It was considered advantageous to bring people together to share insights in this dynamic field. Hermann Pavenstädt volunteered to organize and host a meeting, supported by co-chairs Peter Mundel (then at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York) and Matthias Kretzler (then at the University of Munich).
On the 18th of September, a small, half-day meeting was held at a seminar home at the University of Freiburg, where discussions integrated anatomy, cell biology, physiology, pathobiology, pathology, and genetics. The two main themes of the day were “Functions of new genes in podocytes” and “Podocyte phenotype and signaling in glomerular disease,” with ten presenters from nine institutions in four countries sharing their research.
This successful first gathering laid the foundation for the podocyte cell biology meetings that followed, as the attendees resolved to continue holding community-organized, multidisciplinary and international research conferences moving forward.
