This year the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milano will host the First World Vitiligo Congress, between 23-24 September.
Some of the known speakers will be:
Prof. Raymond E. Boissy - involved in studying vitiligo and pigment cell biology.
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH - USA
Prof. Richard A. Spritz - VitGene consortium project, aimed to identify susceptibility genes for generalized vitiligo.
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO - USA
There will be a Patient day, organized by ARIV, a patient-driven, non-profit organization based in Italy, representing the interest of those affected by vitiligo. Also patients and visitors can participate in the scientific sessions held on the 23rd and 24th for a registration fee of 168 € ( around 241 $)
Here is their official welcoming address:
Dear Friends,
It is a great honor and pleasure for me to chair the FIRST VITILIGO WORLD CONGRESS to be held on September 23-24, 2010 at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milano.
Why at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute? Because, using the words of its Founder and President, Don Luigi Maria Verzé, “the San Raffaele complex focuses exclusively on every aspect of man: a blend of soma, intellect and spirit as far as duration and quality are concerned”, as well as because clinical and basic research are core activities of the Institute.
Why a congress dedicated solely to vitiligo? Because in spite of not being a rare disease, of being classified as a disease by the WHO (World Health Organisation) and of being one of the most psychologically devastating chronic skin diseases, with a major impact on both patients and their families, vitiligo is still today underrated and underestimated. Still today there are dermatologists who minimize the impact of the disease, who trivialize the condition or deceive patients’ expectations, leaving them vulnerable to therapies not proven effective, often found within the depths of Internet.
In view of the fact that these last ten years have witnessed a growing interest for research and an improved understanding of the mechanisms regulating the disease, of its genetic susceptibility and of the role played by autoimmunity, this highly intense conference - the Faculty of which is made up by the most eminent experts in the field - sets itself the goal of becoming an ideal occasion for an innovative and in-depth analysis of vitiligo.
The Congress is going to focus on recent developments in our understanding of the disease, touching on such different research areas as genetics, endocrinology, immunology, photobiology and psychology. Old and new therapeutic approaches for vitiligo are going to be a major issue for debate.
With the hope that each one of You would make his own contribution to this Congress I send you my best regards,
Prof. Santo Raffaele Mercuri
The official conference website is http://www.vwc2010.com