Be it due to a personal preference, or a hectic schedule - a meeting programme of 3 days is too short for many scientists, while one of a week is just about right for some, but definitely too long for others.

The structure of this meeting therefore aims to be flexible enough to suit the needs, interests and available time of all participants.

The programme will be split into 3 distinct parts as follows:

Three full days of oral presentations, general panel discussions and smaller group sub-topic round table/workshop sessions.

If two or three days is all the time you can afford to be away from work at home, then participation in Part 1 will provide you with everything you need from a strong, small meeting programme. 

Venue for Part 1 - Hôtel de l'Indépendance, Dakar, Senegal

More in depth, with two additional days of general sessions and sub-group discussions.  But also with more free time set aside for one-to-one and small group discussions, to visit local institutions and to see something of the city of Dakar and its surroundings.

Venue for Part 2 - Hôtel de l'Indépendance, Dakar, Senegal

A three day symposium/retreat held at a second venue in the Gambian countryside.  Designed to take advantage of the tranquillity and natural beauty of the rural riverside location, which provides the perfect setting and atmosphere for flexible sessions and relaxed, informal discussions.  Time will also be allotted for participants to take in some of the fantastic scenery, flora and fauna in the area, on foot, jeep or or pirogue. 

Venue for Part 3 - Tendaba Camp and Conference Facility, The Gambia

A PDF File illustrating the Format of Hepatitis 2006 is here
                                                                                                                                         

If you would like to see a list of other researchers who have expressed an interest but who have yet to confirm just let us know, we’ll email it to you.

Email the meeting organizer - england@mangosee.com
                                                      

The preliminary programme will be detailed here soon. 

For now, here's an interesting conundrum that, for the sake of accuracy, completeness and the best possible programme, puts back the date of publication somewhat - without 'invited speakers' dominating the programme, it's the participants who are the stars of this show!  The content of the programme will very much depend on the contributions of confirmed participants.  Consequently, as long as the meeting is still seeking to attract additional participants, the programme will also be subject to significant changes.  Accordingly, please feel free to sign up and to let the organizer know of your desire to present work during the meeting. 

If you are concerned about the detailed nature of the content of this meeting at this point in time, it will certainly be most helpful to you to familiarize yourself with the research interests, past and ongoing work of the confirmed participants.  If we can help in this respect please let us know. 

List of Confirmed Participants

Any questions - please just ask the meeting organizer Dr. Anthony F. England (england@mangosee.com)

An important part of the meeting programme will be a symposium initiated by Prof. Brian Carr of the University of Pittsburgh's Liver Cancer Center:

Summary:

The two pathways of chronic hepatitis infection are either end stage liver disease or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)or both. Several new HCC treatments are currently emerging. The aims of this symposium are to bring together colleagues from different continents to compare the varying manifestations of HCC and to discuss the application of new treatments, including liver transplant, hepatic arterial chemotherapy and 90-Yttrium microspheres, radiofrequency ablation and the new prognostic systems such as AFP-L3, DCP, neural networks and HCC genomics/proteomics and the potential for preventive therapies.

We welcome your contributions for this symposium.  Please contact either the meeting organizer Dr. Anthony England of Mangosteen (england@mangosee.com) or Prof. Brian Carr (carrbi@upmc.edu) for further details

A PDF File illustrating the Format of Hepatitis 2006 is here

Some of the details may change (the organizer reserves the right to make  changes without notice) between now and the starting date of the meeting to better suit the final programme and the interests of confirmed participants.
                                                                                                                                                   

A PDF File detailing the estimated essential expenditure for Participants of Hepatitis 2006 while in West Africa is here.

Please note - This is only an estimate of the likely amount participants will need to spend while in West Africa, it is not a request for payment.   Please do not add any of the totals to your Meeting Fee when submitting your payment.
                                                                                                                       

There are no plans to have 'invited speakers' with expenses paid by the conference and its participants. 

All participants will therefore be required to cover their own costs.

Everyone is equal here, everyone's contribution is important, and everyone in attendance at the meeting will be there because they have elected to participate in what is intended to be a true forum for scientific exchange and creative discussion.

West Africa is however a cheap part of the world and air fares to the region are very reasonable - so it will not be an expensive trip - but it may well be one of the most unique, enjoyable and rewarding experiences you have during your career.
                                                                                                                             

The optimal (organizer's target) size for this meeting is considered to be 100 participants, plus or minus twenty.  (The absolute upper limit will be set at 150 participants.)

