E-Vote for Election to the ESE Executive Committee

The voting process will take place by email only and to take part the ESE Secretariat must have your correct email address no later than 29 February 2008. You can check and update your contact details by logging on to the Members Section of the ESE website. If you have any problems please contact the ESE Secretariat at info@euro-endo.org. Information regarding the e-vote and the candidate details will be available on the ESE website soon. Results of the voting will be announced once the vote has closed.

ESE website

Closing date 1 March 2008 : Applications are invited for Editor-in-Chief for Journal of Endocrinology

Applications are invited for Editor-in-Chief for Journal of Endocrinology. The closing date for applications is 1 March 2008. Please click on the link below for further information.

JoE editor-in-chief

5th Postgraduate Course in Clinical Endocrinology

The 5th Postgraduate Course in Clinical Endocrinology will be in held in Vilnius, Lithuania from 17 - 19 April 2008. Further information, including the course programme can be found at the link below.

Conference website

ECE 2008

The 10th European Congress of Endocrinology is being hosted by the German Society of Endocrinology and will be at the International Congress Center (ICC) in Berlin from 3-7 May 2008. Attendees are expected from all over the world to learn from the latest advances in endocrine research and clinical care presented by the thought leaders in the field. The POC has actively worked to put together a programme of scientific excellence that will be attractive to all professionals interested in endocrinology and metabolism. To register on-line or to find out more information, please click on the link below.

ECE 2008

2008 Annual General Meeting

The next ESE AGM will be held on Tuesday 6 May 2008 at the ECE 2008 in Berlin. The draft agenda will be circulated to members in due course. If you have any questions, please contact the ESE Secretariat on info@euro-endo.org.

Amendment to ESE Byelaws

The ESE would like to advise members that the Byelaws have recently been amended. At the last meeting, January 2008, of the ESE Executive Committee meeting it was agreed to include a new type of membership. The ESE membership consists of Ordinary members, Affiliated Society members, Corporate members and will now include Honorary members. The ESE Byelaws have been amended to reflect this change by: a. Inserting a new category of membership under clause 1.1b which states "Honorary Members, being persons of special distinction in endocrinology or who have performed outstanding service to the Society, and nominated through and approved by the Executive Committee; and b. Amending clause 1.4 to read "Ordinary Members, Honorary Members and Affiliated Societies shall be designated as Voting Members". Please click on the link below to see the revised document.

ESE constitution

ECE 2009

The 11th European Congress of Endocrinology will be hosted by the Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism of Turkey (SEMT) and will be held in Istanbul, 25-29 April 2009. Please click on the link below for more information.

ECE 2009

Treatment in specialist centres increases surgery success rates (AlphaGalileo, 31 January 2008)

Rare/complex diseases can be treated more successfully in dedicated centres, specialising in the treatment of those conditions. Taking pituitary surgery as an example, a large peer-reviewed study published in January’s Clinical Endocrinology indicates that the move in the UK in the late 1990s to concentrate treatment in specialist centres has resulted in a significant increase in success rates, better outcomes for patients and potential savings for the NHS. For pituitary disease, experience is an important determinant of surgical success and patients benefit from being treated by a specialist surgeon.

News article

New Study Suggests Link between Environmental Toxins and Early Onset Puberty in Girls (AlphaGalileo, 7 February 2008)

New research suggests that certain mycoestrogens may be directly linked to the early onset of sexual development in young girls.

News article

Impaired fat-burning gene worsens diabetes (AlphaGalileo, 7 February 2008)

Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet have discovered new cellular mechanisms that lead to in insulin resistance in people with diabetes.

News article

New guidance on the effects of cancer treatment on reproductive functions

The Royal College of Physicians, The Royal College of Radiologists and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK have published new guidance on the effects of cancer treatment on reproductive functions. Approximately 11,000 patients in the 15–40 age group are diagnosed with cancer each year, and for many of these younger cancer patients fertility is or will become extremely important. The report aims to improve standards of management of fertility for these patients, calling for nationwide provision and funding, and for a scientific approach to future developments. More information is available via the link below.

RCP website

FP7 Health Research Service unveiled by CORDIS

CORDIS has launched a new health research web service for the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). It will provide a highly informative portal on this major theme, which is covered under the umbrella of the FP7 Cooperation programme. The sub-programme's budget of €6.1 billion reflects the EU's level of commitment to the health research programme. For more information, please click on the link below.

FP7 Health Research

10th International Consensus Conference on Adrenal Insufficiency

The 10th International Consensus Conference will take place in Florence, Italy, on 17-18 April 2008. This year, the conference will enable international experts to present their different points of view on the topic of "Diagnosis and management of adrenal insufficiency in the critically ill". The debate will focus on many aspects relating to the diagnosis and management of this common problem, with the final objective being to reach a consensus on the best approach and optimal care for these patients.Online registration for this conference is now available. For more information, please click on the link below.

Conference website

5th Annual Conference of the German Joint Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL)

The 5th Annual Conference of the German Joint Society for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (DGKL)in cooperation with the Austrian Society of Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Chemistry (ÖGLMKC), Association of German Laboratory Physicians (BDL), Professional Association of Natural Scientists in Laboratory Diagnostics (BNLD) and Association of Diagnostic Manufacturers (VDGH) is taking place on 21-24 September 2008 in Mannheim, Germany. The 2008 annual meeting will focus on the role of laboratory diagnostics as a medical core competence in research and patient care. More information on this conference is available at the link below.

