SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM
20th International Workshop on Osteoarthritis Imaging
TISSUES: Linking them all together
General Information
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All scientific sessions and lunches will take place at Katholische Akademie in Bayern, Mandlstr. 23, 80802 München, Germany. Accommodation will be available at the conference site and in nearby hotels. Details will be released in due course.
Bookings for Lodging at the Akademie, for the dinners, pre-conference activities and social day will be possible via the ISOAI website only (to be announced).
All speakers listed have already confirmed their presence and willingness to present.
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Conference Organisers
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Prof. Dr. Frank Roemer,
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen & Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)
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PD Dr. Wolfgang Wirth, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg
Scientific Committee Chair​ - Neil Segal, University of Kansas
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Scientific Committee Members​ - To be determined by the Chair
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ISOAI President​ - Prof. Ali Guermazi, Boston University Medical Center, USA
Program
DAY 1 - TUESDAY 23RD JUNE 2026
All Times are in CEST (UTS+1)
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9:30 to 11:30 - PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOP(S)
​Guided tour at the Anatomische Sammlung (Historic Anatomic Exhibition) of the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Pettenkoferstraße 11, 80336 München by Prof. Reinhard Putz, Chairman Emeritus of the Institute of Anatomy. This is a ticketed event at no cost, with limited numbers on a first-come, first-served basis.
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Guided walking tour through München-Schwabing, the neighbourhood of the conference- a historic place of arts, politics, and entertainment.
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11:30 - REGISTRATION OPENS (at the conference venue)
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12:30 to 13:30 - LUNCH (at the conference venue)
​13:30 to 14:00 - CONFERENCE OPENING
Welcome from ISOAI President, Prof. Ali Guermazi
Welcome from IWOAI 2026 hosts, Prof. Frank Roemer and PD Dr. Wolfgang Wirth
Looking back 20 years of IWOAI Prof. Felix Eckstein
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14:00 to 15:30 - SESSION 1 – Update on Novel Analytical Approaches
14:00-14:20 - K1.1 Keynote speaker 1 – Felix Eckstein, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, AT: Different ways to look at the same data. How valid are post-hoc analyses in clinical trials?
14:20-14:40 - K1.2 Keynote speaker 2 - Patrick Omoumi, Lausanne University, Lausanne, CH – Standardized maps – an emerging approach to leverage quantitative information in knee imaging
14:40-14:50 - Questions and discussion
14:50-15:03 - S1.1 Scientific Presentation 1
15:03-15:16 - S1.2 Scientific Presentation 2
15:16-15:30 - S1.3 Scientific Presentation 3
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15:30 to 16:30 - BREAK WITH REFRESHMENTS inc. GUIDED POSTER TOURS
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16:30 to 18:00 - SESSION 2 – Bone
16:30-16:50 - K2.1 Keynote speaker 1 – Andy Wong, University of Toronto, Toronto, CAN: Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis – Where is the link?
16:50-17:10 - K2.2 Keynote speaker 2 – Thomas Link, UCSF, San Francisco, CA, USA: Update bone imaging in the context of OA research
17:10-17:20 - Questions and discussion
​17:20-17:33 - S2.1 Scientific Presentation 1
17:33-17:46 - S2.2 Scientific Presentation 2
17:46-18:00 - S2.3 Scientific Presentation 3
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18:00 to 18:15 - Day Close
​19:30 until 22:30 - DINNER EVENT
Hofbräuhaus (Wappensaal), Platzl 9, 80331 München*
*This is a costed ticketed event with limited numbers​
DAY 2 - WEDNESDAY 24TH JUNE 2026
09:00 to 11:00 - SESSION 3 – Novel Approaches and Lessons Learned
9:00-9:20 - K3.1 Key Note Speaker 1: Kent Kwoh, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA: Update Clinical Trials in 2025/2026
09:20-09:40 - K3.2 Keynote speaker 2: – Jos Runhaar, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NL: Introduction and Current Status of the PROBE Consortium
09:40-10:00 - K3.3 Keynote speaker 3: - Mary Bouxsein, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA – FDA acceptance of surrogate outcomes and biomarker qualification – How we did it in osteoporosis and what can the OA community learn from that?
10:00 to 11:00 - P1 Discussion and Clinical Trials Panel with Industry representatives - led by Kent Kwoh
Panel members TBC - Update on osteoarthritis clinical trials from the last 12 months
11:00 to 11:30 - BREAK WITH REFRESHMENTS
​11:30 to 12:30 - SESSION 4 – Early OA and Methodologic Aspects
11:30-11:50 - K4.1 Keynote speaker 1 – Stefan Lohmander, Lund University, Lund, SE: Classification Criteria for Early-stage Symptomatic Knee OA—the why and the how and where are we now?
11:50-12:10 - K4.2 Keynote speaker 2 – Jamie Collins, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA: How to handle multidimensional data in clinical trials and observational studies when publishing in OA
12:10-12:20 - Questions and discussion
12:20-12:35 - S4.1 Scientific Presentation 1
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12:35 to 14:00 - LUNCH
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13:00-14:00 Young Investigator Lunch Session (open to all): How to publish a paper successfully in 2026 Tips and Tricks.
Frank Roemer: Tips and Tricks from an Editor’s Perspective
Jamie Collins: Sample size and multiple testing in pilot studies
Felix Eckstein: The psychology of preparing a revision
Organized and moderated by Felix Eckstein.
14:00 to 15:30 - SESSION 5 – Synovitis and Inflammation
14:00-14:20 - K9.1 Keynote speaker 1 – Phil Conaghan, Leeds University, Leeds UK: What is more promising as a treatment target cartilage or inflammation?
