The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt all facets of life across the world. Large international scientific congresses became non-viable for 2020 and as you are aware the ESDR Board took the early decision to postpone the ESDR 2020 Anniversary meeting into 2021. We know this decisive move was appreciated by our membership. We are delighted that we have been able to secure the same venues for the scientific meeting and networking events in Amsterdam for 22-25 September 2021. 2020 is an exceptional year for the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR) as we achieve the 50th anniversary of the Society but this and the 50th meeting (now in 2021) will still be celebrated. To mark the occasions we will be doing things a little differently for this one-off event in Amsterdam. We have chosen this city for the specific reason that the first meeting of the ESDR was held at a hotel in Noordwijk on the Dutch coast in 1971 – a venue too small to host the more than 1500 delegates we expect for the 50th meeting. We will meet in the Beurs van Berlage, an architecturally special building, in the centre of the city, originally the commodity exchange built in 1903 but now an international conference centre.
Habitués of ESDR meetings will be relieved to know that the structure of the 50th meeting won’t be a radical departure from the usual format of free communications, poster walks, electronic posters and iconic lectures including the Rudi Cormane Lecture, EADV Lecture and René Touraine Foundation Lecture. However, we have also invited four high profile plenary 2021 keynote lecturers from the world of science and five 50th anniversary lecturers who will speak on the topics of psoriasis, atopic eczema, skin cancer, genetic disease and cell biology. The anniversary lecturers will describe the advances in these topics since 1971 and the role played by European skin scientists in these developments. The social programme will be the usual concoction of entertainment and networking in unique venues throughout the city.
In recent years, the ESDR has made important strides in supporting the future leaders of skin science in Europe with the establishment of the Future Leaders’ Academy in 2011 and a leadership training programme in 2019. The 2021 Future Leaders’ Symposium promises to be a heady mix of high quality science and active networking. The Society also recognises the importance of global health research and its duty to promote skin research in least developed countries of the world. The day preceding the main conference will, as is usual, be devoted to meetings of special interest groups and societies, which are also characterised, by the extremely high quality of scientific discussion. We actively encourage academic-industrial collaboration as will be evidenced by the Discovery sessions and lunchtime symposia. This is aligned with our establishment and support of the Skin Science Foundation and its promotion of next-generation skincare.
We strongly encourage you to attend this anniversary celebration of all that is great about skin research to present your work, be educated and inspired, meet old friends and make new ones and look forward to welcoming you personally to Amsterdam. In the meantime, the COVID-19 pandemic has infiltrated and disrupted the lives of all of us, and we offer our sincere wish that you, your families and colleagues are safe and well during these turbulent and uncertain times.
Chris Griffiths
ESDR President 2019-2020
Márta Széll
ESDR President 2020-2021