This being the second edition of IMFAR to be held in Europe, San Sebastian and Kursaal expect 1,700 professionals to attend the event.
The International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) is scheduled to be held in May 2013, with the attendance of over 1,700 professionals from all over the world. This being the second edition held in Europe – after the London edition in 2008 – the aim of the congress is to exchange information in the field of research on alterations in autism spectrum disorders.
The choice of San Sebastian as host city for this important international event is mainly thanks to the efforts of the eminent Dr Joaquin Fuentes, head of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department of Gipuzkoa Polyclinic, medical advisor to Gautena, and vice-chairman of the Child and Adolescent Section of the WPA. Born in San Sebastian, Dr Fuentes has been proactively involved in the IMFAR bid, using his enormous prestige, proving himself to be an excellent ambassador for the city the world over.
Winning the bid for this world congress on autism research is an important achievement both for the San Sebastian Tourism & Convention Bureau and Kursaal, since, in addition to the event's size and international scope, what is especially noteworthy is its knowledge transfer and impact in the media. Prepared by the staff at the San Sebastian Tourism & Convention Bureau and Kursaal, the bid was submitted at the last IMFAR held in San Diego (USA).
Kursaal
Except for the 2008 edition in London, past editions of the events have always been held in North American destinations (Orlando, Boston, Chicago, Montreal and Vancouver, among other cities). The first edition was held in 2001 with the aim of providing ASD (autism spectrum disorder) researchers from all over the world with an opportunity to share scientific research – which is continually moving on – in this field.
About IMFAR
IMFAR is an annual scientific forum whose main objective is to promote the exchange and dissemination of the latest scientific discoveries and research results in order to better understand the nature, causes and treatments of autism spectrum disorders.