However, given the location, timing, format and its innovative structure, the meeting is likely to be considerably smaller than 100 participants - as it stands at present, it's very difficult to estimate the final number of participants, but 100 appears to be a little optimistic given the number of confirmed participants at the time of writing. 

Well over 100 people have either confirmed or are yet to make a final decision about their participation -  but of course it's highly unlikely that everyone on today's  list of 'possible participants' will ultimately travel to West Africa in the spring.

It all depends on your personal opinion and specific needs and interests as to the value of large or small meetings.  A larger meeting will naturally be scientifically stronger, with more people to get to know - while a small meeting is certain to make for a truly informal atmosphere, as well as a much more fluid technical programme, both in and outside of the main meeting room. 
                                                                                                                                   

Mangosteen operates an open admissions policy.  There is no formal application procedure to go through to be allowed to participate.

Other than in exceptional circumstances or where there is a need for the organizer to utilize discretion to create a good balance of participants, there will be no selection/deselection criteria for prospective participants. 

Mangosteen greatly values both your interest in participating and your important contributions to the meeting and to the field of Hepatitis research into the long term.  Please feel free to take your place at Hepatitis 2006. 
                                                                                                                                            

Other organizers may offer a lengthy list of specific objectives that they want to see their meetings accomplish.

Mangosteen’s objectives are broader and more simple:

To create a true forum for open (interdisciplinary) discussion in the field of Hepatitis and related liver disease research,

To help encourage members of the research community - from both the developed and developing worlds - to get talking, and thinking.

The results and successes of this meeting are not in the hands of the organizer, but are very much in the minds and the futures of the participants. 

Another of Mangosteen’s objectives is not to require participants to spend more of their valuable research resources on attending this meeting than they absolutely need to.  Talk is cheap, and this will not be a expensive meeting. 
                                                                                                                                            

The language employed during all oral presentations and scheduled discussions will be English.

There will be no simultaneous translations.
                                                                                                                                                         

Email is Mangosteen’s chosen method of communication. 

This is a meeting with a lot of personal touches, and it’s important to Mangosteen that we work with and respond to people rather than with names on lists. 

The meeting is in a location which offers a lot of unknowns to many people that have never visited such a place before, and we want to provide every opportunity for both confirmed and undecided participants to ask about whatever is on their mind.  Mangosteen will strive to provide answers to all questions, on any aspect of the meeting or the locations in West Africa. 

If more in depth information and answers are required we will also be only too happy to pick up the telephone - simply provide a phone number and a time when you will be available. 

If you have questions on any aspect of the meeting please don't hesitate to send an email to the organizer Dr. Anthony F. England (england@mangosee.com)
                                                                                                                                            

If places are available, we will happily accept new registrants any time up until the start of the meeting and will do everything possible to ensure that you have caught up with everything that you need to know prior to departing for West Africa.
                                                                                                                                            

Please contact Mangosteen by email to discuss your registration and participation

There is no Meeting Fee for researchers working in developing nations.                                                                                                                                                                                                          

The standard Fee for participating in Hepatitis 2006 is 300 euros.

No dispensation will be given on the basis of the length of time a participant spends in attendance at the meeting - the cost of participating in Part 1 and/or Part 2 and/or Part 3 is the same.

But a Fee Reduction may be considered on other grounds - for more information please see Mangosteen’s Policy on Meeting Fees and Fee Reduction

For Prospective Participants from Developing Nations

The Meeting Fee (or Registration Fee if you prefer that term) covers all of the elements required to bring this international scientific forum into being – fundamental organization, acquisition of venues, provision of projection equipment etc. –  as well Mangosteen’s advice and guaranteed assistance before, during and, if requested, after the meeting. 

The Meeting Fee does not cover the costs of participants’ accommodation, meals and local/regional transportation while in West Africa.  For further information on this topic please see the estimated cost of attending the meeting - your expenses while in West Africa.

Neither does it cover the cost of the visa(s) you may need to obtain, nor, more obviously, individual air fares.                   
                                                         

If you are unable to pay the Preliminary Meeting Fee, or you believe it to be too high, or should you have other questions, we ask that you please contact us by email.  We are only too happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
                                                                                                                       

The size of the Meeting Fee is considerably less important and accordingly, Mangosteen considers (Final) Meeting Fees to be NEGOTIABLE. 

If you consider a Meeting Fee of 300 euros to be too expensive, or Mangosteen’s level of assistance or the meeting itself poor value for money, or if you are a student or early career researcher with limited resources and the payment of the Meeting Fee is the difference between your ability to attend or not, then we are only too happy to reduce or even waive the Meeting Fee in your favour. 

