Did you catch these key 'special sessions' at ECE 2026?
With ECE 2026 attracting its highest ever number of delegates (over 4,500) from more than 111 countries presenting science and updates from 2,500 abstracts it is no surprise that the science was spectacular, however alongside the award lectures and oral communications, there were some special sessions which we would like to highlight in case you missed them – or want to rewatch!
These are now available to delegates via ESE On Demand and will be available open access soon on the ESE YouTube Channel in a special ECE 2026 Playlist (www.youtube.com/@esehormones), along with the 2026 Award Lectures.
20 Years of Endocrinology: Past breakthroughs and future perspectives. The session featured a panel of experts including past presidents and early career leaders, who presented on four key areas: rare endocrine diseases, cancer and endocrinology, environmental endocrine-disrupting chemicals and obesity breakthroughs. The past breakthroughs discussed included significant advances in genomics and molecular profiling, targeted therapies for cancer, development of GLP-1 receptor agonists for obesity treatment and improved understanding of endocrine disruptors. For the future, the panellists predicted advances in early diagnosis using multi-omics and AI, personalised treatment approaches including gene therapies and stem cell treatments, better biomonitoring and wearable technology for environmental exposure and continued development of multi-receptor modulators for obesity. The discussion also covered the importance of patient advocacy, global collaboration and the need to balance resources between rare and common endocrine diseases. Watch here.
Meet the EndoCompass Expert: A presentation and panel discussion for early career researchers to explore how EndoCompass can support research ambitions and how ESE can help to navigate the European research landscape.Watch here.
State of Endocrinology: The Endocrine Workforce of the Future. The first-time data from the ground- breaking ESE lead survey on the ‘Endocrine Workforce of the Future’ has been shared in this panel discussion about the recommendations from the State of Endocrinology project. Watch here.
Sex Differences and Endocrine Health: led by European Women in Endocrinology (EUWIN). Despite increasing awareness of sex and gender differences in medicine, important gaps remain in the field of endocrinology. Women with endocrine diseases frequently experience diagnostic delays, require more medical consultations before a diagnosis is reached, and often face worse outcomes in terms of morbidity and mortality. Treatment availability and access also differ across genders, contributing to inequities in care. This symposium brings together experts and patient voices to highlight gender disparities across endocrine diseases, with the aim of improving recognition, diagnosis and treatment strategies for women’s endocrine health. Watch here.
Other ESE 20th Anniversary celebrations included the launch of ‘The History of ESE 2006-2026’ and a mural with our illustrator drawing the key milestones of ESE since its inception and capturing the recollections and experiences of delegates. These will be available to view on ESE’s ‘History of ESE’ website page.
The highlights of ECE 2026 have been captured on this video, so take a look and relive some of the exciting moments from this year's Congress.
While ECE 2026 is still fresh in your minds, please submit your programme suggestions for next year’s Congress in Basel, Switzerland by the deadline of 29 June.
26/05/2026
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