Dutch Lung Congress 2025

The Dutch Lung Congress 2025, held on September 27 at RAI Amsterdam in conjunction with ERS, was a short and sweet edition of DLC attended by 102 participants. The day began with six high-quality presentations competing for the Chiesi Young Investigator Awards, followed by an interactive moderated poster session. Although physical poster boards were unavailable due to venue restrictions, most attendees found the new format engaging and easy to follow. The program featured a compelling Keynote Lecture by Professor Celeste Porsbjerg on “Towards remission – Distinguishing Disease Activity versus Damage in Severe Asthma.” The NRS warmly thanks sponsors Chiesi, AstraZeneca, Sanofi, and Vertex, and extends special gratitude to the organizing committee members Bas Holverda, Stefan Prekovic, Sami Simons, Elin Kersten, Willianne Hoepel, Sacha Spelier, and NRS secretary Michelle Yang, all under the leadership of Prof. Janette Burgess, whose dedication made the event a great success.

Awards and Recognition

The DLC is more than a platform for sharing and discussing science; it is a venue for celebrating the achievements of both senior and junior scientists.

NRS Mid-Career Award

• Professor Anne van der Does received the NRS mid-career award, with a prize of 10,000 euros that will go towards her work on lung cell culture models, working towards animal-free lung research. 

Impact Statement Award

• The Impact Statement Award was presented to Shobna L. Thuraisingam from the UMCG for her statement on the abstract Red Algae: A Natural Shield Against Air Pollution-Induced Airway Epithelial Responses in Respiratory Disease: 

"This research explores how a type of red seaweed, Kappaphycus alvarezii, might help protect our lungs from inflammation caused by air pollution. By studying its natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, we aim to find safer, plant-based treatments for respiratory diseases like asthma and COPD. If successful, this seaweed could offer a new way to fight pollution-related health problems using nature’s own remedies." 

Chiesi Young Investigator Award (€3,000 prize)

• Sarah van den Berg from Amsterdam, received €3,000 for her project "Socioeconomic inequalities in severe asthma in the Netherlands: a geospatial analysis in a nationwide cohort"

Chiesi Young Investigator Award- Highly Commended Recipients (€400 prize):

• Camiel Marijnissen, Leiden "Towards personalized dosing intervals of biologics in severe asthma: current practice of interval extension in the Netherlands"
• Shahriyar Shahbazi Khamas, Amsterdam "Complementary predictors for asthma attack prediction in children: salivary microbiome, serum inflammatory mediators, and past attack history
• Sven Manse, Maastricht "Inflammation diminishes muscle regeneration induced by mitochondrial impairment"
• Pranali Raut, Erasmus "Structural lung abnormalities in children and adults with cystic fibrosis after ETI using AI automated algorithms"
• Iris Simons, Amsterdam "Proteome Profiling Links Surfactant Proteins B and D to Interstitial Lung Abnormalities and its Progression"

Here are some photos to remember to event: 

We thank our Sponsors for their generous support, making this event possible: 

Program outline DLC 2025

27^th September, Amsterdam RAI, in conjunction with ERS Annual Scientific Conference.

Room: E107-108 (next to Elicium)  

12.30-13.00      Arrival and Registration

13.00-15.00      Chiesi Young Investigator Award session:

Six young investigators will be selected to present their work and compete for the Chiesi Young Investigator Award

15.00-15.25      Networking break with coffee

15.25-16.40      Moderated poster session

16.40-17.20      Keynote Lecture-

Towards remission - Distinguishing Disease Activity versus Damage in Severe Asthma (Professor Celeste Porsbjerg)

17.20-17.50      Awards ceremony

NRS Mid-Career Award, Chiesi Young Investigator Award, Sanofi-Regeneron Best impact statement Award

Moderated Poster Session

Poster will be presented digitally. Presenters are responsible for bringing their own laptop or coordinating with colleagues to ensure access to a screen for their presentation.