If you think it justified for whatever reason, please contact us to discuss a reduction of  your Meeting Fee.
                                                                                                                                            

The organization of this meeting is perhaps a little different than what you may be used to:  People first.  Abstracts second.

The abstract directory will - but the final programme will not - be entirely dependent on the submission of abstracts.  Accordingly, a strict abstract deadline is not envisaged at this point in time, and your chances of obtaining a slot to present your work orally will be not diminished by your timely submission of an abstract. 

Once the call for abstracts is made we ask that you please respond as promptly as possible to ensure that the first version of the abstract directory is as close to final version as possible.
                                                                                                            

You will not be asked to submit any kind of abstract before November 1st, 2005

There are no plans to invite particular speakers.  Everyone at the meeting, whether presenting a poster or orally or not will be termed a 'participant'.  All oral presentations will be given by meeting participants.

If you would like to present your work orally, please let us know - your wishes will be given full consideration ahead of the publication of the preliminary programme.  Depending on the final number of participants and the number of days you choose to participate, there is every possibility that you will be allotted a slot in the schedule.

Confirmed Participants will be sent an email about abstract submission at a later date.

If you wish to submit a summary of your work at this point in time please feel free to do so by sending it as an email attachment.

We recommend a Microsoft Word (.doc) or PDF file (.pdf) of one or two pages in Letter or A4 format

If it’s more convenient (and wholly relevant to this meeting) for you, feel free to submit one of your recent short publications, again in Microsoft Word or PDF file format, even if it’s a little longer than two pages. 

Please be sure that anything you submit contains your full name, current affiliation and institution and email address on the first page.

Do make the most of your abstracts - advertise yourself!
Mangosteen considers abstracts not as just an introduction to a short presentation, but more as an introduction to you, to your background and expertise, to the work your are doing now, and, most importantly for the objectives of this meeting, as an indicator to the type of professional relationships you are looking to build and collaborative efforts you are hoping to establish in the near future.  With this in mind, something along the lines of a personal summary or modified curriculum vitae might be more informative to the other participants than a traditional abstract or single research paper.                                                                

All abstracts received will be collated into a searchable PDF file and distributed to meeting participants both by email and FTP. 

At all times, save for the necessary evil of the aviation fuel burnt, Mangosteen aims to operate in an environmentally friendly, conscientious manner.  In the interests of not wasting countless reams of paper there will be no print version of the abstract directory created. 

Once the call for abstracts is made, we aim to deliver the electronic form of the directory well ahead of the meeting so that you can print it in whole or in part as you wish.

No decision has yet been made on whether there will be Proceedings created for this meeting - and if so, how or when they will be published.    This is an issue that is up for discussion with confirmed participants at a later date
                                                               

We don’t need to do anything more than have a count of the total number of posters to allow for the space, so please send an email to let us know that you’ll be bringing one. 

There will be no standard poster size or font specifications.  We will leave that decision to your professional judgement - please simply create a poster that is in line with the resources at your disposal and which is easily viewed from a distance of approximately one metre.

Whether you are also presenting orally or not, please feel free to bring a poster (or two) on any aspect of Hepatitis or liver disease research. 

The scope of the meeting is at its widest here - whether it’s represented in the main programme or not, if you want to talk about an aspect of your work or ideas for the future, please put it on a poster. 

Although English is optimal, posters in languages other than English are perfectly acceptable and are most welcome.  Please do not waste time and money translating and recreating an existing poster that is written in a language other than English – please just bring the original.  Science is a universal language, and face to face explanation will do the rest.

Many thanks to Nature who have generously offered to provide a prize for the best poster in meeting's main poster session!

 

The following is a list of the discussion topics proposed by scientists that have so far expressed an interest in participating in this meeting.  It is not a complete, comprehensive or finalized list but simply serves to provide an indication of many of the topics that will be discussed.

Please note - this list is just a guide to give an idea of what people have shown an interest in discussing thus far.  Please do not use it as the single determining factor in deciding whether to participate or not - If you have questions about the meeting scope please ask the organizer - england@mangosee.com

• Global Status, Management and Control of Hepatitis

• Hepatitis B Vaccination Policies and Public Health Considerations

• Bringing Antiviral Therapies to the Developing World

• Hepatitis in Africa, the Developing World and Amongst High Risk Groups

• Identifying Needs and Opportunities in Developing Countries
   

• Epidemiology and Molecular Epidemiology of the Hepatitis Viruses

• Molecular Pathogenesis of Hepatitis B and C Infections

• Viral Dynamics, Viral and Immunological Mechanisms of Infection

• Treatment and Vaccines – Present and Future

• Therapeutic Options in Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C
   

• Treatment Strategies Against Increasing Resistance to Hepatitis B

• Vaccine Development for Hepatitis C

• Treatment of Cirrhotics

• Hepatitis and Liver Transplantation

• Coinfections (with HIV in Particular)
   

