The 26th Anatomische Les (Anatomical Lesson in English) organized by the Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC) and de Volkskrant Dutch newspaper was held on Thursday 14 November in the main hall of the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
First Health Pharmaceuticals’ Scientific Director Alessia Tarditi was one of the invitees of this year’s edition by professor Theo B.H. Geijtenbeek and professor Neeltje Kootstra from Amsterdam University Medical Center (AUMC) together with professor Monique Nijhuis from Utrecht Medical Center (UMC) and Dirk van Alewijk from DDL Diagnostic Laboratory (DDL), all partners in the HIV cure projects funded by Health Holland and AIDSfonds and led by AUMC.
Anatomische Les is a medical public lecture at the intersection of medicine and society. Every year a scientist who is internationally leading in his or her discipline is sought at the intersection of medicine and society. This year’s guest lecturer was Dr. Anthony Fauci with his lectio magistralis entitled “Emerging and Re-emerging infectious diseases: The Perpetual Challenge”.
Dr. Anthony Fauci is a first-aid AIDS researcher and director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in Washington DC. As an expert in the field of infections and epidemics, he draws on a rich experience: as director of NIAID, he advised no fewer than five US presidents on tackling AIDS and other domestic and global health issues. Together with George W. Bush he created the President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (also known as PEPFAR). Anthony Fauci shares his extensive experience with HIV and outbreaks of other infectious diseases, and he shows how it can be used to improve preparedness for future outbreaks.
As an early AIDS researcher, Dr. Anthony Fauci made influential contributions to the understanding of the HIV virus and how it destroys the immune system. He played an important role in the development of strategies for the therapy of HIV patients, and for the rebuilding of their immune system. His current research focuses on the nature of disease development in HIV infection and immunological defenses. Fauci is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, as well as many professional associations. He is (co) author or editor of more than 1,000 scientific publications and textbooks. In 2008, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the US, from George W. Bush.
The event’s rich program opened with a speech by Pauline Meurs, member of the Amsterdam UMC Supervisory Board and also included artworks, music and audiovisual presentations from well known artists.