This international meeting brought together approximately 250 delegates from the pharmaceutical industry, academia, hospitals and government agencies, to discuss the latest research and development on areas related to inhalation aerosols. Fundamental science and applied research encompassing both the biological and physicochemical aspects were presented. There was a wide range of topics covered, from immune modulation to pharmaceutical regulatory issues, including aerosol clearance; industry innovations; aerosols and in utero effects; technical advances in imaging; inhalation catastrophes; as well as recent advances and future directions in aerosol delivery systems. This biennial congress has provided an excellent forum for stimulating fruitful discussion of aerosols in medicine.