Dear Colleagues, On behalf of the Local Organizing Committee, I have great pleasure in announcing that the SSIEM 2019 Symposium will be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, from September 3 to September 6. We are truly excited to be welcoming you to Rotterdam. Voted number 5 in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel in 2016, Rotterdam is a dynamic city known for its maritime history, multiethnic community, futuristic architecture and spirit of innovation. As we know from life in a city that’s continuously and rapidly renewing itself, innovation is indeed embedded in our culture. Just take our architecture: every year, new buildings and structures are added to our landscape, some of the finest being the bridges connecting different parts of the city. You might say it’s in Rotterdam’s genes to build bridges and seek connections. With the biggest port in Europe, we seek connection with the rest of the world. Within the city itself, we connect at various levels, including business, culture and science. That’s why our congress theme is Building Bridges. During SSIEM 2019, we hope to connect new-generation scientists with those who are well established. We hope to build bridges between laboratory and clinic, and to connect up the knowledge which has been generated on a range of diseases. All with the common goal of achieving a better future for our patients.