The annual OARSI Congress is a global forum for all people involved in OA research and treatment including basic scientists from academia and industry, clinical investigators, radiologists, rheumatologists, orthopedic surgeons, physicians in physical medicine and rehabilitation, allied health professionals and policy makers. In keeping with the multidisciplinary international membership of OARSI, this meeting will feature speakers from around the world presenting up-to-date information on a wide range of topics related to joint damage and repair as it relates to OA. This year’s program includes plenary (6) and concurrent sessions (14), and six breakfast workshops.
A wide range of topics related to OA will be covered, examples of which are joint lubrication and joint homeostasis, aging and epigenetics, signaling pathways, pain mechanisms, early OA, impact of guidelines, placebo effects, therapies directed at bone and cartilage, genetic risks for OA, compositional imaging, comorbidities, skeletogenesis and joint development. As in past years, and by popular demand, there will be a debate with the title “Should OA research focus on “mice” or “men”? The Congress will close with the Year in Review in which internationally renowned research leaders will provide an overview of progress in key areas of OA research.
Mentorship sessions are planned for young investigators, giving them the opportunity to discuss their ideas with leaders in diverse fields of research and a special session will focus on a theme chosen by the young investigator sub-committee.
Breakfast workshops allow attendees to meet and speak with experts in specific areas of basic or clinical science. The workshops will focus on important aspects of osteoarthritis including crystals in OA, animal models of pain, OA trial bank, cytokine cross talk, MRIs for OA and value of epidemiology in OA research.
Clearly it is going to be another stimulating World Congress on the advances in OA-related research. Attending this meeting will also allow you the opportunity to join a global network of individuals from a broad range of disciplines, all working towards a better understanding of OA with the goal to prevent or treat or cure the disease. So please join us at the OARSI World Congress 2015 in Seattle and enter the discussion.