Dear PES membership,
Thank you for the privilege of serving as PES President this year. I know it is cliché, but it is also true: it is an honor to be in this role. I also want to thank Tom Carpenter, who provides an exemplary model for me to try to follow. Tom is a calm, thoughtful leader who listens well, builds consensus, and accomplished much on behalf of PES last year. I will value his ongoing input and counsel as he assumes the role of Immediate Past President. I know PES will also benefit from the experience and vision that Laurie Cohen, our new President-Elect, brings to the Board of Directors.
These are exciting times for PES! We recently completed two widely successful collaborative and collegial Annual Meetings. The 2023 meeting in San Diego attracted 928 attendees (a record for a PES in-person meeting) only to be followed by the 2024 meeting in Chicago that attracted 1088 attendees (yet another new record!). Let’s see if we can top that attendance in 2025 at the Gaylord National Harbor. The Program Committee is already hard at work preparing for the 2025 meeting: thanks to all the Committee members and to the two Committee Co-Chairs, Roopa Kanakatti Shankar and Molly Regelmann. You should have received a message asking for content suggestions. I know there are many great ideas among our members so please Submit Your Session Ideas Here! by July 12th.
As you know, PES has developed a new Strategic Plan with the input and work of literally hundreds of our members. I believe the plan speaks to the priorities of our members and to the needs of the patients, families, and care givers we serve. However, a Strategic Plan is only as good as the work that gets done to bring it to fruition. All of us can help in that regard. Please see below for information on how you can get involved in PES.
As much work is already happening, I plan to highlight from time to time some of the efforts being done to action the plan. One of the strategies is to “Establish a more inclusive governance structure.” A core idea here is to have leadership that reflects the membership of the Society. Attaining this objective will require help from all of us—participating on committees and task forces and special interest groups; nominating folks for roles on the Board of Directors; and voting for the elected positions. This initiative will also require effort from PES. Some of the tactics planned to help with this objective and their status are: Include language in the call for nominations for board service to encourage diversity (e.g., race, gender, geography, background, career path) (already done); Encourage/grow future leaders from our committees, task forces, and SIG volunteers, and membership at large by hosting Q&A webinars to demystify board membership (planned for the upcoming year); Ensure the nomination committee includes an EDI representative as well as a private practice member (done); and Allow self-nomination for elected positions (done). A related tactic embedded in the Plan is to establish a seat on the mentor/mentee sub-committee for a representative of the EDI Action Team to encourage participation by diverse groups of the Society (done). To help with this strategy, please be on the lookout in July for the Call for Nominations for the Board of Directors and consider nominating a colleague or put your own hat in the ring.
I would like to provide further information about the EDI action team and its Co-Chairs Ambika Ashraf and Ilene Fennoy. This group contributes greatly to PES and addresses priorities that are an ongoing part of our past, present, and future. Hence, PES has transitioned the EDI Action Team from a time-limited group to a permanent Committee. If you have not done so already, please look at their initiatives page. There is a lot going on!
In other news, NIH has produced a series of webinars regarding grants processes for beginners as well as a presentation related to a new simplified review format and fellowship application process (please see links below). There is other good news in that the NIH has agreed to restart its pediatric endocrinology fellowship!
Finally, although the growth hormone shortages seem to be abating somewhat, PES, with the help of Craig Alter and Paul Thornton, has written a letter to the FDA in hopes of making changes to the system going forward should such shortages ever occur again; that letter can be found here.
Please see below for other news and many PES-related activities/opportunities. Please read all the way to the end. There are so many things happening!
Kind Regards,

Mark Palmert, MD
Membership Benefit Highlight – Volunteer opportunities!
Did you know that PES has 13 Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and 17 Committees? As a value of membership, you are welcomed and encouraged to get involved. PES is pleased to announce these new additions: Thyroid Disease SIG, EDI Committee, and NIH Committee.
If you are looking to connect with fellow professionals, advance your career, and make a meaningful impact in pediatric endocrinology, the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES) invites you to join our vibrant committees and special interest groups (SIGs)! There is something for everyone.
SIGS-
Our SIGs offer a fantastic forum for members to collaborate and share insights in specific areas of pediatric endocrinology. Whether you’re passionate about diabetes, growth disorders, or any other conditions, there’s a SIG for you! Explore our SIGs here.
Committees-
Our committees are the backbone of our society and instrumental in the advancement of our mission, focusing on various critical aspects of pediatric endocrinology. By joining a committee, you’ll work with experts and dedicated professionals to foster research, education, and clinical care in our field. Check out our committees here.
Joining a SIG or committee offers numerous benefits, including networking opportunities, professional development, and the chance to collaborate with leaders in pediatric endocrinology. Don’t miss this opportunity to grow both personally and professionally!
Ready to join? Visit Join a SIG or Join a Committee to get started. We look forward to your involvement and can’t wait to see the amazing contributions you’ll bring to PES!
NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR 2025 LAUREATE AWARDS & LECTURES:
Deadline: December 16, 2024 @ 5:00 PM Eastern
Awards:
- Judson J. Van Wyk Prize
- New Investigator Award
- Clinician Award
- Educator Award
- Senior Researcher Award
- Outstanding PES Mentor Award
Lectures:
- The Blizzard Lecture
- Paul Kaplowitz Lecture
*Please note all nominations must be submitted through the online application found on each award and lecture page. Please see the needed nomination materials before entering the application.
Rising Star Grant applications now open!
Now Accepting 2024 PES Rising Star Grant and The Raphael David, MD Rising Star Grant Applications!
The purpose of these small grants is to support and encourage research efforts of pediatric endocrinology fellows.
- PES plans to fund approximately 5 Rising Star Grants (RSGs) per year. One of these awards is a named RSG (The Raphael David, MD Rising Star Grant) 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 RSG program is in addition to the already established and larger Research Fellowship Grant (RFG) program.
Application Deadline: September 16, 2024 @ 5:00 PM Eastern
Funding Start Date: November 1, 2024
Please note: (1) Indirect costs are not allowed. (2) The monies cannot be used for salary support of the fellow.
Click here for more information and to apply:
PES Rising Star Grant – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)
The Raphael David, MD Rising Star Grant – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)
In Memorium: Carol Marvel Foster, MD – 1952 – 2024
Read more here: In Memoriam: Carol Foster, MD. September 12, 1952 – June 22, 2024 – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)
Online Education:
Quarterly Education Committee Webinar: Challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of growth hormone deficiency
Monday, July 15, 2024
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Eastern
Session Description: Discussion regarding the diagnosis and treatment of growth hormone deficiency
Learning objectives:
- Explain why Growth hormone stimulation testing is of diagnostic value in a subset of children
- Explain why GST+ clinical history reveals a diagnostic continuum
- Explain why erroneous GHD in late childhood can be limited/corrected with pre-pubertal sex-hormone priming/pubertal GH discontinuation
Speaker:
David Allen, MD
Professor of Pediatrics
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Head of Division of Diabetes and Endocrinology
Director, Diabetes/Endocrinology Fellowship
UW American Family Children’s Hospital-Madison
Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIrdeuvrDgqGdz5yTufNnfA-hscvTWvCaZB
State of the Art Webinar: Medically Possible, Not Medically Necessary: Case-Based Discussion of Ethical Questions in Pediatric Endocrinology
Hosted by the Ethics SIG
Thursday, July 18, 2024
5:30 PM Eastern
Brief Description
PES members are invited to submit de-identified pediatric endocrinology cases that raise ethical questions. Minimal preparation is required. If your case is selected, you would be invited to present the case and the PES Ethics SIG will facilitate a guided discussion of the ethical issues that it raises.
Cases should touch on the following theme: Medically Possible, Not Medically Necessary.
Cases should be submitted to info@pedsendo.org by June 30, 2024.
If you are interested but cannot attend at this time, we would still like to hear from you.
Learning Objectives
- Identify ethical dilemmas in pediatric endocrinology
- Describe ethical approaches to clinical care in pediatric endocrinology
- Define key ethical principles to guide clinical care in pediatric endocrinology
Speaker Name
Camilia Kamoun, MD, MSME* (she/her)
Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Endocrinology
University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAsdO-rrj0pHtGltUDEF4iOv9GZOmGHQb4E
Industry Sponsored Symposium: DETECT— Advances in the Delayed-Onset of Type 1 Diabetes: Strategies to Improve Awareness and Care for the Practicing Clinician
July 24th, 2024, from 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM Eastern
Sponsored by Med Learning Group
Session Description:
This virtual symposium will have 2 highly regarded faculty speakers. The program design allows for a high level of interactivity with case-based discussion and Q&A as well as breaks in the faculty presentations where the learners utilize Whiteboard and 2D Ultra 4K HD animations to reduce the cognitive load required for uptake of key learnings on the mechanism of action of CD3 and CD20 antagonists and their roles in T1D disease etiopathogenesis as well as clinical monitoring for autoantibody positive individuals: glucometer testing, HbA1c, OGTT, etc. and frequency in use. In addition, we will also be partnering with the Public Health Foundation (PHF) for program awareness and for simulcasting the live program through their network, which will vastly extend the reach of this education.
