Congresses and Conferences Committee (C-CC)

C-CC Executive Committee (C-CC-EC)

The Committee on Congresses and Conferences was established in December 2007, and is the continuation of the former Congress and Conference Division (CCD) which was founded in 1996, but with an expanded charter and responsibilities. The C-CC has the major administrative and managerial responsibility within the IFCC for all meetings coordinated by the IFCC.

C-CC Mission statement

The mission of the C-CC is to provide general administration and management of all IFCC meeting activities (congresses, conferences, and symposia) and to review  applications for IFCC auspices from non-IFCC conferences requesting such sponsorship.

C-CC Strategy

The C-CC supports and promotes Clinical Laboratory Sciences through congresses, conferences, specialised meetings, and other professional meetings. The C-CC Works closely with the organisers of the various IFCC related conferences to ensure that they achieve organisational and professional excellence.

Projects

• The C-CC formulates and updates as required the guidelines, procedures and practices for IFCC-designated meetings and also monitors  compliance throughout the planning and organizational stages. The C-CC assists the organizing groups in the administration and promotion of conferences, and helps these conferences obtain support, and achieve financial efficiency in the various economical aspects of their meetings.

• The C-CC reviews all existing meeting guidelines every three years to ensure their continued applicability and will write new guidelines for those meetings not covered by existing procedures.

• The C-CC maintains a current 5-year listing of congresses and conferences of professional interest to the members of the IFCC, including both IFCC related conferences and those outside the IFCC. This allows members to be aware of these meetings and allows potential conference organisers to plan the dates of their meetings with care.

• The C-CC designates as official IFCC approved meetings those conferences that conform to the requirements of the IFCC as a professional organisation, in order to promote the field of clinical laboratory sciences and protect the interests of the IFCC. Within the framework of the IFCC designated meetings, the C-CC will  promote the IFCC and its functional units and discuss the possibility of integration     of IFCC units and members in the programme of the conference.

• The C-CC assists in expanding the list of IFCC Master Conferences on specific scientific and educational topics and promotes the leadership role of the IFCC in the field of Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

Members of C-CC Executive Committee and terms of appointment

IFCC WorldLab (International Congress of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, ICCCLM)

IFCC Regional Congresses

Asian Pacific Federation of Clinical Biochemistry (APFCB)

IFCC EuroMedLab organized with EFLM

Latin American Confederation of Clinical Biochemistry (COLABIOCLI)

Arab Federation of Clinical Biochemistry (AFCB)

African Federation of Clinical Chemistry (AFCC)

IFCC Specialized Conferences

Critical Role of Clinical Laboratories in the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 - Virtual IFCC Global Conference on COVID-19

The 2020 pandemic has highlighted the critical role of clinical laboratory medicine. Clinical laboratory professionals has playd a vital role in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, serological monitoring of individuals with past SARS-CoV-2 infection, and biochemical monitoring of hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
IFCC has established a Taskforce on COVID-19 to provide updates on epidemiology, pathogenesis, and diagnostics of COVID-19, as well as to develop practical recommendations for diagnostic testing and patient monitoring. Since establishment, the Taskforce has maintained an online Information Guide on COVID-19, which can be found on the IFCC website. This guide is updated biweekly, presenting the latest evidence on COVID-19.
IFCC has hosted a virtual IFCC Global Conference on COVID-19 on February 15-17, 2021. This virtual conference has brought leading experts around the world together to present the latest advances in COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics. The theme of this conference was the Critical Role of Clinical Laboratories in the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The program, included ten scientific symposia, covering physiology, diagnostics, therapeutics, and technology, as well as special presentations on the global response to COVID-19 in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Arab Federation, and North America. There was an industry panel with presentations from industry leaders on the latest IVD innovations and twelve educational industry workshops. Young investigators had their own forum with presentations from young scientists worldwide. There was also an opportunity for scientific e-posters and virtual industry exhibits.

