While last year was the first time we devoted an entire issue of Endocrine News to ENDO, we’re doing it again this year since ENDO 2023 was the first completely in-person conference since 2019 in New Orleans! Since thousands of endocrinologists descended on Chicago from around the world to see firsthand the amazing amount of research that was presented, the connections that were made, and the events that took place, even an entire issue won’t cover it all!
While in Chicago, both Senior Editor Derek Bagley and I were feverishly live Tweeting every chance we got. Whether it was updates from the many scientific sessions we attended, photos from the ENDO Expo floor, or just advice on how to best navigate McCormick Place, we ended up scoring in the top three Tweeters for the #ENDO2023 hashtag with only the Endocrine Society ahead of us, and Joy Wu gaining on us! With millions of Twitter impressions, it was easy to see why ENDO 2023 was so popular.
We have an overview of some of the press conferences conducted by the Endocrine Society that highlighted a wide range of topics from the impact of bariatric surgery on wrist fractures, the most recent Society Scientific Statements, to the impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on subsequent generations. In “ENDO 2023: Better Than Ever,” Derek takes a look at some of these groundbreaking studies and speaks to researchers about what their findings mean for the future of patient care. With plenty of photographs mixed in with the breaking science that was highlighted at ENDO 2023, we hope that this will serve as a souvenir for those of you who were in Chicago or an encouragement for those of you who missed out to go ahead and register for ENDO 2024 in Boston next year!
While each of the press conferences could easily be stories unto themselves, we grouped them together for the sake of space and timeliness. However, in “Making a Statement” Derek did expand on one of the sessions surrounding the Endocrine Society’s recent Scientific Statement, “Endocrine Health and Health Care Disparities in the Pediatric and Sexual and Gender Minority Populations: An Endocrine Society Scientific Statement.” This statement identifies areas for future endocrine research to reduce health disparities in pediatric and sexual and gender minoritized populations and expands the Society’s 2012 statement by focusing on pediatric and adult lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) people. The writing group covered prevalent conditions such as growth disorders, puberty disorders, bone conditions, diabetes, and obesity.
Obviously, the Endocrine News staff was all over the place during ENDO 2023 since we have another feature from Derek who spent all day at the debut of Endocrinology Mentor Day on Saturday June 17. This program was the brainchild of the Endocrine Society’s Clinical Affairs Core Committee to ensure that the endocrine workforce remains solid. In “Head Start: Endocrinology Mentor Day Debuts at ENDO 2023,” it’s obvious that the next generation of endocrinologists is eager and excited about the future and being a part of the endocrine field. “It’s a very intellectually stimulating field, and I like that it always keeps me on edge,” attendee Marah Alsayed Hasan, MD, an internal medicine resident and Lankenau Hospital in Wynnewood, Pa., tells Derek. “I also like that fact that you have the opportunity to do a lot of preventative care and be able to follow patients over a long period of time and develop relationships [with them].”
But what ENDO wrap-up issue would be complete without a roundtable article? This year I finally managed to catch the presentations of the Endocrine Society’s 2023 Early Investigator Award Winners who are featured in “Researchers Roundtable: Talking to the 2023 Early Investigators Award Winners.” All five of the award researchers presented their research on a variety of topics ranging from the development of human germline and urogenital organs to novel genes; pathways associated with congenital hypopituitarism; platforms for affordable genetic testing; the molecular mechanisms of regulated secretion and the use of genetic and pharmacological tools; and innovations in diabetes technology that could hopefully further advance the treatment.
While they all discussed their research and the challenges they’ve faced as endocrine scientists (spoiler alert: it’s funding!), they all appreciate the recognition by the Endocrine Society and realize that this award could be a huge boost to their research. In fact, one recipient said that the Early Investigator Award has heightened his enthusiasm for science. “Ultimately, I hope that my research will have an impact and positively influence the care for people with diabetes,” says Peter van Dijk, MD, PhD, a clinical academic endocrinologist from the University Medical Center of Groningen in The Netherlands, who adds that to achieve this collaboration with other research groups are key and that the “platform provided by the Endocrine Society through the Early Investigator Award contributes to this goal.”
Even though I think all of us here in the Endocrine Society offices have finally recovered from the whirlwind that was ENDO 2023, we’re also still buzzing about what a fantastic conference was and how joyous it was to be back together once more, face to face. In fact, the atmosphere was so celebratory that the only “problem” I had was arriving at packed sessions late because I ran into so many of you on my way to get hugs and handshakes that I Tweeted out advice to other attendees that they might want to leave 15 minutes early! But, as they say, that’s a “good problem to have!”
Enjoy this issue devoted to ENDO 2023 and let’s see if we can exceed the expectations of ENDO 2024 in Boston!
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