The 28th European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) hosts the largest gathering of endocrine specialists in Europe
The 28th European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) hosts the largest gathering of endocrine specialists in Europe
The 28th European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE) 2026 took place at the Prague Congress Centre in Prague, Czech Republic this week (9-12 May). The Congress brought together endocrine specialists from across Europe and the rest of the world to meet, collaborate and celebrate endocrinology. The Society also celebrated its 20th Anniversary at the Congress.
ECE 2026 attracted its highest ever number of delegates (over 4,500) from more than 111 countries to experience the latest endocrine research and developments in the field from over 2,500 abstracts and over 170 speakers (please see the programme here).
ESE President, Wiebke Arlt commented: “This year’s ECE brought together our diverse endocrine community from many different countries across the globe to celebrate endocrinology and share the latest breakthroughs in endocrine science. The quality of the programme and speakers was excellent, and it was wonderful to see everyone networking and connecting with friends and colleagues, especially at this special Congress which marks the 20th Anniversary of ESE.”
Science took centre stage with:
From the over 2,500 abstracts submitted, and prizes were presented to the winners of the 2026 Young Investigator Awards, following selection by the Programme Organising Committee. Last year the People’s Choice Awards were launched, where the poster winners were voted for by both the Congress delegates and the Programme Organising Committee. Details on the Award winners can be found on the website.
The winners of the prestigious ESE Awards for 2026 are:
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Honorary Membership - Anton Luger (Austria)
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Special Recognition Award - Johan de Graaf (The Netherlands), Jo Grey (UK), and Peter Lakwijk (Sweden)
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Geoffrey Harris Award - Martin Reincke (Germany)
'Endocrine Hypertension: New Ways of Personalized Medicine’
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European Journal of Endocrinology Award Marco Medici (The Netherlands)
‘Genetics of thyroid function and disease: Past, present and future’
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European Hormone Medal - Maria-Christina Zennaro (France)
'Genetic mechanisms of aldosterone related disorders - towards precision medicine in hypertension'
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European Endocrine Nurse Award - Elisabeth Rutten (Belgium)
'Project: A Home Care Educational Program for patients with Acromegaly supports people with complex needs.'
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Transatlantic Alliance Award - Anna Gloyn (USA)
Harnessing heterogeneity to deliver precision medicine for diabetes
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Clinical Endocrinology Journal Foundation Award - Tracy Ann Williams (Germany)
‘From bench to bedside: Primary aldosteronism revisited’
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Jens Sandahl Christiansen Award (Clinical) - Ido Goldstein (Israel)
'Molecular memory - how the liver remembers fasting’
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Jens Sandahl Christiansen Award (Basic) - Camille Vatier (France)
‘Extreme insulin resistance syndromes: from pathophysiology to therapeutic management, national and European expertise.’
Young Investigator Awards are awarded to the ten highest scoring abstract authors from those who are within 10 years post-PhD or MD. The 2026 Winners are:
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Federica Bistolfi (Italy)
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May Fayad (France)
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Yasmine Kemkem (UK)
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Caitlin MacRae (New Zealand)
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Maria Mirabelli (Italy)
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Sandhi Nyunt (UK)
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Alexander Paul (Germany)
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Marc Philipp Schauer (Germany)
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Panagiota Siatra (Germany)
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Katarzyna Siemienowicz (UK)
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Hieu T N Tran (Singapore/ Vietnam)
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Leonie Warringa (The Netherlands)
Poster Award winners:
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‘The gonadotrophin response to kisspeptin administration reveals hypothalamic dysfunction in obesity-related hypogonadism in men’ - Kanyada Koysombat (UK)
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‘Menopause and its associated hormonal shifts define distinct cytokine and immune cell profiles’ - Angela Rubio Tenor (Spain)
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‘Epicardial adipose tissue-derived extracellular vesicles in heart failure impair β-cell function and survival’ - Federica Bistolfi (Italy)
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‘Estrogen Receptor Beta Activation Orchestrates Lipid Remodeling and Fatty Acid Oxidation to Prevent Lipotoxicity’ - Debora Rocha (Brazil)
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‘Phenotypic spectrum of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia’ - Amina Attia (France)
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‘Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances and Its Association with Blood Pressure: Insights from Patients with Endocrine and Essential Hypertension’ - Isabel Stüfchen (Germany)
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‘Association of Non-Contrast CT Adrenal Features with Histopathology and Genotype in Unilateral Primary Aldosteronism’ - Matthias Oettle (Germany)
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‘Adrenal Tumor Shrinkage After Osilodrostat Therapy in Patients with ACTH-independent Cushing Syndrome’ - Virginia Samaritani (Italy)
Best Nursing Poster:
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‘Out in no-man's land: illness perceptions and diagnostic experience in adults with adrenal insufficiency’ - Charlotte Rowe (UK)
The People’s Choice Award winners:
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‘Beneficial for weight, detrimental for bone: Semaglutide and PYY3-36 exacerbate metabolic osteoporosis (MetOP) in a novel two-hit MetOP rat model’ - Simon Kloock (Germany)
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‘Unveiling the Lipocalin-2/SLC22A17 Axis in Periprostatic Adipose Tissue: A Metabolic-Molecular Link Between Obesity-Related Comorbidities and Prostate Cancer Progression’ - Antonio Prats-Escribano (Spain)
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‘Reduced circulating and skeletal muscle MOTS-c expression in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Evidence for disrupted mitochondrial-derived peptide regulation’ - Irem Sonmezoglu Kutuk (Turkey)
Alongside the science, ECE 2026 marked the culmination of a number of key projects lead by ESE and the ESE Council of Endocrine Societies (ECAS), where leaders of Europe’s endocrine organisations met at the first ESE “Summit of the Presidents” to discuss future challenges and opportunities in endocrinology and agree steps to boost visibility of hormone health in national and European policy. Read more here.
The endocrine community celebrated the 20th Anniversary of ESE with a symposium centred around endocrinology over the past 20 years and looking to the future. ‘The History of ESE 2006-2026’ was launched at the Congress, authored by many past Presidents and key facilitators in the formation of the Society in 2004-2006. A mural took centre stage in the Exhibition Hall, with an illustrator drawing the key milestones of ESE since its inception and capturing the recollections and experiences of delegates. The history mural will be available shortly to view on ESE’s ‘History of ESE’ website page. The ESE Executive Committee welcomed two new members during the annual Congress; Niki Karavitaki takes on the role of ESE Congress Committee Chair and Cynthia Andoniadou steps down, and Niina Matikainen takes on the role of ESE Secretary as Maria Chiara Zatelli ends her four-year term in the role.
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13/05/2026