THE PITUITARY SOCIETY INC

GROPRO CONFERENCETHE GROWTH HORMONE (GH)/ PROLACTIN (PRL) FAMILY IN BIOLOGY & DISEASE CONFERENCE (GROPRO) WAS HELD AUGUST 11-15, 2024, IN STIRLING, SCOTLAND. THIS CONFERENCE USED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETIES FOR EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY (FASEB) AND BEFORE THAT WITH THE GORDON CONFERENCES. SO, IT HAS LONG HISTORY, OVER 2 DECADES. THIS ITERATION OF THE CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE PITUITARY SOCIETY. THIS CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN EUROPE FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH OVER 90 SCIENTISTS, PHYSICIANS, AND TRAINEES IN ATTENDANCE.THE SCIENTIFIC THEME OF THIS CONFERENCE IS TO IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE REGULATION AND ACTION OF GH AND PRL AND THEIR SPECIFIC RECEPTORS AS WELL AS THEIR ROLE IN DISEASE PROMOTION OR PREVENTION.

PRECEPTORSHIP COURSE FOR FELLOWS-IN-TRAININGTHIS COURSE, HELD IN JANUARY 2025, WAS THE SEVENTH SINCE ITS INCEPTION. THE COURSE WAS ATTENDED BY APPROXIMATELY 225 FELLOWS-IN-TRAINING. FELLOWS WERE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT AN INTERESTING PITUITARY CASE TO ATTEND THE COURSE. CASES WERE REVIEWED BY FACULTY AND FOUR-TO-SIX WERE SELECTED TO BE PRESENTED BY THE FELLOWS DURING THE CASE DISCUSSION. FACULTY RECORDED PRESENTATIONS ON ALL PITUITARY PATHOLOGY WERE VIEWED BY THE FELLOWS PRIOR TO THE LIVE WEBINARS TO ALLOW FOR MORE INTERACTIVE LEARNING.OVER THE LAST DECADE, MANY ENDOCRINOLOGY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS REDUCED THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FROM 3 YEARS TO 2 YEARS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR BOARD CERTIFICATION. IN PARALLEL, DIABETES AND OBESITY INCIDENCE AND PREVALENCE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY, LIMITING CLINICAL EXPERIENCES ON OTHER RARER, NEVERTHELESS SEVERE AND POTENTIALLY LETHAL DISEASES, SUCH AS PITUITARY DISORDERS. THEREFORE, THIS COURSE TAUGHT BY LEADING INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS, ADDRESSED SOME OF THESE ISSUES BY REVIEWING FOR TRAINEES ADVANCEMENTS IN DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF HYPOPITUITARISM, GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY, CUSHING'S SYNDROME AND ACROMEGALY AS WELL AS MANAGEMENT OF PITUITARY DISEASE IN THE POST-COVID ERA.