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Welcome Address We are pleased to present the Final Announcement of the 24th EFI Conference in Florence (Italy), to be held from May 15-18, 2010, jointly with the 17th Annual Meeting of the Italian Immunogenetics Society AIBT The 2010 EFI Conference will be a special event, last but not least because it will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the foundation of EFI. During these past two and a half decades, the field of Immunogenetics has assumed rising importance in various areas of Life Sciences, with an exceptional increase over the last years due to the exciting developments in the areas of Molecular Genetics and Immunology. These have unravelled an enormous extent of inter-individual genetic variability on the one hand, and the existence of complex molecular networks governing innate and adaptive immunity on the other, with important implications for basic and translational research. As a result, Immunogenetics to date is a truly inter-disciplinary science attractive for variegating fields including basic areas such as Immunology, Genetics and Structural Biology, and clinical areas such as Transplantation, Autoimmunity and Cancer. Thus, many important achievements in modern Immunogenetics are the result of collaborations between scientists from different disciplines, backgrounds and nations. This makes the annual European Immunogenetics and Histocompatibility Conference a special highlight in which to be confronted with new and interesting ideas, expertises and technologies. In keeping with this spirit, the program for the EFI Conference 2010 has been designed around the central theme “Immune-Related Gene Polymorphism in Health and Disease”, with Plenary Sessions focusing on the most recent advances in the Immunogenetics of Population Genetics and Ageing, Innate and Adaptive Immunity, Transplantation, Autoimmunity and Cancer. These will be complemented by Special and Teaching Sessions to cover cutting edge technological and conceptual developments in the field, as well as regulatory and quality assurance issues relevant to Histocompatibility in clinical transplantation and cellular therapy. It is a special pleasure for us to welcome the EFI Community back to Italy for its 25th Anniversary, seventeen years after the EFI Conference in Stresa was organized by the late Sergio Curtoni, Past President of EFI. In the tradition of Ruggero Ceppellini, one of the founding fathers of modern Immunogenetics in whose honour the Ceppellini awardee is celebrated every year, the Florence 2010 EFI Conference will be held jointly with the Annual Meeting of the Italian National Immunogenetics Society AIBT, which was founded by the scholars of Ceppellini and is to date the promoter of an active community of immunogeneticists within the country. The Conference Venue will be located in the centre of Florence, in walking distance from the world-famous historic and artistic monuments that make the city one of the most important cultural attractions in Europe. Enjoy the treasures of Italian food and wine, and make time for some leisure in and around Florence, the capital of Tuscany whose hills and vineyards surround the city in a unique blend. We are looking forward to seeing you in Italy!
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