Firstly, I wish to thank the Society's members for electing me as the new President from October 2009. I feel very honored in this respect and hope to serve the Society well and live up to the expectations of all members.

I have been engaged with perinatal pathology for about 20 years, attended the five IPPA courses and three update courses. In 2000 I defended my thesis on a comparison between ultrasound and postmortem findings in fetuses and infants. For the moment I have a 50% position at the St. Olavs Hospital, University Hospital of Trondheim and 50% at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

In 2003, I organized the PPS Annual Meeting in Trondheim and was member of the PPS Committee from 2000-2004. I have also been a member of the Speciality Committee and Educational Committee of the Norwegian Society of Pathology.

The future of Paediatric Pathology is challenging. There is a lack of pathologists specialising in Paediatric Pathology. Over the last 20 years, the shift in autopsy practice has been from infants to fetuses, demanding a more meticulous technique. Parents have become more reluctant to agree to an autopsy, many demanding that all organs are immediately replaced in the body. This renders examination of the central nervous system, in particular, more difficult.

The challenge of the future is to inspire young pathologists to specialise in Paediatric Pathology. With this hope I wish all members of the PPS a prosperous and Happy New Year!

Christina Vogt

President