Finally meeting in person again – Successful BIOMAP Annual Consortium Meeting 2022 held in Kiel
After more than two years of meeting through a computer screen, the BIOMAP consortium finally had the opportunity to meet in person from 4-5 October in Kiel, northern Germany. Main focus of this year’s annual meeting was the transition from a work package-centric approach to dedicated cross-work package task forces focussed on key strategic aspects of the BIOMAP vision.
The meeting was opened by BIOMAP Coordinator Prof. Stephan Weidinger (Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel) and Project Leader Dr Alexandra Hicks, who replaced Dr Paul Bryce (both Sanofi) in July this year. While the morning of the meeting was dedicated to short updates on the different BIOMAP work packages, the afternoon sessions were focussed on shaping five cross-consortium task forces around BIOMAP key topics. Parallel sessions induced lively and collaborative discussions on draft objectives, critical gaps to be filled and resource needs towards achieving cross-functional data generation and high impact publications.
On the second day the task force leaders reported on the outcomes from the previous day and presented outlines on their task forces’ structure, approach, needs and next steps. The task force outcomes were followed by presentations on the management and the ethics/legal work package. The communication Working Group presented the concept and design for the new BIOMAP website (that will be launched at the end of October). In a dedicated slot for patient involvement, several BIOMAP Patient Board representatives kindly shared their experiences and views with the consortium. The meeting ended with a General Assembly.
It was a real pleasure to finally meet in person again, socialise and exchange scientific data and ideas. The consortium will continue to build on the energy and momentum of this foundation and continue to work collaboratively to drive the task forces to shaping and delivering on objectives.
We would like to thank all attendees for their energetic participation and collaborative spirit at our meeting. A special thanks goes to Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel that hosted the meeting at the facilities of the Kieler Kaufmann.
