Boston is the location and inspiration for the featured presentations at the annual meeting of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, program chair Vin Tangpricha, MD, PhD, said in an interview.
The program agenda for the congress, held May 16-20, boasts 143 speakers, 66 distinct clinical endocrinology educational sessions, and an opening plenary presentation featuring one of modern medicine’s most renowned diabetes and obesity researchers, according to a statement from the AACE.
Dr. Vin Tangpricha
New Dimensions in Insulin Action and Why They Are Important to Know
C. Ronald Kahn, MD, chief academic officer and head of Integrative Physiology and Metabolism at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, pioneered revolutionary work with insulin receptors and insulin resistance in diabetes and obesity. What makes his presentation on Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. a must-see is its focus on the future: “Many new drugs are being developed based on the research on how insulin works. This lecture will be exciting to hear what is in the pipeline for drugs that manipulate insulin action,” Dr. Tangpricha said.
Cushing’s Syndrome
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Beta-Cell Regeneration
The work of Andrew F. Stewart, MD, scientific director of the Mount Sinai Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism Institute in New York, leads research into the basic mechanisms, prevention, and treatment of metabolic diseases. “In the past, we thought that there was a fixed number of beta cells in the body. However, recent research by Dr. Stewart’s group suggests that beta cells can be stimulated to grow. This is very exciting and can shape the future of how we take care of diabetes,” noted Dr. Tangpricha. The session is on Friday from 8:20 a.m. to 9:05 a.m.
New Insights Into Thyroid Hormone Action
On Thursday from 11:15 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., Anthony N. Hollenberg, MD, will present “an outstanding review on thyroid hormone and action and how this impacts patient care of those with thyroid disease,” Dr. Tangpricha said. Dr. Hollenberg is chief of the thyroid unit and the division of endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.