Looking Back on Presidential Term: Highlights Include Support for Research Members, Progress on Obesity and Advocacy Fronts

As my presidential term winds down, I look back with pride and admiration at the sheer amount of exemplary programming that the Society provides for its members each year. I’d like to recount some highlights from the past 12 months as we prepare to change leadership at ENDO 2026 , June 13-16, in Chicago, Ill. One of the initiatives of which I’m particularly proud is the one-year expansion of our ENDO 2026 travel grant programs for early-career researchers. The expansion was designed to address cuts in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant funding, which directly affected many of our research members. Researchers represent a significant part of our ENDO attendance each year, and many were considering not coming this year due to budget shortfalls. As such, we decided to: Increase the amount to $1,500 per award recipient for Early Investigator Awards , Outstanding Abstract Awards , and Early Career Forum ; and Provide up to 200 additional grants of $1,500 per award recipient for the Outstanding Abstract Awards . ($1,750 per award for international recipients) I’m pleased to say this effort paid off. Notably, we received 2,435 total abstracts submitted by the regular submission deadline (excluding late-breaking abstracts), which was the highest number of submissions since ENDO 2013 . By way of breakdown, this year we received 1,283 clinical abstract submissions, versus 913 in 2025, resulting in a 40.5% increase. We also received 241 basic science abstracts submissions this year, versus 155 in 2025, resulting in a 55.4% increase. These increases are a direct result of our additional support for researchers. Obesity: Upcoming Scientific Statement and Clinical Practice Guideline As you know, obesity is a key area of focus for the Society. I’m proud to note that we are making significant progress on several important projects for both our research and clinical members. We sent out for member comment a draft Scientific Statement on obesity in April. This statement, developed by a writing group led by Daniel J. Drucker, MD, and Ania M. Jastreboff, MD, PhD, has already undergone several stages of a rigorous review process. It has been my honor to serve as your president. I am truly grateful for this amazing opportunity and to have served all our members. We should all be proud to belong to such an outstanding organization as the Endocrine Society. The final statement is scheduled for release later this summer. Like others, this one will provide an authoritative review on the current state of research and provide recommendations for additional areas of study in this rapidly changing field. For clinicians, we’re also making progress on a new Clinical Practice Guideline (CPG) on the pharmacological management of obesity. This highly anticipated CPG is expected to be published in late 2026 and will replace our 2016 CPG on this topic. In preparation for the new CPG, we invited a group of patient partners – i.e., people who have experience living with obesity – to share their perspectives, ideas, and values around treatment options. More than 80 people took part in one of two listening sessions held by trained facilitators over four days in late January. The updated CPG will reflect the latest best practices in treatment and current research, together with the patient perspectives. The recommendations will help international healthcare professionals and patients to make informed decisions about obesity care. These resources will be part of the Society’s new Center on Obesity, which is slated to launch later this year. Leveraging our members’ expertise, this initiative will seek to advance our scientific understanding of obesity and treatments for the one in eight people worldwide who has obesity. Education & Meetings: ENDO 2026 Offers New and Enhanced Features Our educational offerings have always been a top feature of the Society. We hold multiple educational meetings throughout the year. And last fall, we saw record attendance at Endocrine Board Review (EBR) and Clinical Endocrinology Update (CEU) 2025 . And, of course, ENDO remains the largest gathering of endocrinology researchers and clinicians in the world. I’m delighted to report that ENDO 2026 in Chicago, IL, US, June 13–16 , will provide more convenience, more presentations, more science, and more opportunities for networking. Among other things, ENDO 2026 will: Provide more presentation opportunities for early career investigators by scheduling oral and rapid-fire presentations throughout the day. Offer more Meet the Professor (MTP) sessions, with time slots each day throughout the meeting. Enhance the Meet the Scientist (MTS) sessions and basic science networking space, with an extended basic science reception. Add more engagement opportunities for attendees and exhibitors on the ENDOExpo floor. Provide more corporate-supported presentations outside the exhibit hall. Extend registration hours and offer a satellite badge pick-up location at the Palmer House on Friday to ensure lines are not overly long. I am deeply grateful to the Annual Meeting Steering Committee Chairs and committee members who designed such an exciting ENDO 2026 program. Outside of ENDO , we always are looking for new educational opportunities to meet the needs of our diverse membership. To this end, we recently launched the Rare Endocrine Disease (RED) Fellows Program , developed by the Society with support from the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). The program addresses critical gaps in awareness, diagnosis, and care of rare endocrine diseases. It also aims to equip fellows with the knowledge and practical skills needed to improve patient outcomes. A total of 50 U.S. fellows participated in the in-person component, April 17-18, at the Society headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C. We are excited to announce that the Society will host a Science Summit on nuclear receptors in age-related diseases in Málaga, Spain, this September. I am also looking forward to the Society holding additional basic research events in 2027 that will build on the success of our International Conference on Steroid Hormones and Receptors. Advocacy: Making a Difference During the past year, funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was in jeopardy with calls from the White House to cut funding by 40%, cap indirect cost rates, and restructure the NIH in ways that would disrupt endocrine research. Thankfully, the Society’s advocacy arm is second to none, and our efforts have resulted in significant wins. Chief among them, Congress recently passed a fiscal year 2026 funding bill for NIH that includes an increase of roughly $415 million for the NIH, along with a $10 million increase for diabetes research. The bill also includes language that we had advocated for to protect NIH by limiting a budget maneuver called multi-year funding, prohibiting arbitrary caps to indirect cost rates, requiring grants to be paid within five business days, as well as reclaiming congressional authority over spending. Our Advocacy team didn’t rest on these victories. The Society continued to advocate for the introduction of the Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act, a bipartisan bill to address insulin affordability. The Society endorsed the legislation that was introduced in March. We will fight hard for its passage, as the bill aligns with recommendations in the Society’s Insulin Access and Affordability Position Statement . We call for lowering the price of insulin through rebate reform and limiting co-pays to no more than $35 per month. Thank You and Please Stay Engaged! There is much, much more that the Society does on a daily basis for its members. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to the current board of directors and officers, as well as the Society staff, particularly CEO Kate Fryer and the senior leadership team. I’d also like to acknowledge the incoming President, Nanette Santoro and President-Elect Joy Wu, who will take over the reins this summer at ENDO 2026 . It has been my honor to serve as your president. I am truly grateful for this amazing opportunity and to have served all our members. We should all be proud to belong to such an outstanding organization as the Endocrine Society. The post Looking Back on Presidential Term: Highlights Include Support for Research Members, Progress on Obesity and Advocacy Fronts appeared first on Endocrine News .