly 14 to look forward to are:
- Ultrasound: Contrast enhanced ultrasound
- Imaging: photon-counting CT
- Endoscopy: Cone beam navigation

With this in mind, please tell us your top three session or abstract picks from the Congress programme and why?

1Use of radiology tools in health care pathways
08:30 CEST, Sunday 8 September, C3

2The wide world of thoracic ultrasound
11:00 CEST, Sunday 8 September, Strauss 1

3Imaging innovations from the bronchoscopy suite
10:15 CEST, Tuesday 10 September, C4