1. Description of the IEA World Congress theme and proposed
scientific committee
Invitation to hold the
World Congress of Epidemiology
in Geneva – Switzerland
from August 16th to 21st, 2020
or from August 23rd to 28th, 2020
Epidemiology in the area of personalized and precision health
Several initiatives have been launched to bring people closer to curing
diseases and to give access to the personalized health.
Precision and personalized medicine include prevention and treatment
strategies that would take individual variability into account. New omic
technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolomics are
increasingly proposed to apply this concept. Although fundamental, the
role of epidemiology and epidemiologists in this exciting venture is not well
defined.
The 2020 IEA world congress of Epidemiology will focus on presenting
and discussing latest researches, perspectives, and initiatives of
epidemiologists in personalized and precision health while stressing
the different challenges and opportunities.
By combining expertise from very complementary fields (e.g., academic,
international and national organizations, pharmaceutical companies,
medical societies, tech companies), this meeting will provide an unique
opportunity to address this emerging domain.
Chair : Prof Antoine Flahault (MD, PhD, Geneva)
Committee members: Idris Guessous (MD, PhD, Geneva and Lausanne);
Prof Nicole Probst (PhD, MPH, Basel), Prof Murielle Bochud (MD, PhD,
Lausanne), Prof Matthias Egger (MD, MSc, Bern).
All members have very broad expertises in the organization of local and
national meetings
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2. Brief structured outline of the scientific program
I.
Epidemiology in the area of personalized and precision health
This section of the meeting will be characterized by outstanding
workshops and scientific presentations focusing on the rationale,
need, and ways of appropriately integrating epidemiological
research and method tools into the field of personalized and
precision health.
The Epidemiology-Precision health section will be structured as
follows:
-Big data and omic data management and analysis
-Experimental and observational designs
-Screening and early detection
-Statistical approaches
-Predictive performances
-Social determinants and equity
-Public and population health
II.
Epidemiologists in the area of personalized and precision health
This section of the meeting will be characterized by original
workshops and scientific presentations focusing on the role,
expertise, and need of epidemiologists in personalized and
precision health. Specifically, the section will cover the needs
in education and training for epidemiologists to successfully
address the challenges of personalized and precision health
The Epidemiologists-Precision health section will be structured as
follows:
- Acquiring skills and tools
-Academic and non-academic career development
-Integrating high tech companies
-Advocating utility
-Epi 2.0
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3. Description of the venue and conference facilities and conference
event management contractor
Tentative dates blocked on alternate basis
from August 16th to 21st, 2020 or from August 23rd to 28th, 2020
The building is equipped with the latest technical facilities and its variable geometry provides great organisational flexibility, making it
possible to hold either a single large conference, or two or three smaller simultaneous meetings.
Conference Rooms (facilities for simultaneous interpreting are available in all major rooms)
• 22 conference rooms from 20 to 2,200 seats
• 8 rooms fully equipped for interpretation (fixed cabins)
• 45 offices
• 4,000 sqm exhibition space
• 1 restaurant - M!P Restaurants - 400 seats and a nice 800 sqm terrace
• 1 "Espace Voyage" offering various menus from all over the world daily
• 1 bar/kiosk
• 1 security management centre
• 1 public parking lot with 1,200 parking spaces
General Services
The International Conference Centre offers the facilities required for large conferences: registration area, cloakrooms, post office,
nearby bank, bar/kiosk/souvenir store and a large adjacent parking lot with 1200 places.
The cost of a full PCO service has been estimated in the budget (point 9).
The cost for the exclusive use of the entire center has been estimated including AV, security for a duration of 5 days.
Thanks to excellent contacts between the Swiss Government and the Geneva University and to WHO, the rental of the meeting
rooms can be obtained free of charge. See budget (Sponsoring)
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4. Description of accommodation and estimated cost
Geneva and its vicinity have a capacity of 12,772 hotel rooms in
international and local hotel chains.
