From the President
Annual Meeting in Milano
Our annual meeting in Milano will be postponed to July 2021 (July 11-14, 2021). Please, save the new date. Milano’s team has been struggling with this extreme situation, we would like to thank them for the work done in these difficult times. But also, we would like to thank Maastricht’s team for their flexibility. Of course, we need to thank all the reviewers that have been evaluating the amazing number of abstracts received (more than 1000!). We wish that our ESB community will be ready for next year deadlines and submit exciting works.
Since 2012, we have had an annual meeting, so it will be a bit different not to meet this year. This is the reason why we will organise several special online sessions through our YouTube Channel or other platforms during middle July (Clinical Biomechanics, Best Thesis and Student awards). We will keep you informed about these novel activities.
This year, we are also running Council Elections. The Council and myself we would like you to actively participate. Several seats will be opened. We would notably encourage our female members to stand for these positions. It is important to maintain gender equality within our community.
In spite of these difficult times, I wish we would come out with positive lessons. Our governments should understand the extremely importance of betting on Science. Here, for example, the south of Europe (Italy, Portugal, Spain, etc.) have the lowest rates of economic investment on Science in comparison with the rest of Europe. Our governments should be aware of the power of Science and the important role that scientists play in this kind of exceptional situations. There are interesting initiatives within our community that are collaborating to fight against this virus. Our Council member, Mark Thompson, is dealing with the building of deployable ventilators; others are performing simulations and modelling scenarios based on the available data. All together we will defeat this virus!
In memoriam Stephan M. Perren
I would like to pay tribute to Stephan M Perren who passed away November 21st, 2019, in Davos, Switzerland at the age of 87. He was one of our founding fathers and we owed him one of the globally renowned strain theory explaining tissue deformation as a critical mechanical factor that controls bone healing. He was also one of the former Directors of the AO Research Institute (from 1967-1996). He was President of the ESB between 1986 and 1988. In fact, one of our most prestigious Awards takes his name.
Researchers that have the opportunity to work with him have an unanimous opinion: His leadership in the bone healing field and in the development of plates for fracture fixation, has influenced many scientists and surgeons in the musculoskeletal field. Additionally, he was a true scientist and mentor.
D.E.P.
And least but not last
The ESB remains committed to public health and the fight against the novel Covid-19 disease. I personally wish you to stay safe and healthy and hopefully I will see you next year in Milano.
Stay in tune with the ESB news.
Maria Angeles Pérez Ansón, ESB President
Zaragoza, April 2020.
