Newswise — Falls Church, Virginia. Sep. 19, 2012 – The American Thyroid Association (ATA) today announced today announced that Krishna Chatterjee, MD, of the Institute of Metabolic Science at University of Cambridge (UK), will deliver the plenary lecture on Sept. 22 at the 82nd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association in Québec City, Québec, Canada. Dr. Chatterjee’s lecture will focus on the role of selenoprotein signaling in the development of thyroid hormone disorders.
“Dr. Chatterjee has made outstanding contributions to our understanding of the molecular underpinning of the syndromes of thyroid hormone resistance, and of some of the genetic disorders causing congenital hypothyroidism and abnormalities in thyroid gland development,” said ATA President James A. Fagin, MD, of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. “It is our privilege to welcome him as one of our plenary speakers, and we look forward to what promises to be an enlightening lecture on his most recent work.”
Dr. Chatterjee is Professor of Endocrinology in the Department of Medicine of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, United Kingdom. He is an expert in genetic and molecular endocrinology, with particular emphasis on disorders of nuclear hormone synthesis and action.
Dr. Chatterjee is currently studying several human cohorts: first, congenital hypothyroidism (CH) that is familial, syndromic or on a consanguineous background; second, Resistance to Thyroid Hormone (RTH), defined broadly as abnormal circulating thyroid hormones with tissue refractoriness to hormone action; and third, lipodystrophic insulin resistance associated with PPARg gene defects. Dr. Chatterjee seeks to identify novel genetic aetiologies mediating thyroid dysgenesis or hormonogenesis and defective hormone action using candidate gene and whole exome approaches, while elucidating mechanisms whereby thyroid hormones modulate energy balance or act via receptor subtypes in tissues using human phenotypic studies. In addition, Dr. Chatterjee is also investigating the features of multisystem selenoprotein deficiency disorders including thyroid deiodinases, attributable to elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the roles of selenoproteins of unknown function.
Dr. Chatterjee’s ultimate goal is to translate his research into technologies (e.g. biochemical, genetic) that enhance the UK’s national diagnostic laboratory service and to develop biomarkers of hormone action and therapies (e.g. selective thyromimetics, PPARg modulators) that are applicable to commoner thyroid dysfunction or metabolic disorders. About the ATA Annual Meeting The 82nd Annual Meeting of the American Thyroid Association is held Sept. 19-23, in Québec City, Québec, Canada. This four-day creative and innovative scientific program, chaired by Elizabeth Pearce, MD, Boston Medical Center, and Douglas Forrest, PhD, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, carefully balances clinical and basic science sessions on the latest advances in thyroidology. The ATA meeting is designed to offer continuing education for endocrinologists, internists, surgeons, basic scientists, nuclear medicine scientists, pathologists, endocrine fellows and nurses, physician assistants and other health care professionals. Visit www.thyroid.org for more information.
About the ATA The American Thyroid Association (ATA) is the leading worldwide organization dedicated to the advancement, understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disorders and thyroid cancer. ATA is an international individual membership organization with over 1,600 members from 43 countries around the world. Celebrating its 89th anniversary, ATA delivers its mission through several key endeavors: the publication of highly regarded monthly journals, THYROID, Clinical Thyroidology and Clinical Thyroidology for Patients; annual scientific meetings; biennial clinical and research symposia; research grant programs for young investigators, support of online professional, public and patient educational programs through www.thyroid.org; and the development of guidelines for clinical management of thyroid disease. Visit www.thyroid.org for more information.
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