This webinar is free to attend.
Please note: ESE does not permit attendance of sanctioned individuals or individuals from sanctioned institutions at any ESE events. Please click here to see ESE's Sanctions Policy
Programme
10:00 - 10:15
Welcome and introduction
Prof. Andrea Giustina (Italy) & Tanja Richter (Germany)
10:15 - 11:10
Session 1
Chairs: Dr. Luigi di Filippo (Italy) & Natalie Grosset (France)
Physiological impact of hypoparathyroidism
Dr. Luis Miguel Cardoso (Portugal)
Pregnancy in hypoparathyroidism - patient experience
Isabel Wray da Silva (UK)
Q&A
11:10 - 11:25
Break
11:25 - 12:30
Session 2
Chairs: Prof. Heide Siggelkow (Germany) & Gro-Anita Hindenes (Norway)
Bone pain in hypoparathyroidism - patient experience
Sarah Schäfer (Germany)
Impact of hypoparathyroidism on the bones
Dr. Line Underbjerg (Denmark)
Kidney challenges and care - patient experience
Tania Gelmetti (UK)
Caring for your kidneys in hypoparathyroidism
Dr. Jean-Philippe Bertocchio (France)
Q&A
12:30 - 13:00
Open Q&A and Session Close
This educational webinar has a dedicated Questions & Answers time, in which the panellists will aim to discuss questions from the audience.
Please note:
- We are not able to give medical advice or answer questions related to particular circumstances of a patient. Please contact your doctor if you require medical advice.
- We may not be able to answer all questions, but we will endeavour to cover the common interests.
*may be subject to change
This event will be held in English. Simultaneous translations into German, Romanian and Spanish will be available.
Please note: The live webinar can only support 1000 delegates.
Clinical experts
Prof. Andrea Giustina, Italy
Prof. Heide Siggelkow, Germany
Patient organisations representatives
Natalie Grosset, representative of Hypoparathyroidism, France
Tanja Richter, representative of Netzwerk Hypopara, Germany
Prof. Andrea Giustina (Italy)
Prof. Andrea Giustina, MD is a Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University in Milan, Italy, and Director of the Endocrinology Unit at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele. He specialises in endocrinology, metabolic bone diseases and pituitary disorders. He has held numerous national and international leadership positions, including President of the European Society of Endocrinology (2019–2021) and the Pituitary Society. His research focuses on pituitary diseases, vitamin D and metabolic bone disorders, with more than 400 international publications.
Tanja Richter (Germany)
Tanja Richter is a patient representative and advocate for people living with hypoparathyroidism. She represents Netzwerk Hypopara, Germany, and has been involved with the European Society of Endocrinology’s Hypoparathyroidism Patient Forum since its establishment. She contributes the patient perspective to education, guideline development and discussions around the management and impact of hypoparathyroidism.
Dr. Luigi di Filippo (Italy)
Luigi di Filippo, MD, is an Endocrinologist and Researcher at the Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Sciences, Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele and IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan. His clinical and research activities focus on endocrine and metabolic diseases, with particular interest in calcium and vitamin D metabolism, including both its skeletal and potential extra skeletal effects, and in primary and secondary forms of osteoporosis. A major area of his research is the study of bone involvement in endocrine disorders, particularly pituitary diseases, with specific attention to bone quality, vertebral fractures, and fracture risk. His interests also include the systemic consequences of skeletal fragility, exploring the association of osteoporosis and fractures with comorbidities, functional impairment, adverse clinical outcomes, and mortality. His research also focuses on the complications of endocrine diseases and their impact on long-term health, disease burden, and patients’ quality of life, integrating biochemical disease control with clinically meaningful systemic and patient-centered outcomes.
Natalie Grosset (France)
Natalie co-founded the French hypoparathyroidism patient organization in 2015 after recognizing the scarcity of information about the condition available in French. She served as president and later as co-president until 2022, and has been honorary president ever since. She believes this condition is frequently underestimated and misunderstood—often perceived simply as the absence or malfunction of internal body parts. While its effects may not be visible externally, the impact on internal bodily functions creates immense, unseen struggles for those affected.
