Report
On ESA
Annual Scientific Meeting Adelaide 2002
This
year's annual scientific meeting was once again an overwhelming success. The plenary
lectures were outstanding. Professor Masayasu Kojima opened the meeting with an
informative and amusing overview of the discovery of ghrelin, which acts as
a growth hormone secretagogue and appetite stimulant. Paul Stewart's Taft lecture
on steroid hormone enzymes was a remarkable example of the partnership of clinical
and basic research. George Chrousos delivered a comprehensive overview of the
endocrinology of stress. Colin Ward beautifully demonstrated the power of structural
biology in his studies of the IGF and EGF receptors. This was also a showpiece
of the excellent research being done in Australia.
Harrison
lecturer, George Chrousos receiving his plaque from Ken Ho
Symposia
on perinatal programming, growth factors, hormones in reproduction and thyroidology
were all appreciated by large audiences. This year, poster sessions were unopposed
and attendances at these improved substantially. A number of intense discussions
were evident and no doubt many new collaborations were formed. A symposium on
neuroendocrinology of stress was held in conjunction with the Neuroendocrinology
Interest Group. For the first time, joint sessions on male and female reproduction
were held with SRB. Three excellent presentations were heard in the 'Late breaking
science' session. All in all, this was a very satisfying meeting. Looking forward
to seeing you all at next year's meeting in Melbourne from September 14-17.
Leon
Bach, Program Organising Chair
2002
Servier Award
A
highlight of the Annual Scientific Meeting is the presentation of the Servier
Award, which recognises the best scientific paper published by an active member
of the ESA who is within 8 years of having obtained a higher degree. Congratulations
to this year's winner, Susan Fanayan from the Kolling Institute of Medical Research.
Her paper, published recently in Journal of Biological Chemistry, was titled
'Signaling through the Smad Pathway by Insulin-like Growth Factor-binding Protein-3
in Breast Cancer Cells. Relationship to transforming growth factor-1
signaling'.The selection committee had a difficult, but enjoyable, task of judging
between a number of excellent manuscripts. The paper by Susan was considered outstanding
because of the sophistication of the techniques that it employed, the novelty
of the findings, and their implications for our understanding of the role of growth
factors in neoplastic disease. The society believes this is an important recognition
of support for emerging Australian endocrinologists and hopes to continue its
association with Servier in maintaining this prestigious award.
2002
Novartis Junior Scientist Award
Congratulations
to Patrick McManamny, winner of the 2002 Novartis Junior Scientist Award. Patrick
is from the Monash Institute of Reproduction & Development, Monash University,
and presented his work on a mouse model of spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA).
As with every year, there was a very strong group of finalists, including Tara
Veveris-Lowe (Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane), Jerry Greenfield
(St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney), Vashetharan Chandrakanthan (Royal North Shore
Hospital, St Leonards), Agnes Kovacic (Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research,
Melbourne) and Amanda Beardsley (Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Monash
University). Applicants were initially judged on the quality of their submitted
abstracts and then on their oral presentation. Patrick received his award at the
the conference dinner in Adelaide, where all the finalists were guests of the
Society. We appreciate the continuing support of Novartis in sponsoring this prestigious
award recognising the high quality of trainee researchers in both basic and clinical
fields.
A
highlight of the Annual Scientific Meeting is the presentation of the Servier
Award, which recognises the best scientific paper published by an active member
of the ESA who is within 8 years of having obtained a higher degree. Congratulations
to this year's winner, Susan Fanayan from the Kolling Institute of Medical Research.
Her paper, published recently in Journal of Biological Chemistry, was titled
'Signaling through the Smad Pathway by Insulin-like Growth Factor-binding Protein-3
in Breast Cancer Cells. Relationship to transforming growth factor-
1
signaling'.The selection committee had a difficult, but enjoyable, task of judging
between a number of excellent manuscripts. The paper by Susan was considered outstanding
because of the sophistication of the techniques that it employed, the novelty
of the findings, and their implications for our understanding of the role of growth
factors in neoplastic disease. The society believes this is an important recognition
of support for emerging Australian endocrinologists and hopes to continue its
association with Servier in maintaining this prestigious award.
Congratulations
to Patrick McManamny, winner of the 2002 Novartis Junior Scientist Award. Patrick
is from the Monash Institute of Reproduction & Development, Monash University,
and presented his work on a mouse model of spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA).
As with every year, there was a very strong group of finalists, including Tara
Veveris-Lowe (Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane), Jerry Greenfield
(St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney), Vashetharan Chandrakanthan (Royal North Shore
Hospital, St Leonards), Agnes Kovacic (Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research,
Melbourne) and Amanda Beardsley (Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Monash
University). Applicants were initially judged on the quality of their submitted
abstracts and then on their oral presentation. Patrick received his award at the
the conference dinner in Adelaide, where all the finalists were guests of the
Society. We appreciate the continuing support of Novartis in sponsoring this prestigious
award recognising the high quality of trainee researchers in both basic and clinical
fields.
