On behalf of the Council of the Human Cell Differentiation Molecules and the 9th International Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens Workshop, we would like to take this opportunity to invite you to Barcelona for the 9th International HLDA Conference (March 2010).

Long renowned as a center for the arts, graced by such luminaries as Picasso, Miró, and Casals, Barcelona is increasingly becoming a dynamic scientific research center right on the beautiful Mediterranean.

We expect many of the world's leading immunologists and hematologists to attend, and believe this will be a wonderful opportunity for young researchers to interact with senior members of the scientific community.

HLDA9 Workshop (www.hlda9.org)

The HLDA9 workshop, still underway and still open for your participation, is proceeding extremely well. Our goal is to provide a platform for studying and discussing the functional role of cell-surface molecules, the diagnostic and therapeutic application of mAbs, and the use of new technologies in the production and characterization of mAbs.

There has been considerable interest, and we have numerous groups participating worldwide, including several premier companies. More than 160 monoclonal antibodies have been submitted and much interesting data has already been generated. We plan to make antibody validation files available via the HLDA9 website.

HLDA9 Conference

Our venue location is Barcelona's l'Acadèmia de Ciències Mèdiques de Catalunya i de Balears, a superb, modern facility that boasts a theater-style auditorium for the plenary talks, conference-style break-out rooms, speaker preparation rooms, and well-situated exhibition space.

On a more personal note, among the numerous talks to be given during this 3-day conference, will be a memorial lecture to honor our dear departed colleague, Professor David Mason, who passed away in February 2008.

Please bookmark this page as all relevant information regarding HLDA9 will be posted here.

Finally, we would like to thank the HCDM Council for its steadfast support of the HLDA Workshops and Conferences, the European Federantion of Immunological Societies (EFIS) for its generous underwriting of travel bursaries for young scientists and other meeting support, BD Biosciences for kindly subsidizing the HCDM website and for providing key reagents for HLDA9, and our other corporate sponsors. Friends and colleagues, we greatly look forward to welcoming you in person and to your participation in what we are certain will be a highly productive, interesting, and enjoyable meeting. Thank you.