7th European Cytogenetics Conference

2nd announcement
7 th European
Cytogenetics Conference
Photo: Stockholm visitors board - Richard Ryan
July 4-7 2009
Stockholm Sweden

Content
Committee 3
Important dates & Contacts 3
Exhibitors & Sponsors 4
Poster Exhibition 4
Preliminary programme 5
Registration 10
Accommodation 11
Social programme 11
General information 12
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the European Cytogeneticists Association (E.C.A) and the Organizing
Committee, I warmly welcome you all to the “Seventh European Cytogenetics
Conference”, which will take place in Stockholm, Sweden 4-7 July 2009, and hopefully
continue the success of previous E.C.A. conferences. For the first time we are able to
offer a site north of Paris!
Distinguished speakers will provide the most up-to-date reviews from the spectrum of
subdisciplines that comprise cytogenetics, and offer a prospective view of developments
in this rapidly expanding field, including various applications of array technology. It is the
intention of the Organizing Committee that this meeting will provide the opportunity
for the participants not only to contribute their knowledge and experience, but also to
interact with each other as well as with the invited speakers during the long and bright
summer nights in Stockholm at this time of the year.
Discover Stockholm, the Royal Capital of Sweden and one of the world’s most
beautiful capitals. Built on 14 islands around one of Europe’s largest and best-preserved
mediaeval city centres, the Swedish capital is superbly positioned, with stunning and
extremely varied scenery in every direction. With more foreign visitors than any other
city in Scandinavia it is also considered to be the “Capital of Scandinavia”. Stockholm
is home of the Nobel Prize and the first 700 registered participants will be invited
to a free buffet dinner and guided tour of the City Town Hall, which is the place of
the magnificent Nobel dinner. The conference will be arranged at the Stockholm City
Conference Centre with a city centre location in the heart of Stockholm. So, don´t
forget to mark your calendar for the first week of July 2009 in Stockholm, a unique
opportunity to combine science with the bright Nordic summer nights when the sun
barely dips below the horizon!
2
Elisabeth Blennow
Chairperson of the Organizing Committee

Committee
Organizing Committee
Elisabeth Blennow Stockholm
Britt-Marie Anderlid Stockholm
The-Hung Bui Stockholm
Jose Garcia-Sagredo Madrid
Lidia Larizza Milan
Konstantin Miller Hannover
Felix Mitelman Lund
John Wolstenholme Newcastle upon Tyne
All correspondence to members of the organising committee may be sent to the Conference
secretariat – confirmation-sweden@mci-group.com – for further distribution.
E.C.A. Conferences
Previous conferences are:
Athens (1997) Paris (2001) Madrid (2005)
Vienna (1999) Bologna (2003) Istanbul (2007)
Important dates & Contacts
Deadlines
Deadline for Abstract submission March 20, 2009
Early registration fee until March 12
Late registration fee March 13 – July 3
Onsite registration fee from July 4
E.C.A. Conference July 4-7
Scientific Programme
Elisabeth Blennow
Chairperson of the Organizing Committee
Dept of Clinical Genetics
Karolinska University Hospital
Stockholm, Sweden
E-mail: elisabeth.blennow@ki.se
Conference secretariat
For queries regarding registration, sponsorship and exhibition please contact:
MCI Stockholm Office
P.O. Box 6911
SE-102 39 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone +46-8-5465 15 00, Fax. +46-8-54651599
E-mail: confirmation-sweden@mci-group.com
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Exhibitors & Sponsors
Throughout the ECA Conference a commercial and poster exhibition will be
held at Stockholm City Conference Centre, Folkets Hus in immediate proximity
to the seminar halls.
The exhibition will be open during conference hours and be a natural meeting
point for all delegates.
Exhibition space allocation is well underway. Potential exhibitors should contact
the Conference Secretariat at their earliest opportunity.
Poster exhibition
Selected posters will be displayed during the whole meeting, arranged by their
respective topics. The date and exact time of each poster session will be notified
following acceptance, along with the information on poster dimensions and
mode of fixing. Each scientific session has a small number of slots for short
spoken presentations. Following review of the abstracts, Session Organisers
may invite the authors of relevant posters to present their work orally. Three
prizes will be awarded for the best poster-presentations, presented before the
closing ceremony on Tuesday July 7.
