The 20th Biennial Congress of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML) took place between 16-20 August 2021. It was originally scheduled to take part in Aula Medica of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm in August 2020, but the pandemic situation meant this was not possible in 2020. The event was then rescheduled for August 2021 with the hope of it being held as a face-to-face event in Stockholm, but in the end this was not possible and the congress was reorganised as a live online event. Despite all these challenges, the digital event turned out to be a resounding success!
The congress was broadcast live from Umeå, Sweden with organisers Prof Berthold Koletzko of Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany and current President of ISRHML and Prof Magnus Domellöf of Umeå University, Sweden at the helm, overseeing an extensive programme of presentations, lectures, debates and more on the topic of human milk and lactations over the five days. Live updates were also provided from the studio every day.
There were over 400 registered delegates – the most of any ISRHML congress!
The meeting platform had excellent feedback and there was a very active chatroom. There were 124 abstract presentations, 61 invited presentations, interactive workshops, pro-con debates and Trainee Interest Group Networking events. The keynote lecture ‘Infectious Agents as Indirect Human Carcinogens’ was given by Nobel prize laureate Harald zur Hausen of German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg.
The Monday night also saw Olle Hernell of Umeå University, Sweden, receive the Macy György lifetime achievement award for his research in the area of human milk and lactation. This is an award that ISRHML has been awarding researchers in the field since 1995.
The same evening Assistant Professor Bridget Young of the University of Rochester School of Medicine, USA, was awarded the Ehrlich Koldovsky Award by ISRHML.
“We are very satisfied with the excellent presentations and the active participation and interaction among all participants in the conference” says Magnus Domellöf of Umeå University and co-organiser of the event.
The congress was sponsored by Acta Paediatrica, Arla Foods Ingredients, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Family Larsson-Rosenquist Foundation, Medela, Mjölkdroppen and Prolacta.
The 21st Biennial Congress of the International Society for Research in Human Milk and Lactation (ISRHML) is scheduled for 2022 in Canada.
For more information on ISRHML, visit https://www.isrhml.com/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
