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Report from the President of LWPES/ESPE 2009 The 8th Meeting of LWPES/ESPE and Sister Societies was held 9–12 September 2009 at the Hilton Hotel in New York City. We had 4609 registrants from approximately 90 countries, including delegates from Iran, Cuba, China and Pakistan. The largest groups of delegates came from Germany, Italy, France and the UK. We hosted three Club sessions (Bone, Turner and Growth Plate were combined) before the meeting opening. We held six Plenary sessions, 20 Symposia and 18 free communication sessions, including a session for late-breaking abstracts. We received a total of 1500 abstracts. The opening lecture was given by Dr Thomas Farley, Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene of the City of New York, on how New York City is fighting the rise in childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus with innovative programmes directed at the community. Dr Farley also brought cordial greetings from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. There were seven Satellite Symposia and special sessions for Fellows. The Summer School met after the Congress in Briarcliff Manor, north of New York City, and hosted 40 global participants for three days. The 9th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attack was observed with a minute of silence on Friday morning. Delegates liked the central meeting location and the proximity to area hotels was viewed as a big plus. New York City, as “Capital of the World”, lived up to its promise. The scientific programme was very well received. The Symposia sessions proved to be the most popular offerings of the Congress. The tradition of holding a Joint Meeting every 4 years was again reaffirmed by the successful meeting in New York. The Congress closed on Saturday afternoon with a cordial invitation from Dr Chiarelli to the next Joint Meeting of our societies in Rome, Italy, in 2013. PAUL SAENGER, President, Organising Committe
Dear friends and colleagues, New ESPE members I would like to start by giving the record breaking 74 new ESPE members approved at the Annual Business Meeting in New York a very warm welcome to the Society. The new members are from 34 different countries, and many of them are from outside Europe, which helps ESPE on the way to becoming a truly international society. Council elections I would also like to congratulate Professor Gary Butler and Professor Feyza Darendeliler, who were elected as new ESPE Council members in New York. Professor Butler has been a member of ESPE since 1995 and has served on a number of the Society’s committees and is currently the Chair of the Website Editorial Board. Professor Darendeliler has been a member of ESPE since 1991 and has participated actively in the Society. She is currently a member of the Newsletter Editorial Board. Thanks also go to Juliane Léger, who has now completed her term of office on the ESPE Council. ESPE 2014 During the Annual Business Meeting in New York the location and presidency for the ESPE Annual Meeting in 2014 were decided in a secret ballot. Applications had been received from Barcelona, Dublin and Gothenburg, and Dublin was successfully elected as the venue, with Professor Hilary Hoey as President in 2014. Congratulations to Professor Hoey! Finally, a huge thank you to all ESPE members for your support and enthusiasm. For more information on all of our activities, please visit the ESPE website at www.eurospe.org or contact me via the ESPE Secretariat at [email protected]. Best wishes, FRANCO CHIARELLI ESPE Secretary General ESPE awards Research Award and Lecture This prestigious award is given to an ESPE member in recognition of research achievements in the fields of basic endocrinology or clinical paediatric endocrinology. The award for 2009 went to Professor Yves Le Bouc MD, PhD, Paris, France Outstanding Clinician Award This award recognises outstanding clinical contributions to the practice of clinical paediatric endocrinology and is awarded based on nominations received from ESPE members. The award for 2009 was given to Professor Giuseppe Chiumello, Milan, Italy
It is with great pleasure that we give recognition to the best posters as selected by the Congress President. The 8th Joint Meeting Programme Organising Committee and the Local Organising Committee gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of this event from Ipsen. Peter Kuehnen PO1-054 A DNA-hypermethylation polymorphism in the POMC gene is associated with childhood obesity and affects a p300 binding site. Maya Lodish PO1-091 Succinate dehydrogenase mutations are present in pediatric and adult wild-type gists occurring in patients without associated paraganglioma. Ralph Decker PO1-131 Different thresholds of metabolic GH effects in prepubertal children. Susan Becker PO1-270 18F-DOPA PET/CT scan for pre-operative localization of focal lesions in 105 infants with hyperinsulinism. Louise Metherell PO2-025 Genotype:phenotype relationships in familial glucocorticoid deficiency types 1 and 2. Luisa DeSanctis PO2-049 Pseudohypoparathyroidism type Ia and GNAS epigenetic defects: analysis of 40 patients with Albright’s hereditary osteodystrophy and multihormone resistances. Jose Moreno PO2-319 Large-scale molecular screen of DUOX2 and DUOXA2 genes in thyroid dyshormonogenesis. Anna Nordenstrom PO3-002 Gender atypical behavior, sexual orientation, and quality of life in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia correlate to CYP21A2 genotype. Silvia Parajes PO3-067 Functional and structural characterization of seven novel mutations in the CYP11B1 gene four mutations associated with non classic and three mutations causing classic 11-hydroxylase deficiency. German Irriguez PO3-295 Differences in IGF-I/IGF-IR/IRS 1/ERK/AKT protein contents in human term placentas according birth weight.