14:20-14:40 - K9.2 Keynote speaker 2 – David Hunter, University of Sydney, Sydney, AUS: Update MSCs and other regenerative therapies
14:40-14:50 - Questions and discussion
14:50-15:03 - S5.1 Scientific Presentation 1
15:03-15:16 - S5.2 Scientific Presentation 2
15:16-15:30 - S5.3 Scientific Presentation 3
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15:30 to 16:30 - BREAK WITH REFRESHMENTS inc. GUIDED POSTER TOURS
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16:30 to 17:45 - SESSION 6 – Posttraumatic OA and Biomechanics
16:30-16:50 - K6.1 Keynote speaker 1 - Adam Culvenor, La Trobe University, Melbourne AUS – The latest in posttraumatic OA and biomechanics
16:50-17:05 - K6.2 Keynote speaker 2 - Richard Frobell, Campus Ängelholm & Halmstad University University, SE – 20 Years of the KANON trial - What have we learned for future RCTs of PTOA?
17:05-17:15 - Questions and discussion
17:15-17:28 - S6.1 Scientific Presentation 1
17:28-17:40 - S6.2 Scientific Presentation 2
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17:40-18:00 - Update OSTIMA and OSTIMA Best Paper and Reviewer Awards
Frank Roemer, EiC OSTIMA
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18:00 to 18:15 - Day close
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19:30 to 23:00 - DINNER EVENT
Seehaus (Kleinhessellohe 3, 80802 München)*
Including pre-dinner drinks and entertainment
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*This is a costed ticketed event with limited numbers​
DAY 3 - THURSDAY 25TH JUNE 2026
09:00 to 10:30 - SESSION 7 – Artificial Intelligence – The General Questions
09:00-09:20 - K7.1 Keynote speaker 1 – Richard Frobell, Campus Ängelholm and Halmstad University, SE
The expected effects of technology and AI to healthcare on a system level
09:20-09:40 - K7.2 Keynote speaker 2 – Sven Nebelung, Technical University of Aachen, Aachen, Germany: Diagnostic AI Tools in MSK Imaging - Present and Future
09:40-09:50 - Questions and discussion
09:50-10:03 - S7.1 Scientific Presentation 1
10:03-10:16 - S7.2 Scientific Presentation 2
10:16-10:30 - S7.3 Scientific Presentation 3
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10:30 to 11:00 - BREAK WITH REFRESHMENTS
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11:00 to 12:30 - SESSION 8 – Other Tissues and Other Methods – Beyond MRI
11:00-11:20 - K8.1 Keynote Speaker 1 – Simo Saarakkala, Oulu University, Oulu, FIN: Is there a role for ultrasound in OA clinical trials?
11:20-11:40 - K8.2 Keynote Speaker 2 – Edwin Oei, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, NL: Is there a role for PET and CT in OA clinical trials?
11:40-11:50 - Questions and discussion
11:50-12:03 - S8.1 Scientific Presentation 1
12:03-12:16 - S8.2 Scientific Presentation 2
12:16-12:30 - S8.3 Scientific Presentation 3
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12:30 to 14:00 - LUNCH
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14:00 to 15:30 - SESSION 9 – Cartilage
14:00-14:20 - K5.1 Keynote speaker 1 – Anna-Maria Liphardt, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen Germany – Update on “Joints in Space”
14:20-14:40 - K5.2 Keynote speaker 2 – Mikael Boesen, Copenhagen University & Parker institute, Copenhagen, DEN– Impact of weight loss on cartilage and other joint tissues
14:40-14:50 - Questions and discussion
14:50-15:03 - S9.1 Scientific Presentation 1
15:03-15:16 - S9.2 Scientific Presentation 2
15:16-16:30 - S9.3 Scientific Presentation 3
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15:30 to 16:30 - BREAK WITH REFRESHMENTS inc. GUIDED POSTER TOURS
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16:30 to 17:30 - SESSION 10 – INTERACTIVE SCIENTIFIC DISCUSSION
(Topic to be determined)
P2 - Panel discussion - panel members TBC Moderated and organized by Tom Turmezei, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK and Mylène Jansen, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, NL
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17:30 to 17:45 - AWARD CEREMONY
Young Investigator Awards, Top abstract Awards, Top poster Awards
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17:45 to 18:00 - WELCOME TO IWOAI 2027
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18:00 - CONFERENCE CLOSE
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19:30 to 22:30 - GALA DINNER
Bavarie by Käfer, BMW Welt, Am Olympiapark 1,80809 München
Including pre-dinner drinks reception and entertainment
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*This is a costed ticketed event with limited numbers
SOCIAL DAY - FRIDAY 26TH JUNE 2026
9:00 - Departure with Tourbus from the Conference site Munich to Stegen, Ammersee
10:15 - Board the Paddle Steamer Cruiseship “Augsburg” for a tour of the lake and a late breakfast Bavarian Style!
11:40 - Arrive at Herrsching
12:00-14:00 - Walk or e-bike from Herrsching to Andechs Monastery, the Holy Mountain of Bavaria.
14:00-15:30 - Lunch at Klostergasthof Andechs
15:30-16:00 - Guided Tour of Andechs
16:00-17:30 - Swimming and Sunbathing at Herrsching Beach (Alternative option in case rain is a serious issue: Visit of the Buchheim Museum in Tutzing at Starnberger See)
17:30-18:30 - Return to Munich by bus
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*This is a part of the day’s costed ticketed package with limited numbers
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Note there is a possibility to take a train back about every 20 min from Herrsching directly to Munich Main Train Station (Hauptbahnhof - 48 min) in case you want to join only half of the day.
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19:00 to late. Schwabing by night and/or Beergarden at either Chinesischer Turm or Seehaus in the “Englischer Garten”. Enjoy the best Munich has to offer and why everyone wants to visit! **
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**This is a non-ticketed post-conference tour open to one-and-all