ECE 2008

There are only a few days left before ECE 2008. The 10th European Congress of Endocrinology is being hosted by the German Society of Endocrinology and will be held 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 top 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 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 Congress Center from 18:15-19:30. All members are welcome to attend. The agenda and appendices can be found at the link below. If you have any questions, please contact the ESE Secretariat at: info@euro-endo.org.

AGM 2008

European Society of Endocrinology prize winners

ESE would like to announce the 2008 winners of the Geoffrey Harris and European Journal of Endocrinology prizes. The Geoffrey Harris prize is intended for established workers in the field of basic or clinical neuroendocrinology, and is generously support by Ipsen. We are pleased to announce that the 2008 prize is awarded to Professor George Chrousos (Athens, Greece). Professor Chrousos will give a lecture at the ECE 2008 opening ceremony, 17.30 - 19.30 on Saturday 3 May 2008.

The European Journal of Endocrinology prize is awarded to a candidate younger than 45 years who has significantly contributed to the advancement of knowledge in the field of endocrinology through publication. The recipient of this prize for 2008 is Professor Claes Ohlsson (Göteborg, Sweden). Professor Ohlsson will give a lecture at the ECE 2008 opening ceremony, 17.30 - 19.30 on Saturday 3 May 2008, and will also write a review paper to be published in European Journal of Endocrinology. Further information about the ECE, including the programme and registration details, can be found at the link below.

ECE 2008 website

ESE New members

All applications for Ordinary membership received before 1 April 2008 will be formally approved by the ESE Membership at the AGM on 6 May 2008 in Berlin. A list of all members to be approved at the AGM is available together with the AGM agenda and appendices at the link below. All new members are invited to the New members welcome reception on Sunday 4 May at the ECE 2008 Congress Center in Berlin. For further details please email: eseadmin@bioscientifica.com.

AGM 2008

ESE Election results

The voting has now closed in the ESE Election for a new Executive Committee member. The ESE would like to announce that Professor Aart van der Lely has been elected and would like to welcome him to the Society. The ESE would also like to thank members for their continued support.

ESE website

ESE registered as a charity

The ESE would like to announce that it is now registered as a charity with the Charity Commission in England and the registration number is 1123492.

Preliminary programme for 6th Postgraduate Course in Clinical Endocrinology now available

The 6th Postgraduate Course in Clinical Endocrinology will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia between 2-4 October 2008. Click the link below to view the preliminary programme and letter of invitation.

Preliminary programme

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 on 25-29 April 2009. Please click on the link below for more information.

ECE 2009

International Congress of Endocrinology - Early bird registration deadline

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. To register online or submit an abstract for the conference, please click on the links below. The early bird deadline for online registration and abstract submission is 31 May 2008.

Online registration

Abstract submission

Heart risk may be set in the womb (BBC Online, 9 April 2008)

Research presented at the Society for Endocrinology BES 2008 conference in Harrogate, shows cardiovascular disease in later life may be pretermined by oxygen levels in the womb. The research team was led by Dr Dino Giussani from the University of Cambridge.

Full article

Obese women disadvantaged in both breast cancer treatment and diagnosis (AlphaGalileo, 15 April 2008)

A new study led by Dr Evandro de Azambuja at the Jules Bordet Institute, Brussels has shown that obese breast cancer sufferers are disadvantaged in terms of disease prognosis and treatment.

Full article

Vitamin D and breast cancer risk (EurekAlert!, 18 April 2008)

Researchers investigate the effects of different genetic variants of the vitamin D receptor on the risk of developing breast cancer.

Full article

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.org. More information is available at the link below.