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Preliminary programme
Saturday, July 4, 2009
12:00 Registration
14:00 - 17:00 Permanent Working Groups
18:00 Opening Ceremony, chaired by E. Blennow
L. Larizza: Welcome Address
F. Mitelman: Cancer chromosomes:
From meaningless noise to proof of principle
19:00 Welcome reception
Sunday, July 5, 2009
08:30 Plenary sessions
Clinical cytogenetics,
chaired by K. Madan, A. Schinzel
V. Leggett: Cognitive and behavioural outcomes of children
with an extra sex chromosome
L. Shaffer: Experience with a large series of cases analyzed
by microarrays in the diagnostic laboratory
L. Shaffer: ISCN 2009: Important revisions and new additions
10:30 Coffee break
11:00 Copy number variation in health and disease,
chaired by L. Larizza, B-M. Anderlid
N. Carter: Deciphering developmental disorders
D. Malkin: DNA copy number variation and cancer
susceptibility: The Li-Fraumeni syndrome paradigm
12.30 Lunch break / Poster session / Abbott satellite meeting
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14:00 Concurrent sessions
Databases,
chaired by J-M. Dupont, C. van Ravenswaaij
J. Barber and C. van Ravenswaaij: ECARUCA and
Chromosome analysis collection
S. Richards: DECIPHER
J. Vermeesch: ENDEAVOUR
J.-L. Huret: Atlas of Genetics and Cytogenetics
New Methods to detect chromosome abnormalities in cancer,
chaired by J. Limon, T. Fioretos
B. Young: Copy number profiling
T. Fioretos: Gene expression profiling
M. Stratton: Next-generation sequencing
15:15 Coffee break
15:45 - 17:00 Concurrent sessions
Chromosome fragility: Constitutional and induced,
chaired by J.M. Garcia-Sagredo, A. Nordgren
T. Helleday: Replication as origin for chromosome fragility
– mechanistic insights.
H. Norppa: Lymphocyte chromosome damage and cancer risk
Inborn aneuploidy, how does it come about?,
chaired by G. Kosztolanyi, M. Hultén
M. Hultén: Down syndrome and other common aneuploidies:
The maternal side
R. Martin: Down syndrome and other common aneuploidies:
The paternal side
L. Migliore: Down syndrome and polymorphisms in folate
metabolizing genes
18:00 - 20:00 Reception and guided tour
at the Stockholm City Hall
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Monday, July 6, 2009
08:30 Plenary sessions
Mechanisms of formation of chromosome aberrations in cancer,
chaired by F. Mitelman, D. Gisselson
LA. Parada: Interphase genome organization
E. Nigg: Origins and consequences of centrosome aberrations
D. Gisselson: High-resolution imaging of mitotic instability
10:30 Coffee break
11:00 Darwin in the 21st century,
chaired by P. Heslop-Harrison, M. Rocchi
MA. Ferguson-Smith: Darwin and the evolution of karyotypes
P. Heslop-Harrison: Domestication, Diversity and Darwin:
what we now know about chromosomes
M. Rocchi: Evolutionary history of centromeres in primates.
M. Lynch: The origins of genome architecture
12:30 Lunch break / Poster session / Satellite meeting
14:00 Concurrent sessions
Epigenetics,
chaired by A. Schinzel, T. Ekström
A. Sharp: Developing an imprinting map of the human genome
D. Kotzot: A review on uniparental disomy in humans:
full, mosaic and segmental
Accreditation and Quality Control,
chaired by K. Miller, U. Kristoffersson
K. Miller: Accreditation of cytogenetic laboratories
R. Hastings: Frequent analytical and interpretation problems
encountered in EQA
L. Sandman: Prioritisation
15:15 Coffee break
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15:45 Concurrent sessions
Mosaicism,
chaired by J.P. Bureau, S. Basaran
J. Wolstenholme: Chromosomal mosaicism
T.Liehr: Low grade mosaicism in marker chromosomes
Arrays in clinical practice
chaired by E. Blennow, J. Schoumans
N. de Leeuw: Genome wide SNP array diagnostics:
hit rate, highlights and homozygosity
F. Speleman: The prognostic significance of DNA copy number
alterations in cancer
17:15 E.C.A. General Assembly
18:30 Gala dinner
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
08:30 Plenary sessions
Prenatal Cytogenetics,
chaired by J. Wolstenholme, T-H. Bui
T-H Bui: Rapid aneuploidy detection in prenatal diagnosis
D. Lo: Use of cell free nucleic acids in maternal blood for
non-invasive prenatal diagnosis
J. Schoumans: Array-CGH in prenatal diagnosis
10:30 Coffee break
11:00 Keynote lecture – T. Cremer: Interphase chromatin structure
11:40 Poster review: P. Heslop-Harrison
Poster prizes: L. Larizza, P. Heslop-Harrison
12:00 Closing ceremony
chaired by L. Larizza
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Registration
The 7th ECA Conference will be held at Stockholm City Conference Centre,
Folkets Hus, July 4-7, 2009. Address: Barnhusgatan 12-14, Stockholm
The registration desk will be open on Saturday afternoon, July 4, from 12:00 and
remain open all through the Conference.