Speakers/Faculty:
Dr. Richard Oram, MD, PhD, BMBCh, MRCP
Associate Professor, Diabetes UK Harry Keen Fellow
Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science and NIHR Exeter Clinical Research Facility
Exeter, UK
Emily K. Sims, MD
Pediatric Endocrinologist
Riley Hospital for Children
Indianapolis, IN
Learning Objectives: Upon completion of one or more of the proposed activities and using the resources provided, HCPs will have improved ability to:
- Describe the clinical presentation of T1D in adults compared to children
- Identify appropriate autoantibody screening strategies for T1D, including type, frequency, and number
- Interpret results from screening protocols to drive management decisions
- Discuss the latest clinical evidence for efficacy and tolerability of newly approved and investigational immunomodulatory agents
- Implement strategies for appropriate clinical monitoring and early screening in individuals at highest risk
Register here: https://www.medlearninggroup.com/cme-programming/dbd-vs/
Industry Sponsored Symposium: Evolving Treatment Paradigms for Growth Hormone Deficiency: Integrating Novel Therapies
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM Eastern
Provided by Haymarket Medical Education
Supported by an educational grant from Novo Nordisk Inc.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Join Drs. Craig Alter, Sara A. DiVall, and Bradley Miller for an engaging discussion of optimal strategies for pediatric GHD management, from diagnosis to the formulation of comprehensive, long-term treatment plans. The panel dialogue will be followed by a “hot seat” discussion of pressing topics in real-world clinical practice, including the use of novel LAGH therapies.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After participating in this educational activity, clinicians will be better able to:
- Utilize presentation, genetic, and laboratory findings to make a definitive diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD)
- Evaluate the efficacy and safety of novel long-acting growth hormone therapies and the place of these agents in evolving GHD treatment paradigms
- Implement strategies to improve treatment adherence and transitions of care for pediatric patients with GHD
AGENDA – 7:00 – 7:30 PM -Part 1: Expert Perspectives
Topics to be discussed by the expert faculty panel include:
- Identifying GHD and Making an Early, Definitive Diagnosis (10 minutes)
- Exploring Long-acting Growth Hormone (LAGH) Formulations (10 minutes)
- Facilitating Treatment Adherence and Transition to Adult Care (10 minutes)
7:30 – 8:00 PM – Part 2: Experts In the Hot Seat
The program Chair will elicit responses from the panel surrounding pressing topics in pediatric GHD care, including:
- Overcoming diagnostic challenges
- Addressing inherent barriers when making a diagnosis of GHD; key nuances of available testing modalities
- The ins and outs of LAGH
- Potential differences in dose initiation of various therapies; adjusting therapy and monitoring efficacy
- Fostering patient/caregiver adherence
- Practical strategies for improving adherence, tips for pivoting from pediatric to adult care
- Q&A
FACULTY
Craig Alter, MD
Director Neuroendocrinology
Professor of Clinical Pediatrics
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sara A. DiVall, MD
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Washington
Program Director, Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship
Seattle Children’s Hospital
Seattle, Washington
Bradley S. Miller, MD, PhD
Director, Division of Endocrinology
Professor, Department of Pediatrics
University of Minnesota Medical School
M Health Fairview Children’s Hospital
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Register here: https://ghdtherapy.healthexpertconnect.com/registration/programs/48?utm_source=pes&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ghd_therapy
News from the NIH
NIH Grants Process for Beginners: Webinar Resources Available
Did you miss the webinar on the NIH grants process for beginners? Not to worry, the event resources are now available! Reference the slides or dive right in to the video, which includes sections on:
- Learn the basics with NIH Grants Process: A Walk-Through for Beginners
- Tune in for answers to your questions in the NIH Expert Q&A Panel: Part 1
- Test your knowledge with Submission Policies: You Make the Call
- More questions and answers in the NIH Expert Q&A Panel: Part 2
- Take our panelists’ advice: Grant Application Tips from NIH Experts
For more resources, see the event page.
Grant Reviews and Fellowship Applications:
Please find here a slide deck generated by the NIH to explain a new, simplified framework for review of research project grants as well as changes to fellowship application processes.
NIH Fellowship Program is back!
After a brief hiatus from the match, we are happy to inform PES members that the pediatric endocrinology fellowship program at the National Institutes of Health (https://science.nichd.nih.gov/confluence/display/pe/Home) is now accepting applications through ERAS for the upcoming cycle. Please share this information with the pediatric residents and program directors at your institution, as we work together as a society to build up our workforce.
EDI Spotlight: Celebrating the Discovery of Insulin in July
Submitted by Ambika Ashraf, MD and Ilene Fennoy, MD
Learn more: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)
EDI Podcast: CODE SWITCH podcast Remembering and unremembering, from Kigali to Nashville
The PES EDI Committee invites all to join our Podcast Club on Tuesday, July 23 at 7:30pm Eastern to discuss the CODE SWITCH podcast ‘Remembering and unremembering, from Kigali to Nashville’ by Leah Donnella, Veralyn Williams, Courtney Stein, Jess Kung, Gene Demby
Register here:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0qdOyorzwpGtezPnPmLfMqEdHIK9IHIR1f#/registration
PES EDI Cooking Club: Caribbean Rice & Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules)
Submitted by: Ileana Vargas-Rodriguez
See the recipe here: https://pedsendo.org/pes-cooking-recipe-archive/
Fellow Spotlight: Lauren Ray, MD
Meet Lauren: June Fellow Spotlight – Lauren Ray, MD – Pediatric Endocrine Society (pedsendo.org)
Historical Tidbit: Serge Veronoff (July 10, 1866 to September 3, 1951) and Monkey Testis Transplantation
Submitted by Alan D. Rogol, MD, Ph.D.