Dear PES members and friends,
Midsummer greetings to all – these quieter days are flying by, as they tend to do, so hopefully you are getting some relaxation and sunshine, without overheating or in the midst of a flood! The overwhelming heat has affected health in many areas — I have a noticed a dropoff in clinic attendance, even where we have not been exposed to the temperature extremes of the South and West.
With some summer slowing of the usual hectic pace, consider participation in the current activities of the society, such as one of the excellent webinar programs, and please continue to engage students and trainees in the fascinating world of pediatric endocrinology. Our pipeline is dependent on it.
As the fall looms ahead the activity of our Nominating Committee ramps up. This offers a chance to introduce you to the current chair, Sheela Magee, who has served in this position since 2021, after a 3 year stint as a member of the committee.
Sheela takes on a heavier load this time of year when nominations for leadership positions are sought. Thes include open positions on the Board, a President-Elect, and variably a Secretary and a Treasurer, depending on the year. Sheela, along with Associate Chair Kanthi Bangalore Krishna, direct the request for nominations (and now self-nominations!). This is a process that can sometimes resemble a tooth extraction given the major effort required to get people thinking about taking on a little extra responsibility. For everyone I know that has participated though, the rewards of volunteer service to the organization have been immense – the camaraderie is undeniably one of the greatest elements of service to the society. For me, the opportunity to learn how incredibly remarkable one’s colleagues are has been a most motivating and encouraging experience. Once the list of nominees is assembled, professional dossiers and personal statements are submitted and reviewed by committee members. Sheela directs this extensive vetting process, focusing on various aspects of the candidate’s qualifications, including previous service to PES and the nature of a candidate’s leadership experience. The committee takes into large account our goal of maintaining a diverse representation of the membership, particularly as relates to institutional representation and career path (e.g., clinician vs researcher, academic vs private practice, etc). The committee deliberates to produce the final slate, and plays an important role in the election process. Finally, I would be remiss not to mention Sheela’s shout-out to Maureen Thompson, who keeps the whole process on a tight schedule. Overall the committee’s activities reflect the society’s new strategic plan. Many thanks to their tireless efforts! (I’m sure they would welcome interested new members!!). Do think about candidates and nominate, even yourself!!
Sincerely,
Tom Carpenter, MD
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS:
The nominating committee is currently seeking nominations for positions on the Board of Directors. New this year, self-nomination is now permissible. If you are interested in board service, consider nominating yourself.
Nominations are now being accepted for the following Board Positions:
• President-Elect (3-year commitment: President-Elect, President, Past President)
• Treasurer (4-year term)
• Director (3-year term)
For descriptions of these board positions, FAQs, and an outline of the commitment of Board service, please click link below.
PES is a scientific community that fosters inclusion, acceptance, and support for every person independent of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. Thus we strive for a diversity of nominees that represents the broad demographics of our membership.
All nominations must be emailed to Sheela Magge, MD, Chair of the Nominations Committee at smagge3@jhmi.edu.
As part of your nomination, please include a description of no more than 1 page as to why you think this person would be an ideal candidate for the position. Please also include their institution, and full contact information.
Nominations are due by Friday, August 11, 2023.
Click here for descriptions of positions PES-2024-Elections-FAQs-and-JDs.pdf (pedsendo.org)
NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 2024 AWARDS & LECTURES:
Deadline: December 14, 2023 @ 5:00 PM ET
- Judson J. Van Wyk Prize
- The Del and Beverly Fisher Pediatric Endocrinology History Lectureship
- Young Investigator Award
- Clinician Award
- Educator Award
- Senior Researcher Award
*Please note all nominations must be submitted through the online portal (link below)
Click Here for Nomination Requirements & Instructions
Now Accepting 2023 Rising Star Award Applications!
The purpose of this small grant award is to support and encourage research efforts of pediatric endocrinology fellows.
• PES plans to fund approximately 5 Rising Star Awards (RSAs) per year. One of these awards is a named RSA (The Raphael David, MD Rising Star Award) that will be given preferentially to an application related to the developmental biology of the testes or adrenal gland.
• The maximum amount of funding available for each of these grants is $2500 for one year.
• There will only be one round of applications per year.
• The RSA program is in addition to the already established and larger Research Fellowship Award (RFA) program.
Application Deadline: September 15, 2023 @ 5:00 PM EDT
Funding Start Date: November 1, 2023
Please note: (1) Indirect costs are not allowed. (2) The monies cannot be used for salary support of the fellow.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS Rising Star Award – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)
Brief Therapeutic Update from PES Drugs and Therapeutics Committee: The MiniMed™780G System
Prepared on behalf of PES Drugs and Therapeutics Committee by: Neha Patel, DO
The MiniMed 780G System from Medtronic was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration on April 21, 2023 for use in patients seven years and older with type 1 diabetes.1 The FDA approval comes from the results of the US pivotal trial by Medtronic which included 157 participants, ages 14-75 years.2 The results of the trial showed an increased time in range (TIR) (75% between 70-180mg/dL) with overall time below range of 1.8%.
