key note speakers - Congreszon

Rev Lars Björklund, Sigtuna, Sweden;
Facing grief and bereavement

Lars Björklund ordained as a priest in the Church of Sweden in 1979. Employed as a Chaplain at Sigtunastiftelsen since autumn 2001. Previous employment: 22 years at Akademiska Sjukhuset (the University hospital) in Uppsala Sweden, with ten years based in children’s ward.

He has written several books and the last book is about grief and bereavement.

Alberto Edefonti

Alberto Edefonti is Director of the Pediatric Nephrology Unit at Clinica Pediatrica De Marchi, Milano, Italy.

His main interests currently are focused on Clinical Nephrology and Renal Replacement Therapy.

He was recently involved in several studies on the nutritional assessment and management of children with Chronic Kidney Disease, pharmacogenomics of renal transplantation, atypical HUS and hypertension. He has actively participated since 1998 in the European Pediatric Dialysis Working Group, which has published several recommendations and guidelines for children on dialysis. He is an author of the Clinical Dialysis 4th Edition by Nissenson and Fine and a Section Editor of Pediatric Nephrology, the Journal of the International Society for Pediatric Nephrology. Since 2001 he carried out a project of Cooperation with Nicaragua, aimed at developing a Pediatric Nephrology Unit in Managua and a pediatric nephrology network in the country. He has a major role in both undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in Pediatrics and in Nephrology at the University of Milan Medical School and is Co-director since 1996 of an annual advanced course on neonatal and pediatric nephrology. After serving as a Councillor of the European Society for Paediatric Nephrology in the nineties, he is now Councillor of International Society of Pediatric Nephrology.

Social Worker Terhi Grönfors, Hospital for Children and adolecents, University of Helsinki
Social security in ESRD;

Terhi Grönfors is a Master of Political Sciences practising as a social worker. Her master’s thesis for the University of Helsinki discussed the social security in ESRD as well as the challenges dialysis treatment bring to the children and their families. She started as a social worker at the Department of Paediatric Oncology in 2005 and is now, since 2007, working at Paediatric Nephrology and Transplantation at the Hospital for Children and Adolescents.

Prof. Christer Holmberg, Hospital for Children and adolecents, University of Helsinki;
Congenital Nephrosis - not only about nephrin

Christer Holmberg is Professor of Paediatrics and vice Dean ( education ) at the Medical Faculty of the University of Helsinki, Finland. He is also head of paediatric Nephrology and Transplantation at the Hospital for Children and Adolescents and has published about 200 scientific articles in international journals in this field.

Prof. Bengt Lindström, Folkhälsan Research Institute;
The essence of existence - What QOL really is

Bengt Lindström, MD, is a specialist in Child and Adolescent health, Professor in Health Promotion and Research Director at Folkhälsan Research Centre (Health Promotion Research Programme). He is also Chair of the IUHPE Global Working Group on Salutogenesis. His research interest is the salutogenic framework for health and quality of life at an individual, group and society level.

Dr. Christopher Reid, Guys Hospital, London;
Infants with ESRD - challenges and pitfalls

Dr Chris Reid is a consultant paediatric nephrologist at the Evelina Children's Hospital, part of Guy's Hospital, in London. He is the lead clinician for the dialysis service. He has attended the EWOPA meetings for a number of years and feels strongly that these meetings offer a great opportunity to exchange ideas and learn from colleagues in the crucially important area of psychosocial care of children with kidney disease.

RN Ulla Sandholm, Hospital for Children and adolecents, University of Helsinki;
Facilitation of home based PD in infants - safety first

Ulla Sandholm is a paediatric renal nurse and has been working with paediatric ESRD, dialysis and transplantation in the Hospital for Children and Adolescents since 1984. As a member of the renal team she has a great experience in facilitating adjustment before and after Transplantation (e.g. paying visits to schools, informing classmates to transplant recipients, home visits before and after dialysis treatment starts). She is a board member of the Nordic Organisation Nordiatrans since 2008.

Prof. Harri Sintonen, University of Helsinki;
ESRD and Transplantation - economy and societal expectations

Harri Sintonen is Professor of Health Economics, Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki and Research Professor of Health Economics, Finnish Office for Health Technology Assessment (FinOHTA).

Research interests: Measurement of health-related quality of life and development of generic instruments for that purpose (e.g. “father” of the 15D instrument family) and economic evaluation of health care technologies.

Prof. R Alan Watson, Nottingham University Hospital;
Ethical Considerations in ESRD and Transplantation

Alan R Watson is Professor of Paediatric Nephrology and Director of the Children’s Renal & Urology Unit at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, UK. His group has researched and published on many aspects of psychosocial care for children with chronic kidney disease. Prof Watson also has a keen interest in clinical ethics and in 1994 set up the Ethics of Clinical Practice Committee in Nottingham as well as chairing the UK Clinical Ethics Network Trust Board between 2003 and 2008.