The Foundation for Liver and Gastrointestinal Research (SLO) was founded in 1985 as a non-profit institution (ANBI). SLO's mission is to stimulate scientific research in the field of diseases of the liver and the gastrointestinal tract.
To this end, SLO supports research into the prevention and treatment of liver and GI diseases, as well as in the fields of liver surgery and transplantation. The foundation also organizes and facilitates meetings dedicated to new developments within these areas. The majority of its activities take place at Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Furthermore, SLO is involved in national and international clinical studies, typically assuming a coordinating role.
What we do
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SLO is functioning as an important facilitator of scientific research.
It does so through a Clinical Research Bureau (CRB) founded in 1990. The CRB has gained a great deal of knowledge and experience on designing and conducting research projects that meet international criteria as described in GCP (Good Clinical Practice), FDA and EU guidelines.
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The research does not only involve clinical research but also other patient-bound and fundamental research.
The SLO has coordinated large number of national and international studies of which the results are published in leading medical journals, such as the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Gut and Journal of Hepatology. This has resulted in a number of flourishing research lines, for example on rejection after liver transplantation and hepatitis B and C.
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The SLO played a crucial part in developing the Rotterdam Liver Transplantation program. This program has made Rotterdam the largest center for adult liver transplantation in the Netherlands.
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The SLO is also involved in organizing medical conferences and courses for medical doctors (in training) and scientists.
The annual Erasmus Liver Day is one of the most important liver conferences in The Netherlands. SLO also organizes meetings for patients and their families.
The SLO awards the Mark van Blankenstein and Solko W. Schalm prize.
These prizes are given to a medical student who performed excellent scientific research and to a professional who has been of great significance in the field of hepatology.