From October 25 to October 30, Professor Miao Yi (Director of Pancreas Center of the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University) and Doctor Wei Jishu were invited by Professor Castillo (Director of Surgery Department of Massachusetts General Hospital Affiliated to Harvard University) and Professor Saluja (APA Secretary) to attend the 47th Annual Meeting of APA. This was the second time for Pancreas Center of the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University to be invited to attend APA's annual meeting.

The Meeting was held in Park Plaza Hotel of Boston, the United States. A total of over 400 participants attended the Meeting, including the internationally renowned professors in pancreatic disease field, such as Prof. Warshaw and Prof. Castillo from Harvard University, Prof. Wolfgang from Johns Hopkins University, Prof. Kindrick and Prof. Chari from Mayo Clinic, Prof. Allen from MD Anderson Cancer Center, Prof. Harkert from University of Heidelberg, Prof. Jens. Werner from University of Munich, Prof. J.P. Neoptolemos from University of Liverpool, Prof. Tanaka from Kyushu University, Prof. Jin-Young Jang from Seoul National University. Prof. Lillemoe, the Chief Editor of Annals of Surgery, also attended the Meeting.

    The Meeting incorporated lots of in-depth and wide-ranging contents. The experts and scholars discussed the IPMN's basic and clinical progress for a whole day before the Meeting, including IPMN animal model, basic research, the latest prediction and prognosis of biological behavior for IPMN pathology, and surgery indication. It also included the speeches on autoimmune pancreatitis in children and recurrent pancreatitis; although they were just reports of clinical data, these cases had been rarely reported both in China and in foreign countries. The Meeting also set up innovative links, such as on-site debate: the professors with different views reported their data in a successive manner and then answered the questions raised by the Host and the audience. The number of female scholars who had participated in APA's annual meeting was summarized, and Women in Pancreas Reception & Dinner was especially held this year to encourage more women to join in APA.

    Prof. Miao Yi from Pancreas Center of the First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University was the only specially invited representative in China to attend the Meeting, and he presided over the Pancreatitis Session together with Prof. Jens. Werner, the Director of Surgery Department of University of Munich. In the meantime, five posters of our Center were accepted by the Meeting. As one of the largest international pancreas centers, Prof. Miao Yi and Doctor Wei Jishu conducted vigorous exchanges with the peers from the United States, Europe, Japan and South Korea on pancreatic diseases, and multiple professors engaged in the basic research of pancreatic diseases also extended their willingness to further cooperate with our Center.