Research Unit Lecture The aim of the ESPE Research Unit is to foster, facilitate, identify topics and coordinate high quality research in the field of paediatric endocrinology. This award is open to all active members of ESPE and non-ESPE members as co-investigators. Projects received by the Research Unit Scientific Board undergo a peer review process to determine which projects will be funded. This year the ESPE Research Unit Lecture was given by Professor S Faisal Ahmed, Glasgow, UK. ESPE Sabbatical Leave Programme Dr Wieland Kiess, Leipzig, Germany, was selected as the recipient of the ESPE Sabbatical Leave award. This programme permits ESPE members to take a sabbatical in order to carry out research in another institution in order to stimulate scientific renewal, new research development and the establishment of collaborative links Hormone Research Prizes The ESPE Hormone Research prizes are awarded to investigators who have published their work in Hormone Research. The award is open to all authors, not just those who are also members of ESPE, APPES or SLEP. The winner of this year’s prize for best original paper was Professor Eric Mallet, Rouen, France. The award for the best paper published in the “Novel Insights” section was presented to Professor Klaus Mohnike, Magdeburg, Germany
ESPE Working Group Updates
The 23rd ESPE Summer School took place in Briarcliff
Manor, New York, 12–15 September, just after the
LWPES/ESPE 8th Joint Meeting in New York. The
ESPE Summer School has been organised every year
since 1987 and brings together paediatric
endocrinologists in training and academic clinicians
and scientists.
This year was special because we had participants
representing all continents. The Summer School Organising Committee had developed the
course around various themes this year, focussing on disorders of sex development, obesity,
type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, late effects in childhood cancer and autoimmunity. For
each theme, there were state of the art basic and clinical lectures. Exchanges between
students and teachers were active after the talks and during the breaks. An important feature
of the Summer School is the presentation of cases, one by each student, which are discussed
in small groups with a faculty member. Cases are then summarised and presented to the
plenum, providing an extensive sample of challenging endocrine cases, ranging from
management problems to rare molecular diagnoses or example cases. The Summer School is
also aimed at promoting interactions between students of varying geographical origins and
this closeness during the three days was truly appreciated. All faculty members are to be
thanked for contributing to the Summer School and staying throughout the course. Those who
were not previously familiar with the ESPE Summer School concept were favourably
impressed by the quality of the teaching and of the exchanges during the course.
Dr Radhika Muzumdar deserves special thanks for doing an outstanding job in the local
organization of the course. Since 1987 the ESPE Summer School has been continuously
supported by Ferring Pharmaceuticals A/S, which is greatly appreciated. This year, TEVA co sponsored the Summer School, enabling more participants than usual to be accepted.
In 2010, the Summer School will take place in Sychrov, Czech Republic, 18–21 September,
just before the Annual ESPE Meeting in Prague. Application forms and further information can
be found on the ESPE website. The application deadline is 1 February 2010. Please
encourage your fellows to apply
As a part of its international networking, ESPE council decided to contact the Chinese Society
for Paediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism (CSPEM) to ask how we could support paediatric
endocrinology in China. Ze’ev Hochberg and I were invited to lecture at the annual SE meeting
in 2007, where various options were discussed. It was decided that the initial step would be to
assist our Chinese colleagues in a course for young paediatricians, much in the same way as
the ESPE Summer School. Therefore, Professor Xiaoping Lou, chairman of CSPEM, attended
the 2008 Summer School in Turkey. It was also decided that ESPE would contribute by sending
two of its members to be teachers at the first Chinese Fellows Course, in 2009.
