Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We’re truly excited to invite you to the 43rd Annual NOPHO Conference, taking place in Kaunas from May 22–25, 2026.

It’s a real pleasure and honor for us—Lithuanian pediatric oncohematologists—to host this event in our home city. Since becoming full members of NOPHO in 2017, we’ve been proud to contribute to this wonderful community, and we’re looking forward to welcoming you all to Kaunas.

This year, the theme of the conference is “Healing, Hope, and Innovations.” Pediatric oncohematology is a wide and fascinating field, often dealing with rare and ultra-rare diseases. In recent years, we’ve seen remarkable progress, and we’ve invited speakers who will share their experiences and insights into these exciting developments. We hope the program will spark new ideas, refresh existing knowledge, and inspire collaboration.

Beyond the scientific sessions, we warmly invite you to explore Kaunas—a vibrant city known for its Art Deco architecture, recognized by UNESCO, and its famous “Žalgiris” basketball team. As home to Lithuania’s largest health sciences university, Kaunas has a youthful, energetic atmosphere that we hope you’ll enjoy.

We’re doing our best to make this conference not just meaningful and informative, but also friendly, fun, and memorable. Your presence and participation mean a lot to us, and we can’t wait to meet you, learn together, and share ideas.

See you in Kaunas!

With warmest regards,
The NOPHO 2026 Organizing Committee
 

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE

Ruta Tuckuviene, MD, PhD
Prof. Jelena Rascon, MD, PhD
Assoc.Prof.Sonata Šaulytė-Trakymienė, MD, PhD
Assoc.Prof.Giedrė Rutkauskienė, MD, PhD
Assoc.Prof.Goda Vaitkevičienė, MD, PhD

Rosita Kiudelienė
Rūta Maškė
Mantas Simutis
Sonata Argustaitė-Kalinauskienė
Justina Klimaitė
Greta Venckutė

ORGANISERS

ARRIVAL & TRAVEL

ARRIVAL TO KAUNAS FROM VILNIUS AIRPORT


Self-organised private transfers

Recommendations: 
- Ollex transport services
You can select a different service: rent a car, private transfer, airport express
- Bolt taxi
Bolt is a popular ride-hailing service in Lithuania that lets you quickly book a taxi or private driver through a mobile app. It's an easy and reliable way to get around the city
- City Bee
CityBee is a car-sharing service available in many Lithuanian cities, allowing you to rent a car, van, or electric scooter using a mobile app. It's a convenient option for short-term travel within the city or between cities

If you need any assistance to arrange your transfer, do not hesitate to contact secretariat by email: secretariat@eventas.lt


Self-organised public airport transfers

Public transport:
- by bus
It is one connection journey. Buses are located outside the Arrival Hall. Tickets can be bought from the driver. First you have to reach Vilnius Bus station then take a bus to Kaunas Bus station.  
- by train
It is one connection journey. A special train runs between Vilnius International airport and Vilnius Railway station on a regular basis. The airport train station is located directly in front of the airport. Tickets are sold on board. After you reach Vilnius Railway station take a train to Kaunas Railway station.

ARRIVAL TO LITHUANIA

Lithuania is easily accessible via various modes of transport. The infrastructure here is well developed, moreover, the country is not large and it is easy and convenient to travel between the major cities. The airports are typically 15–20 min. drive from the city center and the local and international bus network is extensive.

 BY PLANE

There are three international airports in Lithuania that connect the country with a number of European capital cities and some major international air travel hubs outside of Europe.
Vilnius International Airport (VNO)
Kaunas International Airport (KUN)
Palanga International Airport (PLQ)
Most airlines arrive at Vilnius International Airport, the main airport of Lithuania. Kaunas International Airport receives mostly low cost airlines, such as Ryanair. Palanga International Airport, located near the seaside resort of Palanga, mostly offers short and mid-range routes to destinations in Europe. This airport is the smallest in the country and is a convenient gateway to western Lithuania, the beach resorts and the seaport of Klaipėda.

 BY BUS

A number of large international bus companies with an extensive route network operate in Lithuania. There are frequent bus connections with most European capitals and some other large cities from the main Lithuanian cities – Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda.
Ecolines
Eurolines
Luxepress
Coming to Lithuania by bus is an easy and convenient option. Bus is also a good choice for visiting neighboring countries, Riga–Vilnius connection being particularly popular with several daily departures.

 BY TRAIN

Vilnius train station is an important railroad junction. You can reach Poland by direct route, or you can reach other countries with a transfer, leaving from Vilnius by train. Vilnius Railway Station is situated next to the bus station not far from the Old Town of Vilnius. Vilnius Train Station is conveniently connected to Vilnius International Airport by a special railway shuttle line. Litrail

 BY CAR

Vilnius can be reached by using the following routes:
Vilnius – Kaunas – Klaipeda, highway A1 (E67, E85, E28) 311,40 km
Vilnius – Ukmerge – Panevezys, highway A2 (E272) 135,92 km
Vilnius – Varena – Gardinas, highway A4 34,46 km

KAUNAS

Kaunas is the second largest city in Lithuania with about 300 thousand population. Kaunas is located in the central part of Lithuania on the confluence of the two largest Lithuanian rivers – Nemunas and Neris. Kaunas is located 100 kilometres from the capital Vilnius and 212 kilometres from the country's major seaport Klaipeda.