• Effects of HAART on Hepatitis Coinfections

• Nephrotic Syndrome Secondary to HBV Infection

• Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC)

• Ethnic and Regional Differences in HCC Behaviour

• T Cell Immunity in Hepatitis C
   

• IFN Induced Neuropsychiatric Side Effects

• Liver Damage, Decompensation and Cirrhosis

• Sickle Hepatopathy

• Enteric Hepatitis (HAV, HEV, HFV)

• Hepatitis non-A, non-B, non-C, non-E, non-F
   

• Autoimmune Hepatitis

• Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

• Drug Related Hepatitis

• Parasitic Hepatitis

As the list illustrates, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are somewhat unsurprisingly the most ‘popular’ discussion topics. 

It may also interest you to know that in the meeting’s host nation of Senegal, Hepatitis B is by far and away the most important form of the disease at this point in time.  Hepatitis E is also a major issue, and while Hepatitis A is prevalent, it is not a major public health concern. 
 

Please be sure to include the name of your institution and your current affiliation along with your name in your email message

** All Preliminary Meeting Fees will be 100% refundable (less any bank charges incurred) until December 31st, 2005.

Mangosteen's Cancellation Policy - How and When to Cancel

Please note that your Final Meeting Fee may actually be lower than the Preliminary Meeting Fee - for further information on Fee Reduction please see Mangosteen's Policy on Meeting Fees
                                                                                                                                            

By Bank Transfer

By International Money Order / Banker's Draft

Online from a Bank Account via PayPal

Credit Card Payment - Online by Credit Card via PayPal

By Another Method

Receipts for Payment

By Bank Transfer

Bank transfer to the following account is the preferred method.
Please be sure the sender pays all bank charges.

Account Name:  Mangosteen

Reference or Subject Line:  PLEASE INCLUDE THE MEETING NAME AND YOUR NAME OR AT LEAST YOUR INITIALS IN THE REFERENCE/SUBJECT LINE

Account Number:  21.21.79.527

IBAN:  NL84 TRIO 0212179527

BIC:  TRIONL21

Bank Name:

Triodos Bank NV
Utrechtseweg 60
Postbus 55
3700 AB Zeist
The Netherlands

www.triodos.nl

Please email Mangosteen with the details of the bank transfer after completing your payment. 

By International Money Order / Banker's Draft

Payable to in Euros to Mangosteen.

Please include an additional ten euros to cover the bank charges that Dutch banks charge for depositing all cheques. 

Reference or Subject Line:  PLEASE INCLUDE THE MEETING NAME AND YOUR NAME OR AT LEAST YOUR INITIALS

Mailing Address to use -

Mangosteen
Grote Rozenstraat 76B
9712TJ Groningen
The Netherlands

CREDIT CARD PAYMENT - Online by Credit Card via PayPal

Please send money in Euros - for Services - to the email address - england@mangosee.com

Apologies but there is no secure website to use to pay by credit card for this meeting - for now, Mangosteen is using 'PayPal'.

PayPal ( www.paypal.com ) is an easy to use secure way in which to transfer money from your credit card and/or your bank account (depending on which country you live in).   All you need to do to SEND MONEY via PayPal is to go to the website - and follow the instructions for sending money.  It's extremely straightforward. 

Anyone that is a regular user of eBay internet based auctions will likely already be very familiar with the way in which PayPal works - if you're not, any friend or colleague that does use eBay should be able to tell you that it's a very reliable way in which to transfer money over the internet.

Online from a Bank Account via PayPal

Please send money in Euros - for Services - to the email address - england@mangosee.com

Please include an additional ten euros to cover PayPal’s charges

( Please see the short explanation above if you would like to learn what PayPal is all about - or alternatively go to www.paypal.com )

By Another Method

If none of the above methods is convenient for you, please let us know so that together we can figure out a different method to transfer the payment. 

Receipts for Payment

By default we will acknowledge receipt of your payment with a simple email message.

If you need a more formal receipt to be sent to you by email please let us know, or if you need a hard copy or something different altogether please just ask.
                                                                                                                                            

Please submit your cancellation request by email

Please also include the form in which you would prefer the refund to be returned.  No reason or justification is required, but a brief explanation would be most helpful for our future reference. 

