Annual report 1999-2000
STEERING COMMITTEE
President: Niels Qvist, Odense
Secretary: Einar Björnsson, Göteborg
Treasurer: Søren Kruse-Andersen, Odense
Web site editor: Odd Helge Gilja, Bergen
Member: Markku Luostarinen, Tampere
Steering Committee meeting in Copenhagen on the 11.11.99 Steering Committee meeting at Nordic Meeting, Göteborg 19.06.00.
SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT
Agreement on continued main sponsorship by Janssen-Cilag has been negotiated by the President. For the current period this includes basic funding of the organisation and support related to specific events or projects.
SAGIM NEWSLETTERS
The new steering committee has decided upon a more frequent release of newsletters to the members of SAGIM in order to keep a high level of information. The intention was 4-6 newsletters per year, which has been fulfilled. All members have been encouraged to play a more active role in the debate within the organisation including suggestions for coming events, meetings or scientific projects.
INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS AND REPRESENTATION
SAGIM was represented at the International Symposium on Gastrointestinal Motility in Bruges in Belgium in september 199 by Einar Björnsson, Søren Kruse-Andersen and Hans Gregersen. Two written reports, one by Einar Björnsson and one by Søren Kruse-Andersen and Hans Gregersen was enclosed within the newsletter in dec. 1999. SAGIM was represented at the European Symposium on Neurogastroenterology and Motiltiy Motility in Bologna in June by Odd Helge Gilja.
Han Gregersen arranged a guest-lecture by Professor James Christensen with the title: "Esophageal reflux disease and its consequences". The lecture was given at a meeting in Aalborg, december 1999.
EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES
"THE SECOND SCANDINAVIAN POSTGRADUATE COURSE ON GASTROINTESTINAL MOTILITY"
This second postgraduate course on gastrointestinal motility was hosted by Einar Husebye, Oslo. The course included the follwing sections:
David Thompson was invited as a guest lecturer and gave the lecture entitled: "Towards understanding the processing of abdominal sensations and symptoms and CNS modulation of gut function". An elegant presentation with a high scientific level and many novelties.
The course was very well organised in perfect surroundings for both the theoretic and practical part. All lectures given were of a high scientific and informative level given by Scandinavian expert in each field. On a scale from 0-10 the overall judgement of the course was 7,7. An extremely good result. Also, the social arrangement was perfect with an unforgettable a capella performance by a group of young Norwegians Many thanks goes to Einar Huseby and his staff for this perfect arrangement.
The next course is planned to take place in Odense year 2002.
DATABASE ON LECTURERS IN GI-MOTILITY IN SCANDINAVIA
The database including Scandinavian experts was established two years ago, and it has been used in connection with planning of the post graduate course. Any member of SAGIM may have access to this database through one of the members of the steering committee. A revision is planned for the coming year. At the same time we will ask each expert for a permission to publish the database on the web site.
THE XIth SCIENTIFIC SAGIM SESSION DURING THE NORDIC GASTROENTEROLOGY MEETING IN GÖTEBORG 2000
SAGIM members has been encouraged to submit motility abstracts to this meeting through the SAGIM newsletter, and a total of 18 motility abstracts has been elected for presentation either as free papers or posters. Members of SAGIM who has a presentation may apply for travel grants up to 3000 SKr.
Furthermore the steering committee has decided upon an award on 10.000 Skr. to the best abstract on motility accepted. The past-presidents Peter Funch Jensen, Per Hellstrøm and Einar Husebye will make the selection on an anonymously basis. The award will be presented at the end of the scientific session.
The scientific session will take place on Tuesday June 20 from 09.00 to 11.30. There will bee two guest-lectures and free papers. The guest-lectures are:
EDITORIAL BOARD OF NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
SAGIM has been represented by Hasse Abrahamsson during this period.
EUROPEAN SOCIETY OF NEUROGASTROENTEROLOGY AND MOTILITY
Einar Husebye is member of the Steering Committee. Members of the SAGIM are encouraged to become members of the European Society of Neurogastroenterology and Motility. For a membership fee of 65£ you receive at the same time the journal for free. Contact Philip Saugman, Blackwell Science Ltd. fax 44 1865 206026 or the President of the European Society Louis Akkermans by fax 31 30 2541944. Membership also allows you to participate at the European Symposia on Neurogastroenterology and Motility at a reduced fee.
TRAVEL GRANTS TO SUPPORT SCIENTIFIC SCANDINAVIAN PROJECTS
To encourage further cooperation between the different laboratories and institutions within the Scandinavian countries the steering committee has decided upon travel grants up to 5000 Skr. for young scientists to visit a laboratory or department in another Scandinavian country. This has been announced in the newsletter, but so far there has only been one applicant.
The SAGIM Web-page:
http://www.haukeland.no/sagim/default.htmSteering committee member Odd Helge Gilja is editor of the web site The structure and contents of the web site has been worked out in corporation the steering committee. The web page serves multiple purposes according to the major aims of SAGIM. It is a convenient way of informing our members, and at the same time it allows SAGIM to reach out to those with the interest of GI motility, far beyond its circle of members. The web page contains the history of SAGIM, information about the organisation, important activities, publications, information on the postgraduate course and links to motility sites. The possibility to recruit new members through the web site is particularly important, and we do see the web site as tool for communication that can be further developed and modified to apply to the needs of SAGIM in the future.
The steering committee of SAGIM
June 2000