Letter from the Editor

Dear reader,

In the current report, we would like to reflect on the 2023 Congress of the European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation (ECCO), which took place at the Bella Centre in Copenhagen on March 1-4, 2023. After 2 years of online editions, it was really exciting to hold the entire programme onsite and enjoy face-to-face interaction again. The 2023 Congress was a great success, bringing together 6,754 participants from all continents to exchange ideas, present research findings, and discuss the latest advances in IBD diagnosis and treatment. For delegates who were not able to attend in person, an online platform was arranged to stream the entire Scientific Programme.

The Scientific Programme's theme was "Sequencing in IBD" and diverse topics, including "Can we do better with current drugs", "Vascular complications in IBD: an overlooked problem", and "Optimising surgical outcomes" were discussed. Highlights of the congress are presented here and include updates on biological and small molecule therapies, IBD in early life, and advances in surgery.

As we move forward, it is essential that we continue to work together to address the challenges facing the IBD community. The 2023 ECCO Congress served as a reminder of the importance of collaboration and innovation in advancing IBD research and improving patient outcomes. I look forward to meeting again next year in Stockholm and continuing these important discussions.

Sincerely,

Marjolijn Duijvestein

Biography

Marjolijn Duijvestein works as a gastroenterologist in the IBD team of the Radboudumc in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. In 2012 she obtained her PhD at Leiden University and was trained as a gastroenterologist specialised in IBD disease at the Amsterdam UMC in Amsterdam. As part of her training, she gained experience at the University of California San Diego (UCSD, USA) and performed an internship at Alimentiv (former Robarts Clinical Trials), an academic research organisation dedicated to drug development for IBD. Her clinical activity and research are focused on IBD, in particular clinical and translational research.

Conflict of Interest Statement: Has served as an advisor for Echo pharma and Robarts Clinical Trials, reports nonfinancial support from Dr Falk Pharma, and received speaker fees from Janssen, Merck & Co., Pfizer, Takeda and Tillotts Pharma. Advisory boards Janssen, Takeda, BMS and Abbvie. 



Posted on 4 May 202311 May 2023