Dr. Luís Miguel Cardoso (Portugal)
Dr. Luís Miguel Cardoso is a Consultant Endocrinologist at Coimbra University Hospital and a European Board-certified specialist in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism. His clinical and research interests include parathyroid and pituitary disorders, calcium metabolism and hypoparathyroidism. He is a member of the European Society of Endocrinology’s PARAT programme and has contributed to research and international guidelines in endocrinology.
Isabel Wray da Silva (UK)
Isabel Wray da Silva is a hypoparathyroidism patient advocate, founder of Hypopara Mums, and mum of two. She has lived with permanent post-surgical hypoparathyroidism for 39 years following a total thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer as a child. Through Hypopara Mums and her wider advocacy work, Isabel supports women navigating pregnancy and breastfeeding with hypoparathyroidism and works alongside healthcare professionals to raise awareness and improve education around the condition.
https://www.hypoparamums.com/
Prof. Dr. Heide Siggelkow MD PhD
Prof. Dr. Heide Siggelkow, MD, PhD is a specialist in endocrinology and metabolic bone diseases, with expertise in osteoporosis, hypoparathyroidism, hyperparathyroidism and rare bone disorders. She is Medical Director of an outpatient endocrine and metabolic bone clinic in Göttingen, Germany. She has held leadership roles in several national and European organisations, including the German Society of Osteology (DGO), the European Calcified Tissue Society (ECTS) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE). She is currently an Expert Panel member of the ESE Educational Programme on Rare Calcium, Phosphate and Bone Disorders. Her clinical and research interests focus on osteoporosis, hypoparathyroidism, rare bone diseases and quality of life, alongside research into the molecular and metabolic relationship between fat and bone.
Gro-Anita Hindenes (Norway)
Gro-Anita Hindenes lives in Bergen, Norway. She is married, a mother of three and a grandmother of two. She worked as a teacher for almost 20 years and has spent the past nine years working as an emergency foster parent. Gro-Anita lives with Autosomal Dominant Hypocalcaemia Type 1 (ADH1) and has personal and family experience with the condition. She is a member of the ADH1 patient association and is passionate about sharing her experiences and helping to increase awareness and understanding of this rare disease. She strongly believes in the importance of connecting patients, healthcare professionals and researchers, and in ensuring that the patient perspective is heard.
Sarah Schäfer
Sarah Schäfer is 36 years old and comes from Germany. She has ADH1 hypoparathyroidism- likely since birth. It was diagnosed via genetic blood testing in 2018. She inherited the gene mutation from her father, though the condition only manifested in her.
Dr. Line Underbjerg (Denmark)
Line Underbjerg is a physician in specialist training in endocrinology at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark. She holds a PhD in endocrinology, with a research focus on hypoparathyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism, calcium metabolism and bone health. Her research has resulted in peer-reviewed publications, and she has extensive experience presenting and teaching on hypoparathyroidism at national and international meetings. She has been involved in clinical research and national- and international guideline work in hypoparathyroidism and has experience communicating with patients and patient organizations.
Tania Gelmetti (UK)
Tania Gelmetti is a UK Registered Nutritionist with a background in nursing, sports science and nutrition, and over 30 years’ experience helping people improve their health and fitness. Tania also has lived experience of hypoparathyroidism, having developed the condition following a total thyroidectomy in 2021, giving her a unique understanding of the challenges of living with the condition.
Dr. Jean-Philippe Bertocchio (France)
Dr. Jean-Philippe Bertocchio is a French nephrologist based at Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, specialising in rare disorders affecting calcium and phosphate balance, including hypoparathyroidism and kidney stones. He is also CEO of SKEZI®, a health innovation company. With extensive clinical and research experience, Dr. Bertocchio has published more than 80 scientific papers and contributed to European and French guidance on hypoparathyroidism. He is passionate about improving patient care through precision medicine, research and innovative digital health solutions.
Recordings of the webinar will be available on the ESE Website approximately 3 week's after the webinar has taken place.
This event is kindly sponsored by:
20/05/2026