All refunds will be made either at Mangosteen’s earliest possible convenience or at a mutually agreed later date.

The date on your email is the date of cancellation.

Mangosteen wants to actively encourage you to bring whomever you might like to join you in West Africa, be it your spouse, partner, young family or a couple of friends. 

There is no fee for accompanying guests.

It will not be difficult to arrange any additional accommodation required, neither will it be difficult to find things to entertain guests while you participate in the scientific sessions.  It’s always very straightforward to quickly organize day trips, tours and other visitor activities in West Africa. 

There is no need to formally register accompanying guests, but please send an email to let it be known that your friends or family members will be joining you for the meeting. 
                                                                                                                                            

The majority of hotel and accommodation information will be provided to confirmed participants after November 1st, 2005.

If you have specific questions or concerns please contact us by email

Accommodation for Part 1 and Part 2

The first two parts of the meeting will be held in the centre of Dakar, the capital city of Senegal which has a full range of hotels, most of which are rarely anywhere near full.

All formal sessions of the meeting will be held in Hôtel de l'Indépendance, the most central of all of Dakar’s hotels.  It’s a very reasonably priced upper mid-range hotel and is the recommended option. 

There will basically be two options regarding making hotel reservations:

Accommodation for Part 3

The final part of the meeting will be held at Tendaba Camp in The Gambia

Tendaba is a peaceful riverside lodge with restaurant and conference facilities which due to its location on the edge of two national parks and the number on native species has long since been popular with the bird watchers of the world.

The Camp’s accommodation is in the form of simple chalets.

Other than the adjacent village, the camp is isolated.  There are no other suitable accommodation options in the area. 

Mangosteen will make all accommodation arrangements for Part 3.
                                                                                                       

The majority of travel information will be provided to confirmed participants after November 1st, 2005.

If you have specific questions or concerns please contact us by email

Getting to the Venue for  Part 1 and Part 2

Fly to Dakar.

It is then a 20 minute taxi ride from the airport to the centre of the city.  You will be met at the airport.

Getting to the Venue for  Part 3

Will be overland and across the Gambia River from Dakar to Tendaba. 

Some might consider the trip from Dakar to Tendaba to be a little adventurous, others will consider it a wonderful day trip through the African countryside.  However you perceive it, regional and long distance travel in the developing world is always a little bit of an experience, it's unavoidable, but that’s just the way things are in many impoverished nations.  But it can also be extremely enjoyable.

The journey typically takes between 8 and 11 hours over both good tar and bad potholed and unpaved highways, using a small ferry to cross the river shortly after passing through the international border post. 

If you prefer a considerably more expensive option with less time spent on the road, it is also possible to fly from Dakar to Banjul, the capital of The Gambia (30 minutes) and then take onward transportation to Tendaba (3 to 4 hours by very bumpy highway).  If you would like further information on how to do this please let us know.
                                                                                                                     

Citizens of some countries are required to have visas to enter Senegal and/or The Gambia.

However, obtaining a visa for either country is not at all difficult, while it is extremely difficult to imagine a scenario where your request for a visa will be denied or where you will not be able to obtain a visa in time to travel. 

If you have specific questions or concerns in the meantime please contact us by email
                                                                                                                                            

Mangosteen is only too happy to provide a letter of invitation for you to participate in the meeting if you need one for whatever reason.

But please be advised that letters of invitation do not come with a promise of financial assistance from Mangosteen!
                                                                                                                                            

Not just because of the location and the two venue, three part format - but Mangosteen thinks and does things a little differently than many other meeting organizers.  We do so quite unapologetically, and always in the interests of the participants, good science and excellent communications, and with thoughts of the host nation(s) and wider developing world.

This is not a large conference that is being organized by a scientific committee of twenty or more esteemed professors, with a long list of invited speakers and under the auspices of several large societies or federations.  It will be an innovative and quite a small meeting, which is part of a new initiative, and which will take place in an extremely non-traditional location - a location that will certainly not be popular with everyone working in the research field. 

For all of these reasons, it is imperative that all seriously interested prospective participants demonstrate a preliminary level of commitment to participating at the earliest possible time.

It may not be a large meeting, but it can be an important and influential one.  It doesn’t take federations to build a good, strong, meaningful meeting - just the interest and commitment of a number of dedicated individuals thinking along similar lines. 
                                                                                                                                            

Please contact us by email                                                                                                           

Every message we receive will be answered, more often than not within 24 hours.                                  
                                                                                                           

Please tell us about it.  We welcome your suggestions.