Endocrine Insider
May 30, 2008

Last week, Society President Margaret Shupnik, Ph.D., Basic Science Vice President Henry Kronenberg, M.D., and Clinical Science Vice President Lynnette Nieman, M.D., met with Griffin Rodgers, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). As with other recent meetings that Society leadership has been holding with NIH institute directors (NICHD and NIAMS last month; see April 30 issue of Endocrine Insider), the goal was to discuss issues of mutual interest to the Society’s membership and NIDDK, and to identify potential areas for collaboration.

In addition to Dr. Rodgers, several NIDDK staff, who are also Society members, participated in the meeting, including James Hyde, Ph.D., senior advisor, Research Training & Career Development Programs; Ronald Margolis, Ph.D., senior advisor for molecular endocrinology, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases; and Philip Smith, Ph.D., deputy director, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases.

During the meeting, Dr. Shupnik acknowledged the excellent working relationship that already exists between the Society’s members and NIDDK, and the discussions that followed highlighted areas where that relationship could be further enhanced and strengthened. Drs. Shupnik, Kronenberg, and Nieman discussed the Society’s ongoing advocacy efforts in the areas of federal funding for biomedical research, minority health disparities, endocrine disrupters, and regulatory harmonization—particularly with regard to reducing regularly burdens for clinical research. Dr. Shupnik also discussed the upcoming program for ENDO 08, the Society’s robust clinical practice guideline program, as well as its many offerings for trainees and fellows.

Dr. Rodgers and his staff expressed strong interest in continuing to foster the relationship between the Society and the Institute and asked for the Society’s assistance in disseminating information regarding NIDDK’s research training and career development funding program. Dr. Hyde called attention to NIDDK’s new F-30 program, which is a predoctoral M.D./Ph.D. National Research Service Award (NRSA) that provides support for students not supported by a Medical Student Research Training Program (MSTP) grant who are enrolled in a combined M.D./Ph.D. program. To learn more about the F-30 and other NIDDK research training and career development programs, visit http://www2.niddk.nih.gov/funding/TrainingCareerDev/.

The Society leadership will continue to hold meetings with all of the NIH institutes that support the work of Endocrine Society members. Look for updates in future issues of Endocrine Insider.