The 2025 Congenital Hyperinsulinism Family Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark was a wonderful success! CHI planned this conference with the assistance of Henrik Christesen, Professor, DMSc, Phd, MD of the Hans Christian Andersen Children’s Hospital/Odense University Hospital in Odense, Denmark.
Jump ahead to view a slideshow of photos from the event.
Presentations covered a broad range of topics from clinical, research, and HI family perspectives. Attendees heard talks from HI experts on the history and future of diagnosis and treatment, genetic causes of HI, the work of Scandinavian HI centers and their international collaborations, patient-powered research through the HI Global Registry, clinical trials, as well as the exciting work underway with the LightCure Project. HI families presented their experiences during our HI Stories session, and attendees shared more with one another during our breakout groups. Breakout groups were related to various aspects of life with HI including nutrition, stress, life stages, and special needs, as well as HI subtypes. These breakout groups offered HI families an outlet to share their experiences and relate with one another, and to hear directly from HI experts.
A few hours of our Congenital Hyperinsulinism Family Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, was also available to watch from anywhere in the world via livestream! Recorded sessions will be available online soon.
You can read more about the event and the CHI Team’s time in Copenhagen in CHI COE Julie Raskin’s blog post.
Event Highlights Included:
- Educational Sessions – We gained insights from HI medical professionals on HI causes, treatment options, and research advancements.
- Q&A Panels – Attendees asked questions directly to leading HI experts including clinicians, geneticists, and researchers.
- Family Networking – A chance for parents, caregivers, and patients to connect, share stories, and build a support network.
- Breakout Sessions – Attendees met in small group discussions on specific HI-related topics.
- Medical Updates & Research Insights – We learned about the latest clinical trials, emerging therapies, and genetic discoveries.
- Interactive HI-Story Sharing – HI families had the opportunity to share their journeys and experiences.
- Kid-Friendly Activities – Included childcare and activities to engage children and teens living with HI.
The conference began with a welcome reception on Thursday evening, May 8, 2025, at the Scandic Spectrum Hotel, located at Kalvebod Brygge 10, 6 sal, 1560 København, Denmark. Conference sessions took place at the hotel during the day on Friday, May 9th between 8.30 and 17.00, and on Saturday, May 10th between 9.00 and 12.00. A conference dinner was held on Friday evening for all attendees.
Highlights from the 2025 Family Conference:
Speakers, moderators, and presenters included:
- Yildiz Bas, HI parent, Istanbul, Turkey
- Gregers Boel, Medical student, Hans Christian Andersen Children’s Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Klaus Brusgaard, PhD, Prof Southern Danish University, Lillebaelt Hospital, Vejile, Denmark
- Laurina Bühner, MD, Assistant Physician, Scientific Assistant, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Suresh Chandran, MD, PhD, Senior Consultant, Department of Neonatology, Clinical Associate Professor, Duke NUS Medical School, Associate Professor, Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Singapore
- JaeDuk Choi, PhD, Senior Manager, Clinical Science Team, Hanmi Pharmaceutical Co, Seoul, Korea
- Henrik Christesen, MD, PhD, Consultant and Professor, Hans Christian Andersen Children’s Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Martin Christesen, Medical student, Hans Christian Andersen Children’s Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Antonia Dastamani, MD, PhD, Pediatric Endocrinologist, Lead, Congenital Hyperinsulinism Service, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH), London, United Kingdom
- Evgenia Globa, MD, PhD, Leading Researcher, Pediatric and Adult Endocrinologist, Geneticist, Ukraine Research Center of Endocrine Surgery, MoH of Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine
- Martin Gotthardt, Professor of Nuclear Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Meina Jia Sandal, HI parent, HI Global Registry Ambassador, Researcher in Anthropology, Denmark
- Rikke Jørgensen, Nurse, OUH Odense University Hospital – Svendborg Hospital, Svendborg, Denmark
- Lauren Lopez. PhD, Registry Director, CHI
- Klaus Mohnike, MD, Pediatric Endocrinologist, Professor at Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Anna Nicolau, Person with HI, HI Global Registry Ambassador, Brighton, England
- Susan Nørregaard, Specialist Nurse, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Irene Promussas, PhD, HI Parent, Pharmacist, President, Lobby4Kids, Vienna, Austria
- Julie Raskin, MA, Chief Research Office, CHI, Glen Ridge, NJ, United States
- Jeff Roessler, Vice President of New Product Planning, Rezolute, Wyndmoor, PA, United States
- Kristen Rohli, PhD, Research Manager, CHI, Chattanooga, TN, United States
- Jennifer Schmitt, Chief Operating Officer, CHI, Glen Ridge, NJ, United States
- Paul Seyfarth, Person with HI, Secretary, Kongenitaler Hyperinsulinismus e.V., Berlin, Germany
- Ulrike Seyfarth, HI Parent and Sibling, Radiology Specialist, Charité, President, Kongenitaler Hyperinsulinismus e.V., Berlin, Germany
- Julie Siersbæk, Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Chandra Slusser, Associate Director – US-Global Medical Affairs, Zealand Pharma, San Antonio, Texas
- Lora Van Arsdell-Bartocci, PsyD, LCSW, Research and Support Specialist, CHI
- Stefanie Witt, MA, Psychologist and Researcher, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
Additional HI family speakers include the Bendixen family, the Metzsch family, the Nikulin family, the Noori family, the Sandal family, the Sund family, and the Zander family.
Thanks to generous sponsors and donors, registration for the conference was free for all HI families, patients, doctors, and researchers, including program registration and admission to all conference sessions, activities and meals.
