Award winners 'Longdagen' 2019
The eight edition of the ‘Longdagen’ were organized by the Lung Foundation, the NRS and the NVALT on 9-10 April 2019. Pulmonologists, scientists, caregivers and patients with lung disease came together to discuss and exchange knowledge and experiences. Several prices were awarded during the 'Longdagen'.
NRS Swierenga Thesis Award
The NRS Swierenga Thesis Award is won by Dr. Diana van der Plaat from the UMCG for her thesis ‘Genes, DNA methylation and exposures underlying COPD in never-smokers’. She generated methylation data in the lab and introduced novel statistical analysis methods to the epigenetic pulmonary field, such as the application of Differentially Methylated Regions (DMRs).
NRS Swierenga Medal
The NRS Swierenga Medal is won by Prof. dr. Emiel Wouters, head of the department Pulmonology at the Maastricht UMC+ and head of the board of Ciro. He was the founding father of Ciro as center of expertise for complex chronic lung failure and was one of the founders of the NRS in 2009. He is specialized in COPD and interstitial lung disease, trained 40 pulmonologists, supervised 69 PhD students, and currently supervises 14 more PhD students.
NRS Chiesi Young Investigator Award
The NRS Chiesi Young Investigator Award is won by Orestes Carpaij from the University of Groningen for his abstract ‘Small Airways Disease Parameters Defined By PExA Particle Mass In Asthma, Asthma Remission And Healthy Controls’. The abstract he submitted for the ‘Longdagen’ explains that healthy controls and subjects with complete asthma remission have a significantly higher PExA particle mass compared to asthmatics, which suggests that patients with clinical asthma remission might still have a degree of small airway disease. This award was powered by sponsor Chiesi.
Another three prizes were awarded by the Lung foundation: the Sterk Participation Prize, the Dirkje Postma Talent Award and the Audience Award (publieksprijs). More information about these award winners can be found on the Lung Foundation website.
Sterk Participation Prize
De Sterk Participation Prijs is won by Dr. Susanne Vijverberg from the AUMC (Amsterdam UMC). She received the prize for her research into the effect of an advisory board of young patients with a chronic lung disease on participation of young patients in research.
Dirkje Postma Talent Award
Dr. Lizza Hendriks from the UMCG received the Dirkje Postma Talent Award for her research into distinguishing which patient population could benefit from preventative treatment of brain metastasizes in patients with lung cancer, the impact of the diagnosis of brain metastasizes, and a tool to deal with the side effects of the preventative therapy.
Audience Award (Publieksprijs)
Marieke van der Molen from the UMCG received the ‘Longdagen Publieksprijs 2019’, a prize for the best research according to the audience present during the ‘Longdagen’. Her research focusses on endobronchial valves in combination with pulmonary rehabilitation. This award was powered by sponsor Chiesi.