Hotel rooms
1-2-star hotels
1,119
3-star hotels
2,290
4-star hotels
3,180
International chain hotels
1,746
Other categories
552
Total hotel accommodation
8’887
Outside Geneva (within 20 min)
3,400
Total hotel rooms
12,287
The Geneva Convention Bureau can pre-book the room allotment for
your congress free of charge.
Rates on booking.com for the night of
the 23rd of August 2015
Research done on 20.02.2015
Low cost, student
accommodation
(500beds)
From CHF 40.-
Hotel Saint-Gervais,
1-star at 300 meters
from the train station
CHF 115.-
Hotel Ibis Centre
Nations 2-star at 3
minutes walking
distance to CICG
CHF 139.-
Hotel Astoria, 3-star in
front of the train
station
CHF 150.-
Hotel Warwick, 4-star
in front of the train
station
CHF 182.-
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5. Estimated costs (at current rates)
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7. Proximity to an international airport/ Local attractions and possible
event tours
Flights to Geneva
Scheduled destinations:
• Europe:
132
69
• Intercontinental:
27
Scheduled airlines:
48
Highest weekly frequencies
•
251x London (LHR, LGW, LCY, LTN)
•
85x Paris (CDG, ORY)
•
62x Zurich
•
61x Brussels
•
59x Amsterdam
•
57x Madrid
•
56x Frankfurt
•
44x Munich
•
37x Rome (FCO)
Crossroads of Europe: by highway or railway
Comfort and convenience by rail
The Swiss national railroad system offers hourly links to Lausanne, Bern, Basel, Zurich and
the regions of Vaud and Valais.
There are also Inter-city trains to France, Spain, Italy and Germany.
Geneva is only 3 hours away from the heart of Paris by TGV (high speed Train).
Highway hub for Central and Western Europe
In recent years, highway construction within Switzerland and in neighbouring countries has
turned Geneva into a European highway hub.
A branch of this same highway offers rapid link from Geneva to the South and to the West of
France. To the North and East, the Swiss highway system provides fast direct connections to
Germany and Eastern Europe.
Free public transport in Geneva!
Every visitor receives a free Geneva Transport Card valid for the entire duration of their stay
on check-in at their hotel.
This card provides unlimited use of the entire public transport network in Geneva, covering
trams and buses, CFF (Swiss national railroad) local trains, as well as yellow taxi boats
operated by the Société des Mouettes Genevoises.
In addition a 80 minutes free public transport ticket for all passengers flying to Geneva can
be obtained at the airport.
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7. Proximity to an international airport/ Local attractions and possible
event tours
Since the Lake of Geneva Region covers a wide area, a great variety of
excursions are possible either in the city of Geneva itself or in one of the many
other towns along the lake shore or in the nearby mountains.
Geneva offers an incontestably rich choice of visits, for instance, to various
international organizations (e.g. UNO, ILO, ITU, WIPO, WHO, WTO, etc.) or to
numerous local museums (Museum of Art and History, Watch Museum,
Contemporary Art Museum, Bodmer Foundation, etc.)
Within 10 minutes drive from the city centre you can discover the beautiful
countryside of Geneva with its vineyards and typical villages.
Chamonix
The fabulous world of everlasting snow is at Geneva’s
doorstep. In one hour you can go to Chamonix, beautiful
place at the foot of the famous Mont-Blanc and of other Alpine
peaks. Chamonix can also easily be reached by bus or train.
Castle of Chillon
In its current state, the Castle of Chillon is the result of several
centuries of constant building, adaptations, renovations and
restorations. In one hour, you can go to Chillon. A visit to the
Castle of Chillon is a journey across several centuries of
architecture, history and culture.
Gruyères
In one hour and a half you can go to Gruyeres and enjoy
a beautiful landscape. A visit to the Gruyeres Castle is a
journey across eight centuries of architecture, history
and culture. The castle was the residence of the counts
of Gruyeres.
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