Our sponsors Kazan Law, were happy to announce that PhD student Kevin Lamote, of Ghent University Belgium, is one of the winners of the International Mesothelioma Interest Group’s (iMig) Young Investigator Awards 2016. Kevin is a research student in the Department of Respiratory Medicine whose group focuses on early detection and screening for pleural mesothelioma. Kevin and his team have discovered compounds from exhaled breath which can be used as markers in identifying mesothelioma. The compounds are found in the breath due to oxidative stress which is induced by the asbestos fibers a person inhaled. All of the work being done by Kevin and researchers like him, is performed in the hopes that new mesothelioma treatment options are developed for victims of this terrible disease.
International Mesothelioma Interest Group
The International Mesothelioma Interest Group (iMig) is an “independent international group of scientists and clinicians working to understand, cure and prevent mesothelioma.” In 1991 a number of researchers, scientists, and doctors were attending the first conference devoted to the biology and pathology of mesothelial cells in Paris. While at the Paris conference, a group of these people, led by Dr. Bruce Robinson, decided to form an “International Mesothelioma Interest Group” to improve communication and collaboration among workers interested in this disease. iMig was founded and the group decided upon the following goals:
- Host an international mesothelioma conference on alternate years, moving between Europe and USA, generally as a satellite to either the respiratory or cancer research meetings on either continent.
- Improve collaboration by generating a list of available resources such as cell lines, monoclonal antibodies, probes etc. as well as making available a list of current research projects and other laboratory techniques that might facilitate collaboration.
- Produce a newsletter for members on a regular basis.
- Foster international interest groups to address specific issues of importance, e.g. early diagnosis, thoracoscopy, comparison of national mesothelioma registers etc.
The iMig Conference was born and it has become one of the most important mesothelioma events in the world gathering researchers, scientists, doctors, cancer activists, and mesothelioma patients.
International Mesothelioma Interest Group Young Investigator Awards
Co-created and funded by our sponsors Kazan Law, the Young Investigator Awards recognize the top young research scientists and doctors who are dedicating their work to discover new treatment options for mesothelioma victims. Selected every two years during the International Mesothelioma Interest Group Conference, the Young Investigator Awards provide a forum for researchers to share their findings, learn from colleagues, and raise awareness of the global fight against mesothelioma cancers.