Recognising excellence in endocrinology, ESE announces the deserving winners of the 2026 Awards
Date: 29 October 2025
The European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) is delighted to announce the winners of the 2026 ESE Awards.
The winners of the Society’s prestigious annual Awards for 2026 have all contributed to improving knowledge and expertise in endocrinology and have helped drive innovation and progression across the field.
Each of these deserving winners will be presenting a plenary lecture at the European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) 2026 which will be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from 9-12 May 2026.
Wiebke Arlt, President of the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) commented: “We had outstanding candidates for the 2026 ESE Awards. Our Award winners are exceptional, they have made huge contributions to the advancement of science and patient care in the field of endocrinology. They are fully deserving winners of these prestigious Awards, and I know they will deliver excellent Award lectures at the European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) 2026 next May.”
The Geoffrey Harris Award recognises outstanding researchers in the field of neuroendocrinology. This year’s Award is being presented to Martin Reincke (Germany).
Martin Reincke, until his recent retirement (October 2025), was Professor of Endocrinology and Chairman of Medicine at the Ludwig-Maximilians University (LMU) in Munich. He has also served as teaching dean of the LMU faculty. He led the Department of Internal Medicine IV at LMU Munich Hospital since 2004, exemplifying visionary leadership, strategic excellence, and unwavering integrity.
He was President of the European Society of Endocrinology (2021-2023) and has served on the Executive Board of the German Endocrine Society (President 2014-2017) as well as on the editorial board of several international journals.
The Award Jury commented that Professor Reincke has provided outstanding, internationally recognised research. His contributions to the field of clinical, translational and basic neuroendocrinology, especially in the pituitary and adrenal field have been of great importance.
They added, that he has worked on several areas of neuroendocrinology involving the pituitary gland that have led to a number of seminal publications. His work has also extensively focused on adrenal neoplasms with participation in key studies of adrenal hyperfunction and endocrine hypertension. His pioneering research and leadership have transformed the field of endocrinology and inspired generations of researchers worldwide.
The European Hormone Medal is awarded to an international researcher who has made significant contributions to the field of basic or clinical endocrinology. This year's Award goes to Maria-Christina Zennaro (France).
Maria-Christina Zennaro, MD, PhD, is a basic and clinical scientist within adrenal and cardiovascular endocrinology. She is Research Professor at Inserm and Université Paris Cité and directs the GEMMAH team (GEnetic MechanisMs of Aldosterone-related disorders – towards precision medicine in Hypertension) at the Paris Cardiovascular Research Center.
The Jury commented that Dr Zennaro has played a key role in understanding the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of hypertension. She has held roles in European endocrinology and hypertension organisations, including ESE Focus Area Lead for Adrenal and Cardiovascular Endocrinology. She has also contributed to networks for rare adrenal and kidney diseases and is affiliated with the ESH Centre of Excellence for Hypertension at HEGP.
Her research has been internationally recognised with numerous awards including the ‘European Medal’ of the Society for Endocrinology (SfE) in 2018, and the ‘Etoiles de l’Europe’ of the French Ministry for Higher Education and Research in 2022. She is also widely published in recognised journals.
The European Endocrine Nurse Award is awarded to endocrine nurses and teams who have made a truly significant contribution to the advancement of endocrinology nursing. This year’s Award is presented to Elisabeth Rutten (Belgium).
Els (Elisabeth) Rutten is a genetic counsellor and a highly qualified endocrine nurse, with a focus on pituitary and neuroendocrine disorders, including acromegaly. She works at the Center for Medical Genetics at Ghent University Hospital, where her knowledge of rare diseases, including MEN1, MEN2, and other germline mutations, supports both patient care and counselling. She founded the Belgian non-profit organisation Living with Acromegaly.
The Jury commented that she is recognised for her project ‘A Home Care Educational Program for patients with Acromegaly’ which has been successfully disseminated across Flanders, and for her exceptional dedication to patient care.
An active member of professional networks including FINE (Federation of International Nurses in Endocrinology), Endo-ERN, WAPO, and RadiOrg, she has co-authored Advanced Practice in Endocrinology Nursing and contributed to the development of ACRODAT, a holistic disease management tool for acromegaly. She has received multiple honours and is a sought-after speaker internationally.
The Clinical Endocrinology Journal Foundation Award is given for clinical research that addresses aspects of endocrinology at the forefront of clinical practice and is sponsored by the Clinical Endocrinology Journal Foundation. This year's Award goes to Tracy Ann Williams (Germany).