Abstracts have been grouped into five themes for presentation. (See abstract booklet for assigned category)

1. Respiratory Health - impacts of exercise and exposure
2. Patterns of lung disease: Imaging & Omics
3. Lung cell biology and cross talk with other body systems
4. Clinical Management & Lifestyle
5. Modelling complex lung biology to understand disease

15:25 – 16:25
Moderators will guide discussions within each thematic group. Each group will be assigned a dedicated area in the room. All presenters will have the opportunity to briefly pitch (2-3 minutes accompanied by 3 slides max.) their work to their group, followed by interactive discussion.

16:25 – 16:40
In the final 15 minutes, all groups will reconvene. Moderators will share a brief summary of the key points discussed in their group, highlighting any standout findings or topics of interest.

This session is designed to give researchers a valuable opportunity to refine their presentation skills and practice pitching their science ahead of the main ERS meeting.

A compilation of all NRS-affiliated science to be presented at the ERS congress will be made available. This overview will be displayed at the end of the poster session and shared digitally with all attendees, allowing them to connect and further engage with the research during the ERS congress.

Meet our Keynote Speaker-

Professor Celeste Porsbjerg

Celeste Porsbjerg is a Clinical Professor and specialist in severe asthma, based at the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Bispebjerg Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. She leads the severe asthma clinic and serves as Head of the Respiratory Research Unit. Professor Porsbjerg’s research focuses on understanding the mechanisms and clinical challenges of severe asthma with an aim to develop personalized treatment strategies for patients with difficult-to-treat airway diseases.

She is responsible for the Severe Asthma Outpatient Clinic at Bispebjerg Hospital, where she manages the diagnosis and treatment of complex asthma cases. Additionally, she chairs several national and international asthma research initiatives, including the Danish Severe Asthma Registry (DSAR), the Nordic Severe Asthma Network (NSAN), and represents Denmark in major global consortia such as SHARP and the International Severe Asthma Registry (ISAR).

Professor Porsbjerg has published extensively on topics including airway inflammation, asthma biomarkers, and targeted biologic treatments. Her work bridges clinical care and translational research to improve outcomes for patients with severe asthma. She is affiliated with the University of Copenhagen and plays a leading role in advancing respiratory medicine through research and clinical innovation.

Attendance at this meeting will require a full registration for attending ERS.  It will not be possible for attendees to purchase a day pass just to attend our meeting on the Saturday.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Do I have to submit an abstract to ERS in order to submit one to the DLC?
A: No, submitting an abstract to ERS is not a requirement for submitting an abstract to the DLC.

Q: Is it possible to submit the same abstract to the DLC2025 as to the ERS Congress 2025?
A: Of course. We welcome the same research that will be presented at the ERS Congress to be submitted to the DLC as well. Feel free to copy and paste your ERS submission for the DLC — the guidelines are more lenient for DLC abstracts, making the process even easier. Presenting at the DLC gives you a valuable opportunity to practice your presentation with a smaller audience.

For the DLC, a brief impact statement (up to 80 words) is required. This is your chance to showcase the significance of your work and compete for the Best Impact Statement Award (€250).

Q: What types of presentations can abstracts be submitted for?
A: Abstracts can be submitted for either oral or poster presentations. Oral presentations will only take place during the Chiesi Young Investigator Award session.

Q: What are the requirements to be considered for the Chiesi Young Investigator Award?
A: Applicants must be under 35 years old at the time of the conference; an NRS member and willing to give a lecture during the meeting.

Q: How will poster presentations be conducted?
A: Poster presentations will be digital and take place in small group sessions moderated by a facilitator. There will be no physical poster boards this year.

Q: Is there a fee for registering for the DLC 2025?
A: There is no charge for registering for DLC 2025. However, attendance at the Dutch Lung Congress requires full registration for the ERS Congress.

Q: Is it possible to register for the DLC 2025 only?
A: No, separate tickets are not available. Attending DLC requires registration for the ERS Congress.

DLC Organizing Committee

Prof.Janette Burgess (Chair)

Dr. Willianne Hoepel

Dr. Sami Simons

Dr. Bas Holverda

Dr. Stefan Prekovic

Dr. Elin Kersten

Dr. Sacha Spelier

Sponsored by

Registration and abstract submission portals have closed. For special enquiries, please email nrs@nrs-science.nl.

After the Dutch Lung Congress, you can continue to visit Dutch Science at the ERS with the assistence of this form: 

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