ATA Presents Awards at 80th Annual Meeting

Newswise — ATA presents awards to distinguished scholars and researchers in thyroidology.

John D. Baxter, MD receives ATA’s Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Lectureship award

John D. Baxter, MD, senior member and co-director of the Diabetes Institute of The Methodist Hospital Research Institute and head of the Division of Endocrinology at The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, has received the American Thyroid Association’s (ATA) 2009 Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Lectureship Award. The award is conferred annually to recognize outstanding academic achievement in thryoidology, in keeping with the innovation and vision that characterized Dr. Ingbar’s career, awarded to those who have made major contributions to thryroid research over many years.

With a longstanding interest in the molecular biology of thyroid hormone action, Dr. Baxter has carried out research into thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) and their interactions with chromatin and DNA and the regulation by thyroid hormones of specific mRNAs and transcription. This work led to the first cloning of human growth hormone genes.

Dr. Baxter’s past honors have included selected for an “Outstanding Investigator Award” by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, election to the National Academy of Sciences and to the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Baxter will receive his award and deliver his Distinguished Lecture: “Mechanisms of Thyroid Hormone Action: Perspectives and Applications,” Thursday, September 24.

ATA awards Paul W. Ladenson, MD its Paul Starr Award

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) has presented its Paul Starr Award to Paul W. Ladenson, MD, a University Distinguished Professor and John Eager Howard Professor of Medicine, Pathology, Oncology, Radiology, Radiological Sciences and International Health at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland. At Johns Hopkins, Dr. Ladenson serves as director of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism.

The Paul Starr Award is conferred annually to acknowledge an outstanding contributor to clinical thyroidology.

Dr. Ladenson’s principal research interests have been in thyroid cancer management, thyroid hormone actions on the heart and thyroid hormone analogs. He is a past president of the American Thyroid Association. On September 24, Dr. Ladenson will receive his award at the 80th Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association held in Palm beach, Florida, September 23-27, 2009 and deliver a talk entitled: “Targeting Thyroid Hormone Action in Time and Place.”

ATA selects to Paul G. Walfish, MD to receive 2009 John B. Stanbury Award

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) has awarded its 2009 John B. Stanbury Award for Thyroid Pathophysiology to Professor Emeritus Paul G. Walfish, MD, of the University of Toronto. Dr. Walfish is professor emeritus of the Departments of Medicine, Pediatrics, Otolaryngology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and an Emeritus Member of the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto. The award recognizes his outstanding contributions to understanding thyroid physiology and pathophysiology with major impacts on research and clinical practice related to thyroid diseases.

A significant contribution by Dr. Walfish has been his work in the early detection and treatment of congenital hypothyroidism in newborns and the prevention of subsequent mental retardation. He is also noted for the application of ultrasound and needle aspiration biopsy in the detection and management of thyroid nodules with cancer, and the detection of post-partum thyroiditis and its dysfunctional consequences.

Dr. Walfish will receive his award on Friday, September 25.

The American Thyroid Association (ATA) is the lead organization in promoting thyroid health and understanding thyroid biology. The ATA values scientific inquiry, clinical excellence, public service, education, collaboration, and collegiality.

A non-profit medical society founded in 1923, the ATA fulfills its mission through supporting excellence and innovation in research, clinical care, education, and public health. ATA members are physicians and scientists who work to enhance the understanding of thyroid physiology and pathophysiology, improve the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid diseases, and promote the education of physicians, patients, and the public about thyroid disorders. The official journal “Thyroid” of the ATA is published monthly. “Clinical Thyroidology” is published online monthly for the benefit of clinicians and scientists around the world.

Thyroid diseases are among the most common disorders of the endocrine system, affecting almost 13 million Americans alone. The ATA has extensive online information for patients on thyroid disease (in English and Spanish) serving the clinician as a resource for patients and the public who look for reliable information on the internet. To further benefit patients, the ATA publishes an online journal “Clinical Thyroidology for Patients.” The Alliance for Patient Education was formed in 2002 to offer an exchange of information between the ATA and patient education groups: ThyCa: Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association, Inc.; the Light of Life Foundation, and the Graves’ Disease Foundation. A public forum is held each year in conjunction with the ATA annual meeting.

The 80th Annual Meeting of the ATA will be in Palm Beach, Florida, from September 23-27, 2009 at The Breakers Hotel. All registration and program information is available at http://www.thyroid.org. We welcome your participation.

ATA 6066 Leesburg Pike, Suite 550, Falls Church, VA 22041 * (703) 998-8890 (Fax) (703) 998-8893 * http://www.thyroid.org