Conference website

VII International Meeting on Cancer Induced Bone Disease 2008

The VII International Meeting on Cancer Induced Bone Disease 2008 is being held on 29 June - 2 July 2008 at Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK. For further information, please contact Kate Openshaw at BioScientifica on +44 (0)1454 642 240 or email conferences@endocrinology.com. More information is available at the link below.

Conference website

International Congress of Endocrinology - Registration now open

The International Congress of Endocrinology 2008 is taking place on 8-12 November 2008 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This meeting is the most comprehensive international gathering of endocrinologists, endocrine scientists, trainees and students worldwide. Online registration for this event has now opened. You can also submit abstracts online. The closing date for abstract submission is 31 May 2008. More information on this conference is available at the link below.

Conference website

Free triiodothyronine plasma concentrations are positively associated with insulin secretion in euthyroid individuals

Thyroid hormones have been proposed to have an influence on glucose metabolism. Although this mechanism has not been fully established, it has been proposed that thyroid hormones may influence β-cell mass, which is reduced in subjects with impaired fasting glucose and type 2 diabetes mellitus, and β-cell function. Studies in the past have reported that insulin secretion levels are increased in hyperthyroid subjects compared to euthyroid subjects. In euthyroid individuals there is scarce information on the role of thyroid hormones on insulin secretion. This was addressed in a study by Ortega et al., which measured the levels of thyroid stimulating hormones, free thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and plasma insulin levels in non-diabetic, euthyroid subjects. The study used a subgroup of 55 healthy, euthyroid, adult members of the Gila River Indian Community near Phoenix, Arizona, USA. Levels of thyroid stimulating hormones, free thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and plasma insulin levels were measured in fasting plasma samples from subjects and in response to an intravenous glucose tolerance test and an oral glucose tolerance test, along with the percentage body fat using dual x-ray absorptiometry. The results showed a positive association between free triiodothyronine concentration and fasting plasma insulin, acute insulin response, and incremental area under the curve of insulin in response to the intravenous and oral glucose tolerance tests, both before and after adjustment for age, sex, percentage body fat, glucose concentration, and insulin action. The authors conclude that free triiodothyronine was independently associated with several measurements of insulin secretion in euthyroid individuals with normal glucose tolerance. Triiodothyronine concentrations are suggested to play a role in the regulation of insulin secretion. Ortega, E., Koska, J., Pannacciulli, N., Bunt, J.C., Krakoff, J. European Journal of Endocrinology, 158, 217-221. DOI: 10.1530/EJE-07-0592

Journal paper

IOF-Servier 2008 Young Investigator Research Award

The International Osteoporosis Foundation - Servier Young Investigator Research Award is presented every two years to an osteoporosis researcher under the age of 40 and it aims to encourage young scientists to carry out high quality research. The award is supported by the Servier Research group in partnership with IOF, and awards euro 40,000 towards original research of significant value and international relevance in the field of osteoporosis. The project must contribute to ensuring that people with osteoporosis receive the best care possible. Applications for the IOF- Servier 2008 Young Investigator Research Award are being accepted until 3 March 2008. For more information, please click on the link below.

IOF Grants

FP7 call for proposals: Capacities programme

The European Commission has launched a call for proposals under the 'Capacities' programme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). The call refers to Activity 6-2-2, which aims to provide support to the bottom up policy coordination initiatives undertaken by several countries and regions. Proposals should address the following policy areas: Developing an appropriate research and development (R&D) policy mix; Creating appropriate framework conditions for stimulating private research and development (R&D) investment; Improving the cooperation and transfer of technologies between public research institutes and private enterprises, including through developing public-private partnerships; Developing and making better use of incentives to leverage private R&D; Modernising the management of research institutions and universities; Enhancing the career development and the European, international as well as inter-sectoral mobility of R&D personnel. The total budget for the call is €7.5 million. The deadline for submitting proposals is 6 March 2008. For more information, please click on the link below.

Proposal website

EMBO Installation Grants

The aim of this new scheme is to strengthen science in participating EMBC member states. At present applications are accepted from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Portugal, Poland and Turkey. The grants will help scientists to relocate, set up their labs and rapidly establish a reputation in the European scientific community. The scheme is entirely funded by the participating EMBC member states and successful applicants receive an annual support of EUR50,000 for three to five years. Each participating country sets an upper limit to the number of grants available per year. The scheme will be administered by the EMBO Young Investigator Programme. Institutions and successful job candidates apply together to gain funding beyond normal start-up packages. The commitment and support of the receiving institute during and beyond the tenure of the grant is regarded as an essential part of the scheme and is meant to ensure continued support of the academic career of the recipient. EMBO will administer the annual distribution of grants to the recipients. Successful applicants will be eligible to apply to the EMBO Young Investigator Programme once they meet existing requirements. The deadline for applications is 15 April 2008. For more information, please click on the link below.

Grant website

Growth Hormone Society Research Fellowships 2008

The Growth Hormone Research Society intends to award two Research Fellowships in 2008 to promote international exchange of scientific and clinical research expertise in any area of GH-related research. Awards of US$ 50,000 will provide personal salary support and travel costs for a post-doctoral scientist or clinical training fellow wishing to pursue a research project for one year in a host institution of their choice. For further details and an application form, see the GRS website at the link below or contact the GRS office at grs@AFDM.AU.DK. The closing date for receipt of applications is 30 June 2008.

Growth Hormone Research Society website

Information day 2008

The information day about the 2008 Call for Proposals in the framework of the new Health Programme, Programme of Community action in the field of public health, will be held in Luxembourg on 12 March 2008 from 10 am to 5.30 pm. A detailed agenda will be published soon.

Link to article

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