Welcome
Dear colleagues, friends and friends-yet-to-be,
I am delighted to announce the 16th International Meeting of the European Calcium Society (ECS2022), which will be held at University College Cork (UCC), Cork City, Ireland, between the 21st and 25th August 2022. Following on from the disappointment of postponing ECS2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we anticipate that ECS2022 will serve as fertile ground for the renewal of existing, and the genesis of new, scientific, cultural and social networks. I am also particularly pleased that we will be hosting the inaugural Satellite Meeting of the Junior ECS (jECS) on 20th August, aimed at encouraging participation of students and early-career stage scientists in the Society. I particularly thank Malene Brohus, Björn Diercks and all other members of the jECS Board for organising this Satellite Meeting
The Scientific Committee of ECS2022, chaired by Geert Bultynck, has developed a diverse and contemporary programme of presentations, incorporating over 30 invited speakers. The themes of the scientific sessions range from neuronal calcium sensors, to plants, nanodomains, organoids, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Highlights include the plenary lectures: the BBA-Molecular Cell Research Opening Lecture by Volker Gerke, an esteemed researcher and highly valued member of the ECS Board; and the Sir Michael Berridge Lecture, by Shmuel Muallem, a scientist who has made outstanding intellectual and technical contributions to the field calcium research. A session on “Lysosomal Ca2+ signalling in health and disease” includes innovative “double-act” presentations by established and young researchers from the same research groups. A “Late Breaking” session will consist of three 25 minute presentations selected by the Chair of the Scientific Committee, showcasing cutting-edge advances in the area.
There will be many other opportunities to present your research at ECS2022, in terms of speakers selected from abstract submissions. These include seventeen speakers selected by the Chairs of each session and two 15 minute contributions chosen from participants at the jECS meeting. We estimate that there will be around 100 poster presentations, which will be spotlighted during two extended poster sessions.
Ireland, and Cork in particular, is famed for its welcome to visitors. In keeping with this, we have generated an extensive social programme, including visits to local tourist attractions, such as the Titanic Exhibition, the Middleton Distillery and Fota Island. The pinnacle of the socialities will be the Gala Dinner at Cork City Gaol, where you will be captivated by an evening of science, food, drink, music and dance.
On behalf of the local organizers, the Scientific Committee, the ECS and the jECS, I greatly look forward to wishing you a céad míle fáilte (“a hundred thousand welcomes”) to Cork.
John J. Mackrill
(Chair of the Local Organizing Committee)