Leading University of Birmingham scientist Professor Wiebke Arlt has been named as one of just 13 endocrinologists from around the world to win a prestigious 2019 Endocrine Society USA Laureate Award.
The awards are the top honour to be bestowed upon endocrinologists - scientists and medical doctors who specialise in unravelling the mysteries of hormone disorders to care for patients and cure diseases.
Those to receive a Laureate Award have achieved breakthroughs in scientific discoveries and clinical care benefitting people with conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders, obesity, hormone-related cancers, growth problems, osteoporosis, and infertility.
Professor Arlt, the William Withering Chair of Medicine and Director of the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham, will be presented with the Outstanding Clinical Investigator Award at The Endocrine Society’s 101st Annual Meeting & Expo in March next year in New Orleans, USA.
A spokesperson for the awards said: “This annual award honours an internationally recognised clinical investigator who has contributed significantly to understanding the pathogenesis and therapy of endocrine and metabolic diseases.
“Professor Arlt’s work has furthered our understanding of, and improved outcomes for, people with a variety of adrenal conditions.
“She identified the importance of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in women and demonstrated the benefits of DHEA replacement therapy for many women with primary and adrenal insufficiency.
“She described new forms of male hormone excess that contribute to conditions such as a form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia and polycystic ovary syndrome, and she has pioneered the concept of urinary steroid metabolomics, likely to change the clinical diagnostic work up process for adrenal disorders and tumours.”
Of receiving the award, Professor Arlt said: “It is both humbling and a real honour to be among such a prestigious group of peers to receive the 2019 Outstanding Clinical Investigator Award. I am proud to be the first female European researcher, and only the fourth European-based researcher overall, to receive this prestigious award.”
Professor Arlt leads a large, multi-disciplinary research group at the University of Birmingham, comprising biologists, biochemists, clinician scientists and computational biologists, who are investigating the regulation and role of steroid metabolism and action in health and disease.
As an Honorary Consultant Endocrinologist, Professor Arlt also leads specialist services for patients with adrenal and gonadal disorders at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, run by University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, as part of the Birmingham Health Partners Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism.
She has published over 250 research articles and is a sought-after lecturer. Her scientific work has attracted several major national and international prizes including awards from the Society for Endocrinology UK (Society for Endocrinology Medal Lecture 2010, Clinical Endocrinology Trust Lecture 2015), the European Society of Endocrinology (EJE Prize 2009, Clinical Endocrinology Trust Medal Lecture 2016), the German Society for Endocrinology (Berthold Medal Lecture 2017) and previously the Endocrine Society USA Ernst Oppenheimer Award 2010. She was also elected Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences in 2010.
For more information please contact Emma McKinney, Communications Manager (Health Sciences), University of Birmingham, tel: +44 (0) 121 414 6681, or contact the press office out of hours on +44 (0) 7789 921 165.
- The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions. Its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers, teachers and more than 5,000 international students from over 150 countries.
- About the Endocrine Society: Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions. The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries.
- Founded in 2011, Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) drives the development of new diagnostics, drugs and devices by bringing together a renowned University and two leading NHS foundation trusts. Its unique ecosystem enables the full spectrum of translational medicine: encompassing health data; an established local health system; academic excellence; and an extensive clinical trials capability. Its key areas of research focus are its four ‘pillars’ – Cancer, Chronic Disease, Health & Wellbeing, and Women’s & Children’s Health. Each pillar is led by an academic, clinical and executive lead drawn from BHP’s member organisations, and represents an area of collective strength: specialisms where Birmingham has a track record in delivering its aims. Pioneering and life-changing work takes place across a number of leading facilities, including the Institute of Translational Medicine – opened in 2015 to transcend organisational boundaries and simplify collaboration. BHP’s next capital project is Birmingham Life Sciences Park, which will enable productive interactions between clinicians, academics, industry and patients to accelerate the field of personalised, precision medicine and allow new innovations to be brought through to clinical application. By enabling integrated, multidisciplinary working, BHP helps bring about answers to complex healthcare issues for the direct benefit of people worldwide.