Conference organizing committee

Khosrow Adeli, CA (Chair)
Sergio Bernardini, IT
Andrea Horvath, AU
David Koch, US
Giuseppe Lippi, IT
Tomris Ozben, TR
Cheng-Bin Wang, CN
Corporate Representatives:
Rolf Hinzmann, Roche Diagnostics
Patricia Ravalico, Abbott Diagnostics
Regional Federation Representatives:
Rosa Sierra-Amor (COLABIOCLI)
Ana-Maria Simundic (EFLM)
Ann Gronowski (NAFCC)
Rajiv Erasmus (AFCC)
Sunil Kumar Sethi (APFCB)
Osama Najjar (AFCB)
Conference Organizing Secretariat (MZ Congressi):
Stefano Montalbetti

IFCC-Roche Diagnostics Bergmeyer Conferences

Goals and Objectives

• The Bergmeyer Conferences founded in 1987 are a collaborative effort of IFCC and Roche Diagnostics focused on standardisation issues.
• The objectives of these Conferences are:
  • Improving the Comparability and Compatibility of Laboratory Assay results in life sciences;
  • Improving the Clinical Value of Laboratory Data;
  • Discussion of Standardisation Issues and suggesting solutions in order to achieve the first two objectives;
  • Master Discussion of Experts and a Brain Storming Forum for projects to be executed by Scientific Division's Committees or Working Groups.
  • Each Conference is devoted to a rapid developing new area relevant for laboratory science and clinical medicine. The scope of a Conference is to be organised in that manner that besides comprehensive review also future trends, analytical pitfalls and the rationale, clinical use of the diagnostic procedures have to be considered.
  • These Conferences are Master Discussions of experts in the respective topic of a Conference. Participation is only possible on invitation.
  • The governing body of these Conferences is the Steering Committee consisting of IFCC (3), the editor of the proceedings (1) and Roche Diagnostics (1) representatives.
  • Conferences are held in Eibsee, Germany.
  • Lectures and contributions presented at the Conferences are published in the Conference proceedings.

  Terms of Reference

  • Organisation of Bergmeyer Conferences: selection of date and topic; responsibility for the scientific content and selection of speakers;appointment of an ad hoc Working Group (occasionally) for the preparation of draft documents to be circulated prior to the respective Conference to the participants; review of the organisational and financial commitments.
  • Review of documents produced in conjunction with each Conference;
  • Submission of documents to the Scientific Division for final approval;
  • Publication of proceedings - Appointment of editors;
  • The Proceedings are published in the Scandinavian Journal;
  • Collaboration with Roche Diagnostics and the local organising group
  • Report to Scientific Division, information to the Congresses and Conferences Committee;
  • The Membership to be nominated by SD and approved by EB. The terms of the IFCC members are usually 3 years; re-appointments are possible.

Recent Conferences:

European Beckman Coulter Molecular Basis of Diseases Conferences

1. 1998 - Inflammatory Diseases
2. 2000 - Cell Biology of Neuronal Dysfunction

Roche Molecular Biology Conferences

1. 1998 - Recent Progress in Molecular Biology Technology
2. 2000 - Validating and Using Pharmacogenetics

Beckman Coulter Proteins Conferences

1. 2001 - Prague
2. 2003 - Barcelona

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Conferences

1. 2008 - Birmingham - Biochemical markers in clinical cardiology: perspective from present to future
2. 2011 - Paris - Pregnancy-related disorders

 Siemens Conference

1. 2014 - Toronto - Biomarkers in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

 Roche Conferences

1. 2014 - Rome - Biomarkers in Alzheimer Disease
2. 2016 Mexico City - Biomarkers in Alzheimer Disease

Mediterranean Conference.

1. 2018 - Rome – 1^st IFCC EFLM AFCB Conference – Laboratory Medicine meeting the needs of Mediterranean Nations.

Congress Guidelines and Other Documents

The following documents have been prepared by the C-CC.

• Auspices of the IFCC - Guidelines and Procedures
• Guidelines for International Congresses of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (ICCCLM)
• Guidelines for EFCC European Congresses of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EuroMedLab)

IFCC General Conference

Aim

The aim of the IFCC General Conference is to convene all the IFCC functional units at one time and location, in order to discuss present activities and projects, and to plan and decide on future actions of the organization.