Conference website

Effects of GH treatment in GH-deficient adults on adiponectin, leptin and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A

Untreated GH deficient (GHD) adults have shown increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, increased atherosclerotic plaques, and increased intima-media thickness of carotid arteries. Along with the altered body composition of GHD adults, changes in lipid profile, insulin resistance and lowered exercise capacity, this leads to a high cardiovascular risk for such patients. Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) has been proposed as a marker of an increased risk of atherothrombotic events in general, with levels correlating with carotid intima-media thickness, an early indicator of cardiovascular events. Joaquim et al conducted a clinical study on 14 GHD adults in whom levels of PAPP-A, leptin, fibrinogen and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) were measured at baseline and after 1 year of GH replacement therapy. The study found that at baseline GHD adults had higher PAPP-A, leptin, fibrinogen and hsCRP levels than controls. GH therapy was shown to decrease levels of PAPP-A and fibrinogen, while leptin and adiponectin levels showed no change. The fourteen adult onset GHD patients were assessed and matched with 28 healthy control subjects, for age, sex, body mass index and menopausal status. Blood samples were taken after an overnight fast, centrifuged, and analysed for a number of constituents including, PAPP-A leptin, fibrinogen and hsCRP using appropriate assays for each. The study concluded that PAPP-A serum concentrations were higher in GHD patients than in matched controls and that GH therapy lowered PAPP-A levels. Although the study used a small number of patients, it is the first to study PAPP-A levels in GHD adults and represents a novel finding. The authors speculate that GH therapy may reverse early onset atherosclerosis and decrease the cardiovascular risk in these patients. It is recommended that further and larger studies are required to determine whether the decrease in PAPP-A levels as observed in this study does lead to a reduction in cardiovascular events in GHD patients. Joaquin, C., Aguilera, E., Granada, M.L., Pastor, M.C., Salinas, I., Alonso, N., Sanmartí, A. European Journal of Endocrinology, 158, 483-490. DOI: 10.1530/EJE-07-0554

International Society of Endocrinology - ICE Brazil 2008 Travel Grants Application and Procedure

The International Society of Endocrinology are launching their Travel Grant Award scheme to support endocrinologists in training (35 years of age or under) to attend ICE 2008 to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 8-12 November 2008. There are 100 grants available of US$ 1,000 each. More information including the selection criteria and application form can be found at the website link below. The deadline for the receipt of completed applications is 31 May 2008. For further information, please email info@endosociety.com.

ICE 2008 Travel Grants

ESPE Clinical Fellowship

The Clinical Fellowship of the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) aims to promote the development of patient care, clinical management and clinical research in paediatric endocrinology through a training programme in a European Clinical centre. The ESPE Clinical Fellowship offers two options described as follows: 1. Long-Term Clinical Fellowship to support the training of paediatricians in paediatric endocrinology coming from a country where possibilities for such training are not present or insufficient as well as to introduce them into clinical research. The training period is 6 to 12 months. The training is provided by European Centres with a highly recognised reputation in Clinical Paediatric Endocrinology. 2. Short-term Clinical Fellowship to support appropriate training of qualified paediatric endocrinologists in a specific area of paediatric endocrinology coming from a home centre and/or home country where possibilities for such training are insufficient. The training period is 3 months. The training is provided by European Centres with a highly recognised reputation in Clinical Paediatric Endocrinology. The deadline for applications is 31 May 2008. You can find out more information by clicking on the link below.

ESPE Clinical Fellowship

European Science Federation Call for Proposals

The 2008 Call for EUROCORES theme proposals is now available on the European Science Foundation website. The deadline for submitting proposals is 2 June 2008, 18:00 CET. In response to ESF's annual call for EUROCORES theme proposals, "bottom-up ideas" are invited as the first step in the creation of new thematic and large scale European Collaborative Research Programmes in and across all scientific areas. Theme proposals are NOT large scale research proposals (such as Integrated Projects) but they are proposals for the creation of new Research Programmes dealing with complex and broad topics. For each of these Programmes an Open Call for proposals will be developed inviting proposals for Collaborative Research Projects. More information is available at the link below.

Theme proposal 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

Programme for the Study of Metabolic Toxicity in Diabetes

Via www.rdfunding.org.uk. The European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes (EFSD) along with GlaxoSmithKline are offering project grants for up to £80,000 for research in the field of metabolic toxicity in diabetes. Full details of these grants can be found at the website below. The deadline for receipt of applications is 1 October 2008. For further information, please contact Dr Viktor Jörgens: Telephone: +49-211-758469-0, email: Foundation@easd.org.

EFSD website

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