Ten years after its debut, the World Bronchiectasis Conference (WBC) returned to where it all began: From 24 to 27 June 2026, the 9th World Bronchiectasis Conference took place at the Hannover Congress Centrum. The conference was organised and hosted by the European Bronchiectasis Registry EMBARC, with BREATH, Hannover Medical School (MHH), and the German Bronchiectasis Registry PROGNOSIS together with the CAPNETZ STIFTUNG serving as local co-organisers.
The remarkable progress made in bronchiectasis research since the first conference in Hannover in 2016 was already evident from the attendance figures: With 1,334 participants from 63 countries across six continents, WBC 2026 was the largest international conference to date dedicated exclusively to bronchiectasis. A total of 153 invited speakers, 97 supporting scientific societies, and a record number of 217 submitted abstracts highlighted the growing scientific importance of the field.
BREATH was also strongly represented at the conference. Prof. Dr. Jessica Rademacher and Prof. Dr. Felix C. Ringshausen, both Principal Investigators at BREATH and internationally recognised bronchiectasis experts from Hannover, played a key role in shaping the scientific programme as Co-Chairs of the WBC. Numerous other researchers from the BREATH network contributed to the programme through presentations, session chairing, and scientific contributions.
“It is impressive to see how far bronchiectasis has come over the past ten years, evolving from a relatively neglected field into a major area of respiratory research. Today, we have a large and continuously growing international community that brings together research, clinical care, and patient perspectives, driving the field forward with remarkable momentum,” says Felix C. Ringshausen.
The scientific programme highlighted that bronchiectasis research is entering a new phase. While the disease was long considered irreversible and progressive, increasing attention is now being paid to treatment approaches that could positively influence its course. Topics discussed included novel anti-inflammatory strategies, precision medicine, biomarkers, microbiome research, and the identification of distinct patient subgroups to enable more individualised treatment approaches.
A particularly special moment of the conference was the inaugural presentation of the Tobias Welte Award. The newly established award honours the late Professor Tobias Welte, who played a pivotal role in advancing international collaboration in bronchiectasis research. Professor Lucy Burr from Brisbane, Australia, was recognised as the first recipient. The award honours outstanding scientific achievements that also make a direct contribution to improving patient care.
There was also reason to celebrate for an early-career researcher from Hannover: Meret Moormann, a medical student at MHH and doctoral researcher in the Department of Respiratory Medicine and Infectious Diseases, received one of the prestigious poster awards. Her award-winning research investigated Club Cell Protein 16 (CC16) and its association with bronchiectasis severity and disease activity, based on data from the German Bronchiectasis Registry PROGNOSIS.
The WBC in Hannover demonstrated how significantly bronchiectasis research has advanced over the past decade. It also highlighted the vital role of international networks, collaborative registries, translational research, and close cooperation between researchers, clinicians, and patients in driving further progress. The next World Bronchiectasis Conference will take place in Philadelphia in July 2027.
Detailed article in Pneumologie
Text: BREATH/AB
Prof. Dr. Felix C. Ringshausen presents doctoral researcher Meret Moormann with the poster award.
