E-Vote Election Announcement

It was announced at the Annual General Meeting on 1st May that the elections of the President and Executive Committee members would not be considered valid. Therefore the electronic voting process will be run again in June 2007. All members will be contacted individually with details.

ESE year end accounts for 2006

The ESE year end accounts for 2006 have been reviewed by the Honorary Auditors and they have raised no objections. A copy of the detailed income and expenditure account is available by clicking on the link below.

ESE Year End Accounts 2006

ECE 2008

The 10th European Congress of Endocrinology will be hosted by the German Endocrine Society and will be held at the ICC in Berlin, 3 - 7 May 2008. Further details will be available at the link below.

ECE 2008

European Research Area

The European Commission has launched a debate on the European Research Area with the adoption of the ERA Green Paper. The ERA Green Paper reviews the progress made, where it still needs to be made and raises questions for debate. An online consultation on this will be launched on 1st May 2007

European Research Area

Diabetes may cause surge in male infertility, scientists warn (The Guardian, 2 May 2007)

Men with diabetes are more likely to have fragmented DNA in their sperm compared with healthy men.

Full article

Fat Tissue-Derived Hormone Leptin Increases E-Cadherin Expression, Obesity-Breast Cancer Link Noted (Medical News Today, 3 May 2007)

Italian researchers have reported how leptin affects breast cancer development and progression in mice and established a link between obesity and breast cancer.

Full article

17 Novel Candidate Breast Cancer Genes (Medical News Today, 7 May 2007)

Researchers in Holland have found 17 new genes that are likely to play a role in breast cancer development.

Full article

Combination HRT linked to lower-risk breast cancers (Reuters, 9 May 2007)

Swedish researchers have found that the types of breast tumors that occur after combination hormone replacement therapy in women going through menopause or in post-menopausal women tend to have a better prognosis than those that occur after estrogen-only replacement therapy.

Full article

ESF gives go ahead for key measures (ESF, 25 April 2007)

The Governing Council of the European Science Foundation (ESF) has taken a number of important steps to advance the European research agenda.

Full article

Hyponatraemia following pituitary surgery

Following neurosurgery, onset of hyponatraemia (low blood sodium) is a common complication and can be caused by two different conditions: syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) or cerebral salt-wasting syndrome (CSWS). In their report, Guerrero and colleagues document the discovery, diagnosis and treatment course of a case of acute hyponatraemia due to CSWS after pituitary tumour surgery, and discuss the aetiology of hyponatraemia. The patient, a 35-year-old woman with a 4cm tumour in the pituitary, initially underwent transsphenoidal surgery. She required further surgery 10 months later for growth of tumoural rests, after which hyponatraemia developed. Treatment included hypertonic saline solution, enteral salt supplementation and fludrocortisone. Distinguishing between CSWS and SIADH can be challenging, but crucial as diverging treatment courses and aims mean that incorrect diagnosis can worsen the condition of the patient. In particular, hypovolaemia (low levels of circulating blood) is characteristic of CSWS and was a deciding factor in this case, alongside monitoring the patient's response to treatment. The report summarises and compares additional clinical and biochemical parameters used in clinical practice to aid diagnosis. R Guerrero, A Pumar, A Soto, M A Pomares, S Palma, M A Mangas, A Leal and F Villamil. Early hyponatraemia after pituitary surgery: cerebral salt-wasting syndrome. European Journal of Endocrinology 156 611-616

Franco-British Research Collaboration: Alliance 2008 - Call for proposals

This year's call for proposals under the Franco-British research partnership programme Alliance is now open. The deadline for applications is Friday 1 June 2007. Alliance is a programme run jointly by the British Council and the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Research. Funding is available to cover the travel and subsistence costs of new research collaborations from any discipline involving universities and public sector research institutes. Grants are awarded for one year, renewable for a second year. There are currently around 80 "live" Alliance projects, and it is expected that 30 to 40 new projects will be launched in 2008. Full details about the scheme and application form are available from the link below. The scheme is administered for the UK by the British Council's office in France. If you have any questions, contact alliance@britishcouncil.fr or phone Sandrine Mahieu, Tel: +33 (0)1 49 55 73 32.

Link to Alliance Programme

British Council: A Call for Proposals

The British Council is announcing a call for proposals under its initiative aimed at supporting new links between early stage researchers in the UK and in other countries. The purpose of the Researcher Exchange Programme is to help develop new research links between higher education institutions and research laboratories in the UK and other countries. It aims to encourage mobility and internationalism among early stage researchers for the exchange of information, ideas and knowledge, and for relationship-building. Closing date: 2 June 2007

Link

The Graduiertenkolleg GRK 1208 'Hormonal Regulation of Energy Metabolism, Body Weight and Growth' invites applications for a PhD Scholarship

The position will be available from July, 2007, in the Clinical Endocrinology group of Prof C Strasburger. The research will be focusing on determination and characterization of molecular isoforms as well as mutants of human growth hormone and study of their modulation during life span and in pathophysiological conditions, as well as its consequences for insulin sensitivity. The laboratory is well equipped with devices such as Biacore-biosensor and Typhoon fluorescent imager. Modern molecular biological, immunological and hormone analytical methods are established. The Graduiertenkolleg GRK 1208 is an interdisciplinary research, study and training program (in English) of Humboldt-Universität & Freie Universität Berlin, supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) and the State of Berlin, focusing on molecular, cellular & clinical endocrinology. The research training position is open for students under 28 years of age with an excellent study record and a Diploma or Master's degree (or equivalent) in biology, biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, chemical biology, molecular medicine, etc. PhD scholarship of approx. 1,200 EUR can be awarded for up to 2.5 years. Applications (English/German) including a one-page statement of motivation, a full CV, summary of the master/diploma thesis, copies of your credentials and names and addresses of two references should be submitted by e-mail to the office of the Program Coordinator Prof. Dr. J. Köhrle (secretary: elke.abdel-karim@charite.de).

Link

Clinical Neuroendocrinology Research Position

A position for a Spanish-speaking MD is available in a University hospital in Barcelona, Spain, commencing autumn 2007. Candidates will have to register in the Barcelona College of Physicians and validate their University degree according to the regulations of the Spanish Health Ministry. Subject: clinical research with patients suffering from pituitary diseases (pathophysiology, epidemiology, morbidity-mortality, prognosis, treatment, quality of life, etc.). Duration: Initially 1 year, extendable if interested. The possibility of a Ph.D thesis is feasible. Please send applications to Susan Webb at swebb@santpau.es or phone +34-93-5565661.

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