Preliminary Plan of Meetings
Meeting 1. Sweden, March 26 - 28, 2008
The aim of the first meeting is to establish
working teams of participants and
mentors. Obesity genetics, physiology
and epidemiology will be covered. We
will discuss hypotheses testing and
basic science theory. The ability to work
in a group towards defined goals will be
developed. At the end of the meeting the
participants will be divided into different
working teams based on proposed
research project ideas.
Meeting 2. Spain, May 21 -23, 2008
At this meeting the groups will formulate
and present hypotheses and ideas for
realistic projects. The issue of obtaining
ethical approval will be discussed. The
topic for the obesity education section
will be the etabolic syndrome, whilst
the scientific section will look at realism
in project planning and management.
The leadership training will deal with
how to present a winning project idea.
The members of the group will leave the
second meeting with a clearly defined
research project. At home the study
groups will continue the work by writing
the final research protocol and applying
for ethical approval.
Meeting 3. Germany, November 19-21, 2008
The final research protocols will be
presented and the projects should then
be ready to begin. Current medical treatment
in Obesity will be discussed and
the question “What is good science?”
considered. We will look at statistical
issues in research and how to collect
and record data. The meaning of Good
Clinical Practice will be discussed. The
leadership training will concentrate on
the internal work within the group. When
the participants leave this meeting they
should return home and begin to include
patients, or start experiments.
Meeting 4. Lithuania, April 22-24, 2009
The topic for the Obesity section will
be how to choose the right patients.
The scientific training will focus on how
to present research data and the
leadership training on how to handle
daily work problems such as conflicts
within groups. There will also be time
for personal development.
Meeting 5. Belgium, November 4-6, 2009
The research projects should now be
finished and summarized and it is time
to discuss and interpret the data. The
Obesity section of the meeting will cover
treatment results and complications and
the scientific section will focus on data
analysis. The leadership training focuses
on conflict management.
Meeting 6. Sweden, July 9-10, 2010
We plan for a three day meeting. On the
first day the groups will present their scientific
projects. On the two following days
there will be an international meeting.
