24 April, 2025
We are delighted to announce that over 1,100 delegates attended this month’s Sleep and Breathing Conference 2025, held in Antwerp, Belgium, and online from 10–12 April.
Jointly organised by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the European Sleep Research Society (ESRS), this year’s conference featured a range of symposia, thematic poster sessions, debates, meet-the-expert sessions, hot-topic discussions, and clinical case sessions, with delegates also offered the chance to attend a brand-new masterclass event.
As the largest pan-European meeting of its kind, the Sleep and Breathing Conference offers an integrated approach to the investigation and treatment of sleep and breathing disorders.
Speaking about her experience at this year’s event, Prof. Marisa Bonsignore, Conference Co-Chair, said: “Delegates were very happy and enjoyed networking with one another. The conference was well attended throughout, and Antwerp proved a very pleasant city – with the venue itself easily accessible.
“Almost half the participants of our Masterclass on upper airway physiology during sleep (organised in collaboration with Antwerp University Hospital) came from non-European countries, a sign of the established relevance and prestige of the Sleep and Breathing Conference worldwide.
“Personally, the opening session is always a great moment, with a mixture of pleasure in meeting once more with the joined sleep community of ESRS and ERS, and some anxiety for the results of our work as conference organisers. This time, besides the usual year-in-review topics, our location near to the city zoo meant we were given a very interesting talk on sleep in primates by an Antwerp researcher.”
Prof. Dirk Pevernagie, Conference Co-Chair, added: “While preparing the conference starts more than a year earlier, and takes a lot of commitment from staff and the organising committee to achieve a successful outcome, there are still loose ends in the weeks just before the event. The team were able to perfectly solve any issues, which led to sessions that were well balanced and of a high educational quality.
“An important aspect of Sleep and Breathing is the update that participants receive from the state-of-the-knowledge presented by experts from Europe and other continents. There is ample time for interaction with the faculty, which further particularises the topics of interest.
“I also join Marisa’s reflection that the opening session is a great moment. It brings on expectations for a successful meeting as well as a feeling of relief that the conference has finally started. There were also many other fine moments, especially when reacquainting with people that I hadn’t seen for a long time.”
The session replays will be available for registered participants on the ERS Respiratory Channel until 10 October, 2025. The dates and venue for Sleep and Breathing Conference 2027 will be announced soon.