ECTS/The
Alliance
for
Better
Bone
Health
(Warner
Chilcott
and
sanofi)
Iain
T
Boyle
Award
The nomination process is now closed and the results will be announced during the ECTS 2012 congress in Stockholm 19-23 May.
2011
Award
Announcement
Eligibility
This
award
is
open
to
young
scientists
who
have
made
significant
progress
and
contribution
to
the
field
of
bone
and
calcified
tissue.
The
nominee
should
be
within
10
years
of
completing
their
PhD
(or
equivalent).
Review
Procedure
All
applications
are
reviewed
by
an
independent
panel of
reviewers.
The
final
decision
is
based
on
the
marks
and
comments
from
the
reviewers
and
any
conflicts
of
interest are
identified
and
dealt
with
appropriately.
Link here to 2012 Application Form
2011
Award
2011 AWARD ANNOUNCED DURING THE 3RD JOINT MEETING OF THE ECTS AND IBMS IN ATHENS
The 2011 ECTS/ABBH Iain T Boyle Award was presented to Omar Albagha (Edinburgh, UK) and Fernando Rivadeneira, (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) on Sunday 8 May at the Megaron ICC in Athens.
ECTS/ABBH Iain Boyle award winners Omar Albagha (2nd left) and Fernando Rivadeneira (2nd right) with Professor Roland Baron - ECTS President and Pascale Atlan -Warner Chilcott, Medical and Technical Affairs Europe
Omar Albagha, Edinburgh, UK
Omar is one of the brightest young investigators in the field of bone disease genetics. He has contributed significantly to understanding of the genetic basis of osteoporosis through candidate gene studies and linkage studies and recently has done some outstanding research on the genetic determinants of Paget's disease with a paper in nature Genetics last year and a further Nature Genetics paper in revision.
Fernando Rivadeneira, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Fernando performed excellent work in Genetics of Osteoporosis, in particular in the area of Genome Wide Association Studies. He gained his PhD 2004 and has published 104 papers - leading the GWA studies conducted within the genetic research group in Rotterdam. He has published significant papers on this an related topic.
Previous
awards
2010 Awards
Dr
Claire
Edwards trained
initially
in
bone
and
cancer
biology
at
the
University
of
Sheffield
with
Prof.
Peter
Croucher
and
Prof.
Mike
Rogers.
It
was
during
this
time
that
she
became
the
first
to
uncover
the
role
of
bisphosphonates,
not
only
as
drugs
that
impair
the
progression
of
the
bone
disease
in
myeloma,
but
also
as
potential
cytotoxic
agents
for
the
myeloma
cells
themselves.
During
her
postdoctoral
studies
at
the
Institute
of
Musculoskeletal
Sciences,
University
of
Oxford
with
Prof.
Graham
Russell
and
Prof.
Peter
Croucher
she
expanded
upon
her
initial
training
at
Sheffield.
While
at
Oxford,
Claire
became
one
of
the
first
to
recognize
the
importance
of
the
bone
marrow
microenvironment
in
cancer-induced
bone
disease,
focusing
on
the
RANKL/OPG
system,
specifically
the
role
of
OPG as
both
a
therapeutic
approach
and
a
bone
marrow-derived
survival
factor
for
myeloma
cells.
In
2004,
she
relocated
to
the
University
of
Texas
Health
Science
Center
at
San
Antonio
to
work
with
my
group
and
establish
herself
as
an
independent
investigator.
During
this
time
she
gained
extensive
first-hand
experience
with
our
well-established
myeloma
model
and
advanced
molecular
techniques,
which
she
enthusiastically
applied
to
her
ongoing
research.
In
2006
she
moved
to
Vanderbilt
University
Medical
Center,
where
she
is
currently
an
Assistant
Professor
in
the
Center
for
Bone
Biology
Department
of
Cancer
Biology.
During
her
time
in
the
U.S.,
she
has
made
considerable
advances
in
the
field
of
myeloma
bone
disease,
with
a
seminal
paper
in
Blood
demonstrating
the
potential
for
increasing
Wnt
signaling
as
a
therapeutic
approach
in
myeloma
bone
disease,
but
also
raising
concerns
over
the
proliferative
effects
of
elevated
Wnt
signaling
in
myeloma
cells
at
extra-osseus
sites.
This
striking
observation
fueled
her
interest
in
the
bone
microenvironment
and
more
specifically,
how
bone
marrow
stromal
cells
and
adipokines
contribute
to
bone
cell
regulation
and
myeloma
bone
disease,
which
has
now
become
the
focus
of
her
current
research.
A
major
limitation
to
existing
models
of
cancer-induced
bone
disease
is
the
requirement
of
a
specific
host
strain
of
mouse.
This
feature
restricts
the
research
potential
of
these
models
considerably
by
preventing
the
molecular
examination
of
the
host
microenvironment.
Work
undertaken
by
Claire
has
recently
resulted
in
her
development
of
a
novel
myeloma
model
that
enables the
establishment
of
multiple
myeloma
and
the
associated
bone
disease
in
genetically
modified
mice.
