International Activities

As well as the European Networks still ongoing, that will be emphasized in another chapter, there are, at this moment, three new protocols of cooperation with foreign Laboratories or Departments and another Network about to starting.

PROTOCOLS

-         University of Maastricht (with Marjolein Drent) on Interstitial Lung Diseases, within a laboratory framework

-         University of Ghent (with Guy Joos) on Tobacco and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, within an experimental framework

-         University of Forli (with Venerino Poletti), on Bronchoalveolar Lavage, Histopathologic and radiologic correlations, within an clinical framework

These protocols will promote partnerships in science (within a clinic, laboratory and experimental scope) and in human resources with European Institutes distinguished in these fields. This will promote mobility of young investigators as well as clinical and laboratorial research during residents’ training, namely in Pulmonology and Immuno-Allergology.

The protocol with Maastricht, signed last February, includes three branches

. Antioxidants in Sarcoidosis

. Small fibre neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction in Sarcoidosis

. “Genetic Passport” (drug-induced lung toxicity), also in cooperation with the University College of London

The first part which is on Antioxidation, is fully designed and will be starting in October 2007. This will involve training of a CP researcher in Maastricht during 3 months

NETWORK

Following the next European Respiratory Society Congress, which will be held in Stockholm in September 2007, an International Network on Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis will start and is to be developed in the following Centres:

Mexico City, Mexico (Moises Selman), San Francisco, USA (Talmadge King), Coimbra, Portugal (C Robalo Cordeiro), Essen, Germany (Ulrich Costabel), Forli, Italy (Venerino Poletti)

OTHERS

As Coordinator of the CP and also Secretary of the Scientific Group 1.5 of the European Respiratory Society, “Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Disease”, there are other International Activities to be underlined:

-         The CP was involved in setting up the “10th International Conference on Bronchoalveolar Lavage” held in Coimbra in June 2006

-         The CP Coordinator acted as a Reviewer in the Task Force: ATS/ERS joint Task Force “Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis: new guidelines for the clinical management-an update of the International consensus statement on the diagnosis and treatment guidelines”, coordinated by Ganesh Raghu (Seattle, USA) and Jim Egan (Dublin, Ireland). Two reviewers were chosen by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the other two were chosen by the European Respiratory Society (ERS).

-         The CP Coordinator was a reviewer in four International Reviews: European Respiratory Journal, Respiration, Breathe and Journal of Internal Medicine and is a member of the International Editorial Board of the Journal of the Hellenic Thoracic Society, “Pneumon”.

Participation of a CP Researcher (Segorbe Luís) as the Portuguese member of FERS (Forum of European Respiratory Societies).

 Participation of a CP Researcher (A J Ferreira) as an expert on the Scientific Committee for Occupational Exposure levels, of the European Union.

Within the genetic polymorphisms studies in Pulmonary Tuberculosis, there are several cooperation links, namely with:

Abteilung Immunologie, Virologie und Impfwesen, Hygiene Institut Hamburg (Gottfried Mauff); Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and the London Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London (Stephen A. Bustin); Center for Medical Genetics, Ghent University (Jo Vandesompele); Hannover Medical School (Rainer Blasczyk); Servicio General de Citometría, Centro de Investigación del Cancer, Universidad de Salamanca (Alberto Órfão).