Wang Chun Kwok

I am delighted to have been awarded the APSR Travel Award to JRS 2024, at the season full of cherry blooms everywhere, in a romantic metropolitan facing the Pacific Ocean, Yokohama. It was my honour to present my research finding entitled “Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio and systemic immune-inflammation index in predicting hospitalized COPD exacerbation risks” and chair the English Oral Presentation on Advances in Asthma and COPD with Prof. Masao Yamaguchi from Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center. The three-day conference was certainly a memorable experience and full of fun!

This was the first time I attended the JRS annual meeting, which has been held for more than half a century. The 64th JRS annual meeting had a very comprehensive programme with numerous fascinating parallel sessions. The poster and oral presentations from the delegates also allowed me to witness how the rising stars in Japan conduct their cutting-edge research. The exhibition area also demonstrated the creativity from Japanese, which promoted their products through famous Japanese anime characters!

In the session that I presented and chaired, I had the great opportunity to present my research finding as well as exchange my ideas and thoughts in respiratory diseases with researchers from Japan and other countries. In the welcome reception and international reception, apart from the great food and wine, I enjoy the traditional Japanese performance and rock music from Ryudo Uzaki.

In all, the event was perfectly organized. The date, the venue, the programme the exhibitions and the entertainment were all perfectly arranged, and I cannot find a reason not to attend the JRS annual meeting in the future given the memorable experience this year. When I took my flight back to Hong Kong, I started to miss the JRS annual meeting and Yokohama. I cannot wait to attend the coming JRS annual meetings, which will be held in different lovely places in Japan at the best season for learning, knowledge exchange and sightseeing!