On 3–4 November 2009 the course was realised in Yangzhou, about 300 km north of
Shanghai, preceding the main annual meeting of the CSPEM. Twenty-seven young paediatricians
The ESS is a new and exciting ESPE initiative offering aspiring young investigators in paediatric endocrinology the unique opportunity for research skills development. Aimed at final year PhD students, postdoc fellows and research-active young paediatric endocrine investigators (who are within 5 years of their PhD or fellowship), the ESS will be supported by a faculty consisting of some of the world’s top scientists and senior ESPE members. The ESS scientific programme will include: i) core topics, such as scientific writing, presentation skills, epidemiology, applying for grants and career development strategies; ii) research concepts, including clinical trials, gene polymorphism, drug discovery, and mouse models; iii) new technologies, such as mutation analysis, imaging in cell biology, siRNA-mediated knockdown and transcriptomics. The ESS will run in parallel with the NICHe (New Inroads to Child Health) conference so that students can benefit from this other top science ESPE event. The first joint ESS / NICHe event will take place 20–24 May 2010 and will be hosted by Kerstin Albertsson Wikland at Varberg, on Sweden’s west coast archipelago. Applications to attend the ESS should include a full CV, a one-page summary of previous and present research activity, and a written recommendation by an ESPE member, who is your supervisor or mentor. Applications should be emailed to [email protected] by 15 December 2009. The ESS will cover the cost of travel, scientific sessions, registration, accommodation and provision. The 2011 joint ESS/NICHe event will take place in Berlin, hosted by Heiko Krude (Charité University). ZE’EV HOCHBERG ESS and NICHe coordinator
As I hand over the chair of ESPE’s Developing Countries Committee (DCC) to Faisal Ahmed, I briefly summarise the thoughts behind initiating the DCC and its vision. I humbly cite a lecture given by the Dalai Lama on a very different topic – world economy; yet his words are equally true in the medical profession, for us, in prosperous countries, and for them, in less privileged parts of the world. The Dalai Lama stressed the importance of individual responsibility in an interconnected world and his belief that many of today’s problems are man-made: “Our minds still think in terms of ‘we’ and ‘they’, but in reality, there is no such thing. The world is one body. We must recognise that the ‘others’ are also part of humanity, and that my future depends on your future. We may find some comfort in the notion of independence, but in reality we are interdependent.” Coming from where I do in the Middle East, I know firsthand of interdependence and how our future depends on their future. It is even more so in a world terrorised by the underprivileged, the same underdogs we so much like to sympathise with. It is now evident that one’s prosperity depends on that of others. How should this interpretation affect the way we should act towards each other? With compassion, says the Dalai Lama: “Love and compassion should extend beyond a person’s small circle of friends and relatives, to include others who may think, look or act differently to us.” The first article in ESPE’s Byelaws declares that “The Society’s objects are… to promote for the public benefit research, education and clinical practice in paediatric endocrinology…”. In creating the DCC, ESPE redefined ‘the public’ to include the children of the world. We cannot accept that children of this ‘public’ die or become retarded or debilitated because their endocrine diseases are poorly understood for want of research, remain undiagnosed for lack of medical personnel education, or are left untreated in a family that cannot afford endocrine therapy. Admittedly, in 4 years of activity, we have done little. We focused on a single aspect of support – education at the paediatrician level. The fortunate among us, who took part in teaching African paediatricians, know better than anyone else that we have barely scratched the surface of the problem. Yet, there is light coming, and new hopes arise as our colleagues in the other regional societies offered to join ESPE in its activity for developing countries. Global Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes (GPED), of which I am currently chair, now organises representatives of APPES (Asian Pacific), ASPE (the newly formed African society), ESPE, JSPE (Japan), ISPAD (Diabetes), LWPES (North America) and SLEP (South America) to make joint efforts for children with endocrine diseases in developing countries. We shall do our best to support ‘them’ – or rather, us. ZE’EV HOCHBERG ESPE members who wish to teach in Africa may contact Faisal Ahmed ([email protected]). Those who wish to be active in GPED should contact Ze’ev Hochberg ([email protected]). 