This year’s plenary conference took place on 20th – 21st October and delegates were able to attend either online or in person at the Barcelona Biomedical Research Park. You’ll find key highlights from the event below.
This online event was organised by SAPEA (Science Advice for Policy by European Academies) and Academia Europaea.
You’ll find an overview of the webinar and key points from the speakers below, together with a recording of the event for those who were unable to attend or would like to watch again.
WAAS’s 60th anniversary meeting, held online, assembled a range of expert panels to discuss key issues such as sustainable development, the role of youth, leadership, and human security. The approach to Academia Europaea to participate in the meeting came from Professor Thomas Reuter MAE, a WAAS Board Member.
The webinar was chaired by Professor Ole Petersen, Vice-President of Academia Europaea and Director of the AE Cardiff Hub. He outlined the role and purpose of the European Scientific Advice Mechanism, and its two principal elements, the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors and the SAPEA consortium.
The presentations addressed a wide range of issues, including the genetics of the disease, how the virus enters cells, a focus on the vulnerable lipid envelope of the virus, how to explain the mysterious silent hypoxemia that gives rise to uncompensated low oxygen levels in the blood, a new ion channel target in the airways and how to understand the psychiatric aspects of COVID-19. The short presentations were followed by a discussion session. The webinar was moderated by the Hub’s Director, Professor Ole Petersen.
The webinar, held 29th June 2020, was sponsored by MDPI and the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Ole Petersen, the Cardiff Hub Director, chaired a distinguished panel of speakers.
Speakers at the workshop included Professor Rolf-Dieter Heuer (Chair of the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors); Professor Ole Petersen (Vice-President, Academia Europaea); Professor Maria Baghramian (SAPEA Working Group) and Professor Peter Halligan (Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales).
