This September, Sheffield City Hall will host the 20th biennial International Coeliac Disease Symposium (ICDS), bringing together the world’s foremost experts in coeliac disease. This symposium offers a platform for advancing research, fostering collaboration, and shaping the future of patient care in this field.
From the 5th to 7th September, leading clinicians, researchers, and industry professionals will converge in Sheffield to advance the understanding and treatment of coeliac disease, a serious autoimmune condition with an estimated global prevalence of up to 1 in 100 people1,2,5, including in the UK, yet only 36%3,5 of those affected in the UK have a medical diagnosis.
The symposium is the flagship event of the International Society for the Study of Celiac Disease (ISSCD) and has long been the preeminent gathering for those dedicated to the study of coeliac disease and gluten-mediated disorders. This year’s event will feature prominent experts in the field, including:
- Ludvig Sollid, Norway: “What have we learnt about coeliac disease and where should we go next?”
- Carlo Catassi, Italy: “Screening CD: who and why?”
- Jason Tye-Din and Olivia Moscatelli, Australia: “Immunological responses to gluten exposure”
- Nick Trott, Sheffield UK: Chairing a satellite symposium completely dedicated to dietetics – dietitians being the key HCP involved in the management and treatment of CD.
- Joseph Murray, USA and Renata Auricchio, Italy: B4-CED: The inaugural meeting of a consortium whose focus is to address the triggering of the initial immune responses prior to CD diagnosis.
Previous locations for the event have included Sorrento, Paris, New Delhi, Prague, Chicago and Norway, with Sheffield being chosen as the 2024 host for this prestigious event – a location that won’t see this event again within this generation. This makes the 2024 symposium a unique and special opportunity for the UK’s professional coeliac community. Following Sheffield, the baton will be passed to Melbourne, which will host the ICDS in 2026, marking the next chapter in this prestigious series.
Sheffield is home to the NHS England Rare Disease Collaborative Network, national centre for non-responsive and refractory coeliac disease and one of the UK’s largest Gastroenterology Departments, with over 30 consultants dedicated to the field. This makes the city an ideal location to bring together multidisciplinary experts to address coeliac disease as a complex, multisystem disorder. The event will facilitate the sharing of research and promote collaboration across disciplines, industries, and geographies.
The local organising committee, led by Professor David Sanders has produced an exciting and comprehensive programme running over three days, including sessions on the latest advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and patient care.
Coeliac UK, the charity dedicated to supporting those affected by coeliac disease, will provide insights from a patient perspective and highlight its fundraising, campaigning, and advocacy efforts. Members of the Coeliac UK team will be speaking across various forums during the symposium, with Tristan Humphries, Head of Advocacy at Coeliac UK, giving a talk titled “What do patients want?”
Heidi Urwin, Director of Evidence & Policy at Coeliac UK, said: “As part of its commitment to improving coeliac disease care across the UK, Coeliac UK is funding the attendance of 12 dietitians from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“For over 40 years, the ICDS has been the largest global meeting for health professionals, researchers, patient advocacy groups and others working in the field of coeliac disease. With up to 1% of the global population having coeliac disease and an estimated 500,0003,4 people in the UK living with undiagnosed coeliac disease, the importance of such events where the world’s elite come together cannot be overstated. A platform that sheds hope for improved diagnostics, better management of the condition and one day, maybe a world without coeliac disease.”
For more details on the ICDS 2024, including the full event programme, visit the official event website at www.icdsmeetings.co.uk/icds-2024
For additional information about Coeliac UK, visit www.coeliac.org.uk