Read more: https://pedsendo.org/new-meds-and-tech/the-minimed780g-system/
Brief Therapeutic Update from PES Drugs and Therapeutics Committee: Sogroya® (somapactian)
Once weekly Sogroya® (somapacitan-beco, Novo Nordisk) was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment in pediatric growth hormone deficiency (GHD), for children 2.5 years and older, in April 2023. It was previously approved by the FDA for adult GHD in August 2020. It is currently under review for approval by Health Canada.
Read more: https://pedsendo.org/new-meds-and-tech/sogroya-somapactian/
Brief Therapeutic Update from PES Drugs and Therapeutics Committee: iLet ® Bionic Pancreas
On May 19, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Beta Bionics iLet ACE Pump and the iLet Dosing Decision Software for people 6 years of age and older with type 1 diabetes (1). These two devices are used with an approved continuous glucose monitor, Dexcom G6, to form the iLet ® Bionic Pancreas.
What’s new: https://pedsendo.org/new-meds-and-tech/ilet-bionic-pancreas/
Oxandrolone withdrawn from the market:
The FDA on 6/28/2023 has withdrawn approval for OXANDRIN (oxandrolone) tablets, 2.5 milligrams (mg) and 10 mg, held by Gemini Laboratories, LLC (Gemini). In addition, Gemini voluntarily requested withdrawal of this application.
For more information, please refer to Federal Register :: Gemini Laboratories, LLC, et al.; Withdrawal of Approval of One New Drug Application for OXANDRIN (Oxandrolone) Tablets and Four Abbreviated New Drug Applications for Oxandrolone Tablets.
Open Survey – Gadolinium-based contrast for brain MRI in pediatric patients
We are reaching out to invite you to participate in an important survey on the use of contrast in brain MRI for patients with isolated growth hormone deficiency. The purpose of the survey is to gather insights from the PES community in understanding various factors influencing the use of contrast agents in brain MRIs, preferences for contrast-enhanced or non-contrast MRIs, and the considerations surrounding their usage. Particularly, we are interested in gathering perspectives on the effects of gadolinium deposits on the developing brain in the pediatric population, where long-term risks are currently unknown.
The survey is anonymous, confidential, and should take only 10 minutes to complete.
Click here to access the survey: https://crisredcap.uams.edu/redcap/surveys/?s=D8CD9W4MAMF4HKLX
Thank you for considering participation in this survey. Your contribution to this study is greatly appreciated.
Online Education:
Live Webinar: IMPrEssive Updates on Sex Development and Puberty:
Highlights from the 2023 Buenos Aires International Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology (IMPE)
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CT
3 pm – 4 pm ET | 1 pm – 2 pm MT | 12 pm – 1 pm PT
Presenters:
Craig Alter, MD, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Bradley Miller, MD, PhD, University of Minnesota Medical School
Click here to register: Webinar Registration – Zoom
EDI Spotlight: A history of protection for persons with limited English proficiency in the United States
Submitted by: Jessica. A. Schmitt MD, University of Alabama at Birmingham
August 9th is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples and is an important time to reflect upon how language impacts our patient encounters. According to the UN, there are approximately 476 million indigenous people living in 90 countries and these indigenous peoples speak the majority of the world’s 7000 languages. Currently, many providers are accustomed to using an interpreter during clinical encounters. The history of legal protections for language in healthcare, however, is relatively new.
Click here to read more: https://pedsendo.org/education-events/equity-diversity-and-inclusion-initiative/
PES Cookbook Initiative
On behalf of The EDI Committee of The Pediatric Endocrine Society, we are very pleased to inform the PES membership of a new initiative: The “PES Cooking Initiative.”
Each day is a new opportunity for us to eat healthily. We are creating a PES Cultural Cookbook, a collection of culturally diverse recipes. Please share your favorite recipes here https://pedsendo.org/pes-cooking-initiative/ it can vary from a family recipe from your ancestors or one you have invented yourself. We believe this initiative will help us understand our history, diversity, interactions, cultures, and traditions. Please include carbohydrate counting information with your recipe.
Fellow Spotlight: Jessika Weber, DO
Meet Jessika: July Fellow Spotlight – Jessika Weber, DO – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)
Historical Tidbit: Hakaru Hashimoto, M.D. (May 4, 1881 to January 9, 1934) and Hashimoto’s Disease
Submitted by: Alan D. Rogol, MD, Ph.D
From the NIH: Crash Course in NIH Grants Fundamentals
Are you new to the world of NIH grants or looking for a refresher? We have curated playlists of our YouTube videos designed to provide an overview of the grants process, the different funding programs available, key tools to use as you develop your application, and grant writing advice straight from NIH staff.
Read more: Crash Course in NIH Grants Fundamentals – NIH Extramural Nexus