Advance registration
Registration is available online via the E.C.A. website www.eca2009.org..
If you have any questions in connection with your registration please contact
the Conference Secretariat on fax: +46 8 5465 15 99 or e-mail:
confirmation@mci-group.com.
The registration form includes all aspects of the conference. Your registration
will be processed on a ‘first come – first served’ basis. Events included in the
registration fee need to be pre-booked.
Deadline for the reduced registration fee is March 12, 2009
Registration fees
E.C.A.
Member
Early registration fee Late registration fee Onsite registration fee
Until March 12, 2009 March 13 - July 3, 2009 from July 4, 2009
SEK 2 975
(approx € 290)
Technologists SEK 2 050
(approx € 200)
E.C.A
Non Member
SEK 3 700
(approx € 360)
All delegate fees will be charged in SEK (Swedish Kronor).
SEK 3 600
(approx € 350)
SEK 2 560
(approx € 250)
SEK 4 200
(approx € 410)
SEK 3 900
(approx € 380)
SEK 2 875
(approx € 280)
SEK 4 615
(approx € 450)
Cancellation
Cancellation of participation has to be made in writing to the Conference
Secretariat, MCI. For cancellations received up until March 31, 2009,
a cancellation fee of SEK 1000 will be charged. Unfortunately later
received cancellations are non refundable.
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Accommodation
Together with our local partner, MCI, we have chosen two convenient hotels as
our official hotels. We have prioritized central Stockholm hotels with attractive
room rates in various price ranges. Staying at one of our official hotels also
makes it easier for you to meet up with your colleagues.
The official hotels offer special rates. The number of pre-booked rooms is
limited, so ‘first come – first served’ applies.
MCI also offers rooms at the latest rates at many hotels in Stockholm, as well as
the rooms at official hotels. You can search for all hotel rooms and book them
on-line at MCI’s hotel reservations site for our conference.
Please visit the conference website for further information.
Social programme
• All events are available for delegates and accompanying persons
• All events need to be pre booked
• A ticket is mandatory for entrance
Reception at the Stockholm City Hall Sunday July 5 at 18.00 hrs
The City of Stockholm and the Stockholm County Council invite you to a
buffet dinner at the Stockholm City Hall. Stockholm City Hall was designed
by architect Ragnar Östberg in 1923. The building is beautifully situated on
the Riddarfjärden waterfront in central Stockholm and is home to the central
administration of the city. However, it is mostly famous for the Nobel Prize
festivities, which take place in the Blue Hall every year on 10 December.
N.B. Maximum 700 delegates accepted.
Reservations on a ‘first come - first served’ basis.
Included in the fee for delegates and accompanying persons.
Conference Dinner at the Vasa Museum Monday July 6 at 18.30 hrs
The Conference Dinner will be held at one of the most remarkable and aweinspiring
historical sights in the world - the Warship Vasa. The Vasa was to have
been Sweden’s largest and most prestigious warship - the pride of the naval fleet
and the Swedish nation. Her glory was short-lived. Shortly after having set sail
on her maiden voyage in 1628 she sank within Stockholm harbor. She spent the
next 333 years lying on the bottom of the sea until she was finally located and
raised from the water. A seated dinner will be served by the ship.
Price: SEK 925 / approx. Euro 90
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General information
- in alphabetical order
Arlanda and Transport
Arlanda Airport is located 42 km north of Stockholm.
The Arlanda Express is the train service that links Stockholm City with the
Airport. Book your Arlanda Express ticket in advance at the same time you
register to the conference. MCI offers discounted tickets for travel with the
Arlanda Express train from Arlanda to Stockholm. Your confirmation letter
will serve as a ticket when presented to the train conductor. SEK 200 each way.
(approx 18.5 Euro)
Other ways to reach the city:
Taxi: We recommend that you request a fixed price from the airport to the city,
approx SEK 450 – 550 (approx 47 Euro).
Bus: There is a direct bus connection from Arlanda Airport to the City Terminal
in Stockholm. The journey takes about 40 minutes and costs SEK 110 (approx
10 Euro). The bus leaves Arlanda airport every 10 minutes.
prices given as per January 2009
Badges
The participant’s name badge will be provided at the registration desk. All
participants are requested to wear the badge throughout the conference. Only
badge holders will be admitted to the sessions.
