Dear Colleagues and Friends,
on behalf of the Local Scientific Committee I would like to welcome you at the XIIIth European Symposium on Platelet and Granulocyte Immunobiology, to be held on July 3-6th 2014 in Germany. For the Symposium venue we have chosen the Congress Center in Bad Homburg, a spa town conveniently located next to Frankfurt and its international airport (distance less than 20 km).
Bad Homburg, in the State of Hessen, is one of the wealthiest towns in Germany. It nurtures its tradition as the former residence of the Landgraves of Hessen-Homburg, the summer residence of the German Emperors and their families, and as a famous spa town (“Bad”) since the 19th century. Traces of this rich history can be found in the Castle and its park, in the spa gardens (“Kurpark”) with its listed buildings and monuments, in the quaint Old Town, or in the Landgraves’ garden landscape that stretches out into the Taunus Mountains. A countess from England gave the fresh air from the Taunus forests the noble accolade “Air of champagne”.
The Scientific Committee has prepared an interesting program on platelets and granulocytes, which consists of a number of tracks; basic science, applied clinical science and virtual labs. Speakers will not only be invited from the traditional immunohematology field, but also from neighboring fields, who will provide new insights, innovative challenges and inspiration to our current research. In close cooperation with the International Society on Blood Transfusion (ISBT) and the German Society on Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology (DGTI), the International Workshops for Platelet Immunobiology and for Granulocyte Immunobiology as well as a Technical Forum for young investigators and technicians will also be part of this symposium.
The congress will give you ample opportunity to meet old friends and to make new ones at the Welcome Reception on Thursday, and during the Congress Party on Saturday.
Be inspired by the people, the meeting, and the air of champagne: Welcome to Germany – Welcome to Bad Homburg!
Sentot Santoso
President of the Symposium
On behalf of the Scientific Committee