Dr Alessandro Prete MBBS, MD

Alessandro Prete

Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research
Diabetes UK Sir George Alberti Research Fellow

Contact details

Telephone
+44 (0)121 414 2764
Email
a.prete@bham.ac.uk
Twitter
@AlePreteUoB
View my research portal
Address
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Alessandro Prete completed his training in Endocrinology and Diabetes in Rome, Italy. In 2016, he joined the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham. Since 2018, he is a Diabetes UK Sir George Alberti Research Fellow and is currently working towards a PhD. The title of his PhD thesis is "Exploring the metabolic impact of mild autonomous cortisol excess (MACE), an underestimated cause of diabetes". His academic supervisors are Professor Wiebke Arlt and Dr Konstantinos Manolopoulos.

Dr Prete’s area of research interest focuses on the cardio-metabolic impact of autonomous cortisol secretion associated with adrenal tumours, as well as improving the therapeutic management of patients with adrenal insufficiency. See 'Stress hormones and risk of Type 2 diabetes' for more information about Dr Prete's area of research.

Qualifications

  • Associate member of the Royal College of Physicians, 2020
  • CCT in Endocrinology and Diabetes Mellitus (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy), 2016
  • Full registration with licence to practice, General Medical Council, UK, 2016
  • Full registration with licence to practice, General Medical Council, Italy, 2010
  • MBBS Summa Cum Laude (Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy), 2010

Biography

In 2016, Dr Alessandro Prete successfully obtained funding from the European Society of Endocrinology, which allowed him to join the Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research at the University of Birmingham. Here, he gathered experiences in steroid mass spectrometry, human in vivo physiology studies and clinical trials guided by his supervisors, Professor Wiebke Arlt and Dr Konstantinos Manolopoulos.

In 2017, Dr Prete obtained a Birmingham Mayo Clinic Academic Exchange visiting fellowship and worked with Dr Irina Bancos at the Department of Endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA.

Diabetes UK awarded Dr Prete in 2018 with a Sir George Alberti Research Fellowship, which is allowing him to carry out his research and training project for his PhD. Dr Prete’s research focuses on the cardio-metabolic impact of mild autonomous cortisol excess (MACE) associated with incidentally discovered adrenal tumours, a very common condition also known as subclinical Cushing’s syndrome.

Other activities

Dr Alessandro Prete works as an Honorary Consultant in Endocrinology at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. He cares for patients suffering with adrenal tumours, Cushing’s syndrome, adrenal insufficiency, and congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Since 2019, Dr Alessandro Prete is a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the NIHR/Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, where he also works as an investigator for several clinical trials recruiting patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia, adrenal insufficiency, and adrenal tumours.

Dr Prete also serves as a member of the Editorial Board of Associazione Medici Endocrinology (AME, Italian Society of Endocrinology).

Publications

Recent publications

Article

Merke, DP, Mallappa, A, Arlt, W, Perriere, ABDL, Hirschberg, AL, Juul, A, Newell-Price, J, Perry, CG, Prete, A, Rees, A, Reisch, N, Stikkelbroeck, N, Tourraine, P, Maltby, K, Treasure, P, Porter, J & Ross, RJ 2021, 'Modified-release hydrocortisone in congenital 1 adrenal hyperplasia', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 2021, no. 00, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab051

Prete, A, Taylor, AE, Bancos, I, Smith, DJ, Foster, MA, Kohler, S, Fazal-Sanderson, V, Komninos, J, O'Neil, DM, Vassiliadi, DA, Mowatt, CJ, Mihai, R, Fallowfield, JL, Annane, D, Lord, JM, Keevil, BG, Wass, JAH, Karavitaki, N & Arlt, W 2021, 'Response to Letter to the Editor from Chee et al: "Prevention of Adrenal Crisis: Cortisol Response to Major Stress Compared to Stress Dose Hydrocortisone Delivery"', The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, vol. 106, no. 1, pp. e407-e408. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa719

Prete, A, Taylor, AE, Bancos, I, Smith, DJ, Foster, MA, Kohler, S, Fazal-Sanderson, V, Komninos, J, O'Neil, DM, Vassiliadi, DA, Mowatt, CJ, Mihai, R, Fallowfield, JL, Annane, D, Lord, JM, Keevil, BG, Wass, JAH, Karavitaki, N & Arlt, W 2021, 'Response to Letter to the Editor: "Prevention of Adrenal Crisis: Cortisol Response to Major Stress Compared to Stress Dose Hydrocortisone Delivery"', The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, vol. 106, no. 1, pp. e404-e406. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa712

Tresoldi, A, Sumilo, D, Perrins, M, Toulis, K, Prete, A, Reddy, N, Wass, J, Arlt, W & Nirantharakumar, K 2020, 'Increased infection risk in Addison's disease and congenital adrenal hyperplasia: a primary care database cohort study', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 105, no. 2, dgz006, pp. 1-2. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz006

Prete, A, Taylor, A, Bancos, I, Smith, D, Foster, M, Kohler, S, Fazal-Sanderson, V, Komninos, J, O'Neil, D, Vas, D, Mowatt, C, Mihai, R, Fallowfield, J, Annane, D, Lord, J, Keevil, B, Wass, J, Karavitaki, N & Arlt, W 2020, 'Prevention of adrenal crisis: cortisol responses to major stress compared to stress dose hydrocortisone delivery', Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, vol. 105, no. 7, pp. 2262–2274. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgaa133

ENSAT EURINE-ACT Investigators 2020, 'Urine steroid metabolomics for the differential diagnosis of adrenal incidentalomas in the EURINE-ACT study: a prospective test validation study', The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, vol. 8, no. 9, pp. 773-781. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30218-7

Elhassan, Y, Alahdab, F, Prete, A, Delivanis, D, Khanna, A, Prokop, L, Murad, MH, O'reilly, M, Arlt, W & Bancos, I 2019, 'Natural history of adrenal incidentalomas with and without mild autonomous cortisol excess: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Annals of internal medicine, vol. 171, no. 2, pp. 107-116. https://doi.org/10.7326/M18-3630

Prete, A, Yan, Q, Al-Tarrah, K, Akturk, H, Prokop, L, Alahdab, F, Foster, MA, Lord, J, Karavitaki, N, Wass, J, Murad, M, Arlt, W & Bancos, I 2018, 'The cortisol stress response induced by surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis', Clinical Endocrinology, pp. 554-567. https://doi.org/10.1111/cen.13820

Comment/debate

Chortis, V, Sitch, AJ, Bancos, I, Prete, A, Taylor, AE, Biehl, M, Deeks, JJ & Arlt, W 2021, 'Comment on "A Modern Assessment of Cancer Risk in Adrenal Incidentalomas: Analysis of 2219 Patients" by Kahramangil B et al', Annals of surgery. https://doi.org/10.1097/SLA.0000000000004804

Bancos, I, Taylor, A, Chortis, V, Sitch, A, Lang, K, Prete, A, Gilligan, L, Biehl, M, Deeks, J, Arlt, W & ENSAT EURINE-ACT Investigators 2020, 'Urine steroid metabolomic phenotyping for the detection of adrenocortical carcinoma: still a long way to go – Author’s reply', The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, vol. 8, no. 11, pp. P877-878. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-8587(20)30345-4

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