This
model
is
a
major
advance
for
research
into
myeloma
bone
disease.
In
addition
to
these
findings,
she
has
forged
international
multi-disciplinary
collaborations,
allowing
her
to
pursue
new,
innovative
approaches
to
the
analysis
of
normal
skeletal
biology
and
cancer-induced
bone
disease
through
the
use
of
mathematical
modeling,
novel
cell
culture
systems
and
human
patient
samples.
2009
Awards
Dr
Morten
Asser
Karsdal
achieved
his
master
of
biotechnical
engineering
at
the
“Technical
University
of
Denmark”
in
1998.
He
achieved
his
PhD
at
the
“Technical
University
of
Southern
Denmark”
2004,
with
special
focus
on
the
cell
and
molecular
biology
of
bone.
Dr
Karsdal
is
presently
the
Head
of
Pharmacology
at
Nordic
Bioscience,
and
has
previously
had
various
research
positions
at
smaller
biotech
companies
in
Denmark.
He
has
more
than
55
peer
reviewed
publications
within
the
bone
and
cartilage
field.
Dr
Karsdal
is
presently
involved
in
investigating
a
potential
anabolic
signaling
from
osteoclasts
to
osteoblasts
and
the
role
of
the
chloride
channel
ClC-7
in
osteoclasts.
Another
of
his
main
interests
is
the
interaction
between
bone
and
cartilage
in
the
pathogenesis
of
osteoarthritis.
Lastly,
development
of
new
biological
models
and
biochemical
assays
for
understanding
of
the
disease
and
to
monitor
and
identify
potential
treatments
for
bone
and
cartilage
pathologies
are
major
areas
of
interest.
Dr
Cristina
Sobbachi
started
her
research
working
on
primary
immunodeficiencies,
contributing
to
several
papers
on
Omenn
syndrome
and
RAG-dependent
diseases.
Soon
she
became
interested
in
the
genetics
of
osteopetrosis,
co-authoring
a
manuscript
reporting
the
isolation
of
the
first
gene
TCIRG1
responsible
for
human
autosomal
recessive
osteopetrosis
ARO.
From
then
on,
she
became
deeply
involved
in
the
characterization
of
this
severe
disease
and
her
2001
paper
on
TCIRG1-dependent
ARO
is
frequently
cited
as
a
reference
paper
for
the
molecular
analysis
of
this
disease.
In
spite
of
two
one-year
maternal
leaves,
she
was
able
to
actively
pursue
this
field
and
to
contribute
to
several
papers
on
the
characterization
of
the
heterogeneity
of
this
disease,
including
a
2003
paper
on
the
various
forms
of
ClCN7
pathologies,
and
to
an
interesting
paper
on
in
utero
hematopoietic
stem
cell
transplantation,
a
strategy
that
has
proved
able
to
rescue
the
severe
phenotype
in
the
experimental
animal.
Finally,
she
hypothesised
the
existence
of
the
osteoclast-poor
form
of
ARO
and
contributed
as
a
main
author
to
the
first
paper
demonstrating
RANKL
mutations
in
human
ARO.
This
paper
was
followed
by
the
recent
demonstration
of
a
second
form
of
osteoclast-poor
ARO
due
to
RANK.
She
is
currently
pursuing
novel
approaches
for
the
treatment
of
RANKL-dependent
ARO
by
soluble
RANKL
administration
in
a
rankl
knockout
mouse
model
in
collaboration
with
AMGEN,
the
company
which
produces
this
cytokine
2008
Award
Dr
Rutger
van
Bezooijen
was
selected
as
the
sixth
recipient
of
the
ECTS/Alliance
for
Better
Bone
Health
Iain
T
Boyle
award,
which
was
presented
during
the
35th
European
Symposium
on
Calcified
Tissues
in
Barcelona
on
27
May
2008.
Dr
Bezooijen
is
based
at
the
Leiden
University
Medical
Centre
in
the
Netherlands
and
his
current
interest
is
focused
on
characterization
of
the
mechanism
by
which
sclerostin
affects
Wnt
signaling,
the
regulation
of
sclerostin
expression,
and
detailed
clinical
analysis
of
patients
with
sclerosteosis
and
van
Buchem
disease.
2007
Award
Dr
Uwe
Kornak
was
selected
as
the
fifth
recipient
of
the
ECTS/Alliance
for
Better
Bone
Health
Iain
T
Boyle
award,
which
was
presented
during
the
34th
European
Symposium
on
Calcified
Tissues
in
Copenhagen
on
8
May
2007.
Uwe
Kornak
is
based
at
the
Institute
for
Medical
Genetics
in
Berlin,
Germany
and
his
main
interests
are
the
regulation
of
bone
density
and
NFI
and
bone.
His
main
focus
in
the
past
has
been
the
pathogenesis
of
recessive
and
dominant
forms
of
osteopetrosis,
which
turned
out