5 ESPE activities participated, all with their own case presentations. Although the participants in the Fellows Course were selected for their knowledge of English, many of them were hampered in the discussions by the language barrier. The atmosphere was very open and friendly, with good discussions and much laughter. The topics covered were CAH, growth, hypoglycaemia, acute metabolic disorders and DSD. This was the first course of this kind to be held only in English. Included in the faculty were Lars Sävendahl and myself from ESPE, two teachers from Hong Kong and three from other parts of China. In addition, the Acta Paediatrica Foundation sent one of its associate editors, Joseph Milerad, to lecture on how to write a scientific paper – and get it accepted by western journals! All three lectured at both the Fellows Course and the succeeding main meeting of SECPS. The hospitality to the invited foreign teachers was outstanding! It cannot be overlooked by anyone that China is a country undergoing rapid development. I have personally experienced China from the inside during the last 25 years – and the changes are astounding! The meeting was held at an up-to-date conference centre, with audiovisual facilities. Transportation from Manhattan-like Shanghai to Yangzhou was swift on newly built six-lane highways. There was much interest in growth hormone treatment and obesity, reflecting the increasing number of middle-class families investing in their one and only child. Our hosts expressed interests in sending fellows abroad for both clinical and research training in paediatric endocrinology. Fellowships are available from the Chinese government if suitable European hosts and fellows can be identified. Furthermore, our Chinese colleagues have access to many patients with rare diseases and they expressed interests in research collaborations. Further discussions on how such activities could be facilitated will follow. MARTIN RITZÉN ESPE – China relations continued from page 4 ESPE Newsletter © 2009 The European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology The views expressed by the contributors are not necessarily those of ESPE. Secretary General Francesco Chiarelli, MD, PhD Professor of Paediatrics and Paediatric Endocrinology, University Department of Paediatrics, Via dei Vestini, 5, I-66013 Chieti, Italy Tel: +39 0871 358015 - 574538; Fax +39 0871 574831; Email: [email protected] Editor Professor Jesús Argente Hospital Universitario Infantil Niño Jesús Department of Endocrinology, Universidad Autonoma, Avda Menendez Pelayo, 65, MADRID, ES-28009, Spain. Email: [email protected] ESPE web site: www.eurospe.org Newsletter: Designed by subLime Published by BioScientifica Ltd Euro House, 22 Apex Court, Woodlands, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 4JT, UK www.bioscientifica.com BioScientifica is a subsidiary of the Society for Endocrinology 6 ESPE activities ESPE Secretariat The ESPE Secretariat is managed by BioScientifica Limited. BioScientifica is headed by Managing Director Sue Thorn and Commercial and Operations Director Nigel Garland. Joanne Fox-Evans, BioScientifica's Secretariats Manager, oversees the day-to-day relationship with ESPE, liaising with the ESPE council and committee members as well as being the main point of contact for ESPE enquiries. She undertakes projects requested by the Secretary General, providing him with assistance and attending ESPE council and committee meetings. Kerry Lear handles membership renewals, payments and banking and deals with subscriptions to Hormone Research. Tom Parkhill manages the Corporate Liaison Board and deals with industry sponsors. Sarah Esberger sub-edits and co-ordinates publication of the ESPE Newsletter. ESPE Secretariat, BioScientifica Ltd Euro House, 22 Apex Court, Woodlands, Bradley Stoke, Bristol, BS32 4JT, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1454 642 246 Fax: +44 (0) 1454 642 222 Email: [email protected]
Typical for IPOKRaTES courses, this seminar is designed to deliver high quality lectures on important endocrine conditions. Aimed at endocrinologists, paediatricians with an interest in endocrinology, endocrine trainees and researchers in the field of growth and pubertal disorders, this seminar will focus on new developments in growth and puberty, encouraging interactive dialogue and discussions between experienced clinicians and researchers. The seminar is open to 70 participants. Please note that there will be no on-site registration, so register in advance to ensure a place. Registration fees Before 28 February 2010: €300 After 28 February 2010: €350 Information
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