Kaunas is an attractive centre of business and industry as well as science, studies and culture. Famous music, dance, visual art festivals and exceptional projects are held in Kaunas. It is the provisional capital of Lithuania, famous for its colourful history, cosy parks, remarkable and wonderful Old Town and interwar spirit. Visit KAUNAS 

CULTURE

George Maciunas name square in Kaunas. Probably Everyone of you have heard of FLUXUS. The founder of this movement is George Maciunas and he was born in our city.
Kaunas is a great cultural centre. Kaunas has 7 professional and 10 amateur theatres, 20 folklore ensembles and various other arts and sports groups. The main state theatres in Kaunas are the Musical Theatre, the National Drama Theatre, and the Puppet Theatre. Kaunas State Musical Theatre palace on the central street of Kaunas was built in 1892. The city is also a home to the modern dance theatre Aura, Kaunas pantomime theatre, the Little Theatre, the Chamber Theatre, Kaunas State Choir and Kaunas Symphony Orchestra. Visit the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art.

ARCHITECTURE

According to The Guardian, Kaunas is a surprising hotspot for art deco. In 2015 Kaunas was granted the sign of European heritage and included into the list of UNESCO design cities. Nowadays – this is an exceptional inheritance, witnessing the golden period of flourishment of the city, when Kaunas as a historical capital of Lithuania developed its modernistic architecture in parallel with other European cities. 
In Lithuania, modernistic architecture developed into its own specific form and is therefore called the Kaunas school of architecture.
Do not miss a chance to visit the most important objects in the interwar period – Kaunas Garrison Officer's Club, Christ's Resurrection Church, Vytautas the Great War Museum and many more.

SPORTS

The name of Kaunas is inseparable from the legendary basketball team ZALGIRIS and its star Arvydas Sabonis. Go to a basketball game if there is one when you come to Kaunas. Even if you are not a basketball lover, you will have a wonderful experience there. The atmosphere is incredible. Basketball is of an exceptional importance for Lithuanian people. The basketball club ZALGIRIS from Kaunas is the oldest and the most successful men's basketball club in Lithuania. Arvydas Sabonis, the brightest basketball star in Lithuania, played for ZALGIRIS team. The first official basketball game in Kaunas was held in 1922. Kaunas Sports Hall was built in 1939. In this arena in 1939, Lithuanian men's basketball team won the gold medal at the FIBA European Championship for the second time.

OLD TOWN

Kaunas Old Town located to the east of the confluence of the rivers, occupies 144 hectares. There are a lot of surviving Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings, especially in the western part of the Old Town. Many notable buildings and facilities are located in the Old Town, such as the Kaunas Town Hall, the Kaunas Castle and the Historical Presidential Palace, gothic House of Perkunas, Kaunas Cathedral, the Church of St. Gertrude, Vytautas' church and many other churches.
Vilnius street is the most beautiful street of the Old Town, meant for pedestrians. Some buildings have survived from the 16th century, some of which have been reconstructed. Even the unique telephone booths are a clear indication that you are walking along the street, which connects the old and the new parts of the city.

LITHUANIA

If you think Lithuania is somewhere in South America, think again. If your eyes are fixed on a map of the Balkans, press another key on your keyboard. So where is Lithuania located? The lyrics of one of Lithuanian songs say it’s in the middle of Europe – and indeed, those are not just song lyrics. Using the method of gravitational centres, researchers at the National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information in France established that the geographical centre of Europe is in fact found in Lithuania. The nation is only a few hours by plane from other European capitals and can also easily be reached by coach, train or even boat. So welcome to this country of Northern Europe, to the very centre of Europe… to Lithuania. More information: Lithuania Travel.

The country has preserved many pagan and folk traditions that are still alive in villages. On the other hand, big cities are rich with vibrant cultural life and endless entertainment opportunities. There are numerous museums that have accumulated huge collections, national and private art galleries, the never-ending buzz of theatre and music halls, fascinating nightlife, a variety of entertainment options and sports events.

Some colours can be made in a lab, but nothing beats natural and vivid colours that reveal themselves when you visit a new country. Join Lukas at the Super Secret Institute of Colours in Lithuania as he searches for unique colours and hues. Or, simply come to Lithuania for colours you never knew existed.

Total area: 65,300 sq. km
Population: 2 830 144 (in 2025)
Language: Lithuanian
Currency: Euro
Local time: GMT + 2 hours (EET)
International telephone code: +370
Geographical location: The Republic of Lithuania lies on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania has a border with Latvia, Belarus, Poland and Russian Federation (the area of Kaliningrad). 
Membership: EU, NATO, Schengen, the UN and the OECD