Last June, the Congress of the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology featured a strong presence from the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR). A total of three VHIR research groups contributed with twelve scientific posters, four oral presentations, one hands-on workshop and seven talks in conference sessions. Together with the American Congress, it is the most prestigious international congress in the field of rheumatology, having received more than 5,100 abstracts this year.

The Rheumatology group was the most represented, with nine participants. The group leader, Dr. Antonio Julià, presented the scRNA-Seq atlas of response to targeted therapies in IMIDs. This study is part of the European DoCTIS project, coordinated by VHIR, and was awarded a prize in the basic and translational research category. Dr. Josefina Cortés Hernández, principal investigator of the group, chaired a session focused on improving treatment for patients with lupus nephritis.

The Systemic Diseases group also had a significant presence, with five participants, four posters and two oral presentations. Dr. Roser Solans Laqué took part in a session on treatment approaches for eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA).

From the Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Digestive Tract group, Dr. Luis Gerardo Alcalá-González presented two posters on how to assess gastrointestinal involvement in systemic sclerosis or scleroderma.