UM toxicologists win Brightlands Convention Award
Jos Kleinjans, Theo de Kok and René Reijnders from the Department of Toxicogenomics (FHML) were recently named the best conference ambassadors in Maastricht. To thank them for their efforts, they were presented with the Brightlands Convention Award, which is reserved for individuals who made the most valuable contribution this year to the Maastricht region as a conference destination.
WCA11 and IUTOX come to Maastricht
These ambassadors and toxicologists were responsible for bringing WCA11 and IUTOX to Maastricht. WCA11 is a multi-day conference for 1,200 participants, organised every three years. The conference discusses the latest innovations with regard to alternatives to animal testing and their application by the industry, the scientific community and regulatory authorities, as well as their social and ethical impact. In 2020, Maastricht will host WCA11, following in the footsteps of Montreal (2011), Prague (2014) and Seattle (2017).
IUTOX, another multi-day international conference, will attract 2,500 international toxicologists to Maastricht, where they will discuss the latest innovations and developments in the field of toxicology. Maastricht will be the place to be in 2022, following Barcelona (2010), Seoul (2013), Mexico (2016) and Hawaii (2019).
The jury report
From the jury report of the Maastricht Convention Bureau: 'Professor Jos Kleinjans, Professor Theo de Kok and René Reijnders worked hard to bring these leading international conferences to Maastricht, alongside their daily work for the Department of Toxicogenomics at UM. These large-scale meetings are highly regarded by professionals around the world in each of these two fields. Both multi-day events attract a large number of visitors to the region and generate considerable global attention from relevant media sources. This constitutes a major spin-off for the region in various ways.'
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