Responsibilities

• The Committee on Congresses and Conferences (C-CC) of the IFCC bears overall responsibility for the organization of the General Conference.
• The IFCC Secretary is responsible for the Conference agenda.
• The IFCC Executive Board is responsible for detailed programme content
• The IFCC Office will carry out the administrative activities in preparing for the Conference in collaboration with the C-CC and a local organizing committee from the national society of the country where the meeting is being held.

Time and Venue

• A General Conference is held once during the triennial term of the Executive Board (EB) of IFCC, usually during the second year. The EB decides on the time of the year at which to hold this Conference.
• The EB will decide on the venue for the IFCC General Conference following a recommendation from the C-CC.
• The duration of the General Conference is 2 days, and is preceded by 2 days of an EB meeting and meetings of the Divisions and Committees. This period is required to enable all the IFCC functional units to meet individually and collectively.

Scope

• Prior to the General Conference all IFCC functional units carry out their own meetings, meet with their immediate and/or Divisional supervisors, and report on the progress of their projects and on project proposals. The Division Executive Committees then meet with the EB to present the status of their Division, and to obtain consent for future and/or continuing activities.
• Representatives from Full Members and Corporate Members join IFCC functional units for the General Conference proper.

Conferences:

Committee members' contact details

Chair:

Prof. Paivi LAITINEN
Adjunct Professor
HUS Diagnostic Center
HUSLAB Clinical Chemistry
Topeliuksenkatu 32, P.O. Box 720
FI-0029 HUS, Helsinki
FINLAND
e-mail:paivi.h.laitinen@hus.fi

Members:

Dr. Antonio BUÑO SOTO
Department of Laboratory Medicine
University Hospital La Paz
Paseo de la Castellana 261
28046 Madrid
SPAIN
e-mail:antoniobuno@gmail.com

Prof. Montserrat BLANES GONZALES
Dept.of Medical Education and Research
Central Hospital
Paraguayan Social Security Institute
Av.da Sacramento y Dr Peña
1209, Asuncion, Paraguay
e-mail: mblanes@ips.gov.py

Corporate Member:

Mrs. Cheryl JACKSON
Global Marketing Technology and Sales Education
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics
200 South Kraemer Boulevard
Brea, CA  92821, USA
e-mail: cbjackson@beckman.com

Consultant:

Dr. James WESENBERG
Canada
e-mail: wesenberg@msn.com

Corresponding Members:

Prof. Woei-horng FANG
Dept of Clinical Laboratory Sciences  
and Medical Biotechnology
National Taiwan University
College of Medicine
#7 Chung-Shan South Road
Taipei 100-02,TAIWAN
e-mail: whfang@ntu.edu.tw

M.C. Alejandra A. CANO HUÍZAR
CLEAR Consulting and Training Services
Loma Pareja 38, Bonanza
P. 58095, Morelia, Michoacán
MEXICO
e-mail:presidencia@conaquic.com

Dr. July KUMALAWATI
Clinical Pathology Department
Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia
Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital
Julan Diponegoro No. 69-71
Jakarta, 10430
INDONESIA
e-mail:julykw@gmail.com

Ms. Helen MARTIN
Chemical PAthology
SA Pathology
1 Frome Road, Adelaide
South Australia
AUSTRALIA
e-mail: Helen.Martin2@sa.gov.au

Dr. Sarah ROBINSON
Consultant Clinical Biochemist,Clinical Lead Biochemistry,
Deputy Clinical Director,
North Midlands and Cheshire Pathology Services
Leighton Hospital
Middlewich Road, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 4QJ, UK
e-mail: sarah.robinson2@uhnm.nhs.uk

Dr. Aylin SEPICI DINCEL
Professor of Biochemistry
Department of Medical Biochemistry
Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine
Ankara, Turkey
email: asepicidincel@gmail.com

Prof. Christos TSATSANIS
Professor of Clinical Chemistry,
Medical School, University of Crete
Director, Clinical Chemistry Laboratory
University  Hospital of Heraklion
Voutes, Heraklion 70013 Crete
GREECE e-mail:tsatsani@uoc.gr