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AACE to focus on innovation, personalized medicine at annual meeting
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The theme for this year’s American Association for Clinical Endocrinologist’s annual meeting will be “driving innovation,” focusing on the latest developments in technology, big data and precision medicine, all while showcasing the latest in diabetes, obesity, bone and hormone health research.
AACE’s 26th Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress will bring approximately 3,000 attendees to the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas, from May 3 to 7, to hear from experts in the field and connect with peers. This year’s schedule includes nearly 70 sessions, as well as pre-congress sessions and more than 500 posters over 5 days, along with special symposia and meet-the-expert sessions.
“Our theme this year is driving innovation, leveraging Austin’s reputation,” S. Sethu Reddy, MD, MBA, FRCPC, FACP, MACE, chair of medicine at CMU College of Medicine, Michigan and chair of 2017 AACE Annual Program Committee, told Endocrine Today. “One of our big focal points during the meeting is personalized medicine, in terms of diabetes, thyroid cancer and other endocrine disorders.”
This year’s meeting is “more than the sum of its parts,” Reddy said; in addition to offering abstract and poster sessions, product theaters, satellite symposia and pre-congress sessions, attendees can also find networking opportunities and new interactive digital technologies to enhance the meeting experience, he said.
“We’re really trying to make it more high-tech than in years past,” Reddy said. “We’re encouraging everyone to use their smartphones for connecting with colleagues, finding out what is going on, for interactive polling and asking the plenary speakers questions.”
Highlights from this year’s meeting program will include the following:
Pre-Congress events taking place Wednesday, May 3, will feature advanced diabetes technology concepts, “hot topics” in bone disease, the practice of obesity medicine and sessions on critical collaborations between endocrinologists and surgeons. “The Wednesday pre-congress sessions are entirely related to lessons that one can take back to the office,” Reddy said. “The highlight on Wednesday is the diabetes technology session, which includes hands-on workshops.”
Satellite symposia on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will include a town hall-style conversation on improving access to PCSK9 inhibitors for patients, non-adjunctive use of continuous glucose monitoring, and treatment advancements for challenging patients with type 2 diabetes.
Meet the expert sessions will include presentations on the decisions support system, treating diabetes, FRAX in diabetes and underserved populations, approaches for pseudo-endocrine patients, endocrine care of oncology patients and transition from pediatric to adult care for patients treated with growth hormone. “For our meet-the-expert sessions, we scanned the whole breadth of subspecialties in endocrinology,” Reddy said. “It’s going to be difficult for attendees to decide which ones to skip.”
Ann Danoff, MD, chief of medical service at the Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center in Philadelphia and professor of clinical medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, will deliver a special presentation, “Female Physicians and the Future of Endocrinology,” during the AACE women’s luncheon on Thursday, May 4, at 12:30 p.m. (ticket required).
This year’s meeting will also offer a new segment called “Learning from Legends,” featuring Edward Horton, MD, senior investigator at Joslin Diabetes Center and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, discussing the evolution of diabetes research and Lewis Braverman, MD, professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine, discussing thyroid history, all in a “Tonight Show”-style format, Reddy said.
“The idea is to learn some lessons from the past and to gain some advice for the future,” Reddy said.
The meeting also offers special opportunities for new fellows or those who are early into their career, Reddy said.
“I think because the meeting is relatively smaller than some others, the opportunity to meet and mingle with both colleagues and peers from other programs, program directors and potentially hiring endocrinologists as well, is great,” Reddy said. “Also, with our poster sessions, we’re encouraging all the faculty to attend the poster sessions so there is more interaction. There is also a special fellows lunch and career planning programs. For the younger people, that’s an advantage.”
The Endocrine Today and Healio.com staff will provide coverage from AACE 2017, including reports on the sessions, onsite video interviews and much more. For more information on the AACE agenda and registration, visit www.am.aace.com. – by Regina Schaffer