October 16, 2013 — The American Thyroid Association presents several prestigious awards each year to clinicians, academicians, young researchers, and exemplary ATA members who have made outstanding contributions in thyroidology and helped advance patient care, research, and education. All awards are presented at the ATA’s 83rd Annual Meeting, October 16-20 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Delivering the Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Award Lectureship is recipient Ronald Koenig, M.D., Ph.D., Program Co-Chair of the 2013 Annual Meeting and Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor. The lecture is entitled, “PAx8-PPARgamma Fusion Protein in Thyroid Cancer.” Dr. Koenig’s research focuses on follicular thyroid carcinoma, and among his laboratory’s many achievements has been understanding the action of thyroid hormone, developing a unique animal model of thyroid cancer, and proposing an clinical treatment protocol using the diabetes drug pioglitazone to treat thyroid cancer.
Gregory A. Brent, M.D., winner of the Lewis E. Braverman Distinguished Award Lectureship, which recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence and passion for mentoring fellows, students, and junior faculty, is presenting an award lecture entitled, “Enhancing Iodide Transport in Thyroid & Breast Cancer.” Dr. Brent, Chair, Department of Medicine, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Professor of Medicine and Physiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California – Los Angeles, has a long and respected history in research and clinical practice and has inspired many students, residents, and fellows to pursue academic research careers in endocrinology. His research interests include the molecular mechanisms of thyroid hormone and retinoic acid action, iodine transport in hormone-dependent cancers and thyroid disease in pregnancy. He is past President of the American Thyroid Association (ATA) and is past ATA Secretary/Chief Operating Officer. He is past chair of the National Institutes of Health, Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology Study Section.
The winner of the Van Meter Award, established in 1930 to recognize outstanding contributions by a young clinical scientist to research on the thyroid gland, is kept secret until the time of the award lecture at the Annual Meeting.
The American Thyroid Association Distinguished Service Award, established to recognize an ATA member who has made important and contributing contributions to the organization, is being awarded this year to Peter Singer, M.D., who has devoted his career to studying the thyroid gland and helping patients with thyroid disorders. Dr. Singer, Professor of Clinical Medicine and Chief of Clinical Endocrinology at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, was President of the ATA in 2002-2003 and has served on the Executive Council and on several ATA committees and task forces over the years.
In recognition of outstanding research contributions to the understanding of thyroid physiology or the pathophysiology of thyroid disease, Theo Visser, M.D., Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, is the recipient of the John B. Stanbury Thyroid Pathophysiology Medal. Dr. Visser is an expert in the field of local thyroid hormone regulation. His research contributions have included characterization of the deiodination pathways and the discovery of gene mutations that have a role in disorders such as congenital hypothyroidism and goiter, and a novel clinical syndrome of reduced thyroid hormone sensitivity.
Anthony Weetman, M.D., D.Sc., the 2013 recipient of the Paul Starr Award Lectureship, is delivering a lecture entitled, “Thyroid Autoimmunity at 60: Where Next? Professor Weetman, Pro Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health, and Sir Arthur Hall Professor of Medicine at the University of Sheffield, U.K., has made seminal research contributions to the field of thyroid autoimmunity, is a gifted teacher and speaker, and throughout his career in research, clinical medicine, and academia has been deservedly recognized for his outstanding accomplishments.
About the ATA
The American Thyroid Association (ATA) is the leading worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement, understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. ATA is an international individual membership organization with over 1,700 members from 43 countries around the world. Celebrating its 90th anniversary, ATA delivers its mission through several key endeavors: the publication of highly regarded monthly journals, THYROID, Clinical Thyroidology (CT), VideoEndocrinology and CT for Patients; annual scientific meetings; biennial clinical and research symposia; research grant programs for young investigators, support of online professional, public and patient educational programs through www.thyroid.org; and the development of guidelines for clinical management of thyroid disease. Visit www.thyroid.org for more information.
Media Contact
Bobbi Smith
Executive Director of the American Thyroid Association
Email: thyroid@thyroid.org
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