Business hours & shopping
Shops are open between 10.00 and 18.00 hrs on weekdays and from 10.00 to
15.00 hrs on Saturdays. Shops in the City centre have extended opening hours,
some even on Sundays between 12.00 and 16.00 hrs. The main shopping streets
in the centre of Stockholm are: Hamngatan, Biblioteksgatan, Drottninggatan
and Västerlånggatan in the Old Town.
Climate and clothing
The average temperature in July is around 18-22°C (approx. 65°F)
Check-in/-out
Hotel check-in time is 15.00 hrs or later. Check-out time is 12.00.
Please indicate on the registration form if you will be arriving after 22.00 hrs.
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Credit cards
Commonly accepted credit cards in hotels, restaurants and shops and on
Conference registration are American Express, Diners Club, Visa, Master Card
and Euro card. Restaurants and shops generally display signs indicating what
cards they accept.
Currency
The currency in Sweden is the Swedish Krona, SEK.
A currency calculation can be found online at www.x-rates.com/calculator.html.
Duplicate Mailing
It is possible that you may receive more than one copy of this leaflet. We apologise
that some of the lists we use cannot be cross-referenced and duel entries deleted.
We hope that this does not cause undue inconvenience and would be pleased if
you could pass on any extra copies to your colleagues and friends.
Insurance
Neither the Conference Organisers nor the Conference Secretariat accept any
liability for personal injuries sustained, or for loss or damage to property belonging
to conference participants, either during or as a result of the conference.
It is strongly recommended that you purchase an insurance policy of your choice
as you register for the conference and book your travel. The insurance should be
purchased in your country of origin.
Language
The official conference language is English. There will be no simultaneous
interpreting.
Letter of invitation/visa
The Conference Secretariat will be pleased to provide Letters of Invitation to
any individual making such a request up until one month prior to the conference.
A Letter of Invitation often facilitates the procedure of obtaining a visa. Please
note that the Letter is not a commitment on the part of the conference to
provide financial support.
Meals
Morning and afternoon coffee on Sunday and Monday and morning coffee on
Tuesday, will be served within the conference venue.
You will find several restaurants in the vicinity of the confeence venue for lunch.
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On-site registration
On-site registrations will be accepted, but availability of hotel accommodation
and participation in the social tours/events at that time, may be severely limited.
Pre registration
Pre-registration will be made available on the conference website www.eca2009.org
If you have any questions regarding registration or hotel reservations please
contact the Conference Management at confirmation@mci-group.com
Press
Authorised members of the press are welcome to cover the 7th European
Cytogenetics Conference, during the various sessions and seminars. Registration
is available online via the E.C.A. website www.eca2009.org
No free participation is included for social events.
Please mark your registration form with PRESS. You will be asked to show your
press identification upon registration at the venue.
Programme
For updated information on the programme, please visit www.eca2009.org
Smoking policy
No smoking will be permitted at any time inside the conference venue or inside
during the evening events. Smoking is banned in public places in Stockholm,
on public transport, in stores, restaurants and most pubs. Hotels offer special
rooms for non smokers. Please indicate your request on the registration form,
when you make your hotel reservation.
Time zone
Sweden is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Tourist information
For tourist information about Stockholm and Sweden, please visit the website:
www.stockholmtown.com, or contact the Tourist Centre on phone:
+46 8 508 28 508 or info@svb.stockholm.se
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Venue
City Conference Centre (CCC) in Stockholm is one of Scandinavia’s largest
conference and convention venues, with a unique city centre location. A total
of 50 meeting rooms are located in two buildings; Norra Latin and Folkets Hus.
The latter building is where the 7th E.C.A. Conference will take place.
Folkets Hus, which was inaugurated in 1960, was built to house numerous
activities in an exciting architectural environment. The Conference Hall
forms the heart of the building and can seat up to 1,400 people. Circling the
Conference Hall are another 17 conference rooms of varying sizes, exhibition
spaces and restaurants.
For information on the conference venue, please visit the venue website:
www.stoccc.se
Visa
Participants needing a visa for entry to Sweden are strongly advised to make
their application in their home country well in advance. If in doubt, information
can be obtained from your nearest Swedish Embassy or Consulate or from
your travel agency.
Website
Visit the Conference website for continuously updated information on the
conference aswell as online registration – www.eca2009.org
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- www.eca2009.org -