Tracy Ann Williams leads a research group in the Department of Medicine IV at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, focusing on the pathophysiology of primary aldosteronism. Her work connects molecular mechanisms with clinical practice to improve understanding of adrenal tumorigenesis and refine diagnostic approaches for this common cause of hypertension.
The Jury commented that she has made transformative contributions to clinical endocrinology, advancing the understanding and management of primary aldosteronism through pioneering research that directly informs patient care.
Since joining LMU Munich in 2012, Dr Williams has led several German Research Foundation (DFG)-funded projects, including contributions to the CRC/TRR 205 consortium. Her current research examines molecular pathways in adrenal tumours, develops novel subtyping methods for primary aldosteronism, and explores aldosterone physiology in preclinical models. She also co-organises the Progress in Primary Aldosteronism conference series and serves on the editorial board of Hypertension.
The European Journal of Endocrinology Award is presented to a candidate who has significantly contributed to the advancement of knowledge in the field of endocrinology through publication. This year’s Award goes to Marco Medici (The Netherlands).
Marco Medici is an internist-endocrinologist at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. He earned his PhD in 2014 and subsequently completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Harvard Institutes of Medicine and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, USA.
The Jury said that Dr Medici is recognised for his outstanding publication record, including high-impact papers in top journals, which have significantly advanced knowledge in endocrinology. His research has generated important discoveries with clinical and translational relevance, shaping multiple areas within thyroidology. The Jury went on to say that he has demonstrated exceptional leadership by establishing international collaborations and research consortia that further drive scientific progress.
He has authored over 100 publications, with a primary focus on personalising the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders. He is the founder of the ThyroidOmics Consortium (www.thyroidomics.com), and serves as principal investigator of a multicenter LT3/LT4 combination therapy trial (www.t3-4-hypotrial.nl). He is also an associate editor for the European Thyroid Journal.
The Jens Sandahl Christiansen Award is presented to endocrinologists for a specific piece of research or project which contributes to our understanding of metabolism. This award is split into clinical and basic science. The recipients of the Award for 2025 are Ido Goldstein (Israel) for Basic Science and Camile Vatier (France) for Clinical Science.
Ido Goldstein is a Principal Investigator at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he leads the Laboratory of Nutrigenomics, Liver Biology, and Gene Expression. His research explores the molecular links between nutrition, metabolism, and gene regulation. He earned his MSc and PhD at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel, under the supervision of Prof Varda Rotter, and completed postdoctoral training at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, with Dr Gordon Hager.
The Jury said that he is recognised for his outstanding basic research in metabolism, with a strong focus on nutrition, and ketogenesis. His recent publications, including highly relevant work in Nucleic Acids Research, provide important insights into metabolic diseases. His extensive research record and impactful contributions make him a highly deserving recipient of this award.
Dr Goldstein has received numerous awards, including the Krill Prize for Excellence in Scientific Research from the Wolf Foundation, the Hestrin Prize from the Israel Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Chowers Prize from the Israel Endocrine Society. He is also a recipient of an ERC Starting Grant and was named a Zuckerman Faculty Scholar.
Camille Vatier, MD, PhD, is Professor of Medicine at Saint-Antoine Hospital, AP-HP, and Université Paris Cité, and a leading clinician–scientist in the understanding and management of severe insulin resistance syndromes. She began her research career studying lipodystrophies, identifying the effects of HIV treatments on adipose tissue and linking inflammation to glyceroneogenesis. Her work later expanded to glucocorticoid-induced lipodystrophies and the genetics of rare forms of the disease, contributing to the discovery of new genes.
The Jury commented that Dr Vatier is recognised for her outstanding clinical research in metabolism, focusing on genetic and acquired lipodystrophies and severe insulin resistance syndromes. Her work advances understanding and treatment of complex metabolic disorders, and her impact from bench to bedside is impressive as is her strong publication record.
Her research bridges clinical endocrinology and metabolism, encompassing patient cohort studies, evaluation of innovative therapies such as metreleptin and GLP-1 agonists, and the development of therapeutic education programs. She has also advanced understanding of the psychological impact and quality of life in rare metabolic disorders and plays a key role in national care protocols and the European Lipodystrophy Registry.
An active collaborator in diabetes and nutrition research projects across France and Europe, Dr Vatier also contributes to national scientific societies, including the French Society of Endocrinology. Her work continues to shape precision care and research for patients with rare and complex metabolic diseases.
The Transatlantic Alliance Award 2026 winner will be announced later this year. Nominations for the ESE’s 2027 Awards will open in January 2026.
28/10/2025