The 23rd International Conference on Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy, organized by Parent Project aps, will be held from February 27 to March 1, 2026, in Rome at the Ergife Palace Hotel (www.ergifepalacehotel.com).
Year after year, the Conference continues to be a key event that brings our large community together, offering opportunities for updating and in-depth discussion, as well as a great opportunity to meet and network, both for families and associations, and for companies and the world of clinical practice and research.
We look forward to seeing you again and experiencing the next Conference together!
Companies interested in participating in the Conference that are not sponsors, technical partners, or exhibitors can contact Gaia Relucenti, Head of Corporate Fundraising, for information on how to register and participate.
Agenda
2:00 p.m. – Ground Floor – Hall – Registration and welcome
3:00 p.m. – Floor -1 – Orange 1 Parent Project meets new families
8:30 p.m. – Ground Floor – Dinner, registration required via form
8:30 a.m. – Floor – 2 – Leptis Magna – Opening ceremony
9:30 a.m. – Floor – 2 – Leptis Magna – Gene therapy.
Scientific session
Chair: Alberto Bottaro, Parent Project aps
- Eugenio Mercuri, Policlinico A. Gemelli – Rome
- Francesco Muntoni, Great Ormond Street Hospital – London
10:30 a.m. – Floor – 2 – Leptis Magna – Every day counts, independence on the move.
Round table.
Chair: Anna Petruzza, Parent Project aps
- Giuseppe Giardina, Parent Project aps
- Giuseppe Lanzillotti, Parent Project aps
- Vittorio Montixi, Videa – Il viaggio di Enea
- Marco Bartoletti, Gruppo BB Holding
9:30 a.m. – Floor -1 – Merida – Rediscovered Words: A Writing Invitation for Parents.
Workshop. (Italian only)
- Margherita Restelli, Author and facilitator of narrative workshops
11:30 a.m. – Coffee break
11:45 a.m. – Floor -2 -Leptis Magna – What we have learned: feedback from the cardiac meeting
Scientific session
Chair: Francesco Marinelli, Parent Project aps
- Chiara Calore, Azienda Ospedaliera – Università di Padova
- Rachele Adorisio, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambin Gesù – Rome
12:30 p.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Dolomiti for Duchenne and Sila for Duchenne: sport and community engagement
Fundraising and communication session.
Chair: Leonardo Ruffolo, Parent Project aps
- Roberto Zoffoli, ASD Project for Life
- Antonio Vigoroso, Parent Project aps
11:45 a.m. – Floor -1 – Spalato – A workshop to build together our first international conference on BMD: ideas, needs, and emotions.
Workshop. (Italian only).
- Giada Perinel and Marica Valentine Cescato, Parent Project aps
1:00 p.m. – Lunch
1:00 p.m. – Floor -1 – Expò Gallery – Poster Session
2:20 p.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Patient experience data: Parent Project’s contribution to the EMA reflection paper
Scientific session
Fernanda De Angelis, Parent Project aps
2:35 p.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Empowerment in action, alliances between clinical practice and psychosocial experiences for an active life
Round table
Chair: Marica Pugliese, Parent Project aps
- Francesca Petreschi, Ospedale Pediatrico Bambin Gesù – Roma
- Silvi Cadri, Centro Clinico NeMO Ancona
- Soufian Younssi, Parent Project aps
- Tolea Stazi, Parent Project aps
- Francesco Venturi, UILDM
- Daniela Frigerio, Istituto Giannina Gaslini – Genova
3:45 p.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Spotlight on research
Scientific session.
Chair: Ilaria Zito, Parent Project aps
- Cell-Mediated Exon Skipping; Giulio Cossu, University of Manchester
Poster highlights:
- Edoardo Malfatti, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)
- Francesca Colli, University of Bologna
- Sara Chiappalupi, University of Perugia
- Giulio Gadaleta, University of Turin
- Alessandra Sardi, University of Genoa
2:30 p.m. – Floor -1 – Merida – Rediscovering, transformed, the path: a writing invitation for young people who wish to let go of labels and find the words to tell their story
Workshop. (Italian only).
- Margherita Restelli, Author and facilitator of narrative workshops
2:30 p.m. – Floor -1 – Orange 1 – Recreational sports: dog training/pet therapy
Workshop. (Italian only).
- Elena Cannella, Vivere a tempo di coda ASD
16:25 p.m. – Coffee break
4:45 p.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Exon skipping
Scientific session
Chair: Emmanuela Trentin, Parent Project aps
- Annemieke Aartsma-rus, Leiden University Medical Center
- Stefano Previtali, IRCCS San Raffaele, Milan
5:45 p.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Transition in DMD
Scientific session.
Chair:
- Rosaline Quinlivan, University College London
- Alessia Marcassoli, Istituto C. Besta, Milan
4:30 p.m. – Floor -1 – Pola – Emotions and Sexuality
Workshop. (Italian only).
- Giuseppe Giardina, Parent Project aps
- Vittorio Montixi, Videa – Il viaggio di Enea
5:00 p.m. – Floor -1 – Merida – My word: a writing invitation for sisters and brothers
Workshop. (Italian only).
- Margherita Restelli, Author and facilitator of narrative workshops
6:30 p.m. – End of the day
8:30 p.m. – Dinner
08:45 a.m. – Opening
09:00 a.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Update on the scientific projects funded by Parent Project
Scientific session.
Chair: Fernanda De Angelis, Parent Project aps
- Francesca Grassi/Maria Egle De Stefano, Università Sapienza di Roma
- Libero Vitiello, Università di Padova
- Biliana Lozanoska-Ochser, Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences/Università Sapienza di Roma
- Federica Trucco, Istituto G. Gaslini-Genova
- Ilias Masmoudi, Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg Germany
- Gabriele Siciliano, Università di Pisa
- Guja Astrea, Fondazione Stella Maris-Pisa
09:40 a.m. –Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Strategies addressing secondary defects
Scientific session.
Chair: Daniela Argilli, Parent Project aps
- Luca Bello, Università di Padova
- Riccardo Masson, Istituto Besta, Milan
10:30 a.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – Accessibility in action: experiences, obstacles, and shared solutions
Round table.
Chair: Giuseppe Giardina, Parent Project aps
- Flavio Olita, Barriere Zero Potenza per TUTTI
- Fabio Amanti, Parent Project aps
- Mirco Natili, Parent Project aps
- Alessandro Gerardi, Associazione Luca Coscioni
11:30 a.m. – Floor -2 – Leptis Magna – The Regulatory Path in Europe: a Round table
Chair: Susanna Del Signore, Bluecompanion
- Francesca Cerreta, former EMA Staff
- Ramona Belfiore-Oshan, cPath – USA
- Pat Furlong, PPMD – USA
- Filippo Buccella, Parent Project aps
9:00 a.m. – Floor -1 – Merida – Psychosomatics and autogenic training
Workshop. (Italian only).
- Letizia Sticca, psychologist and psychotherapist
- Sara Billai, Parent Project aps
1:00 p.m. – Closing ceremony
1:30 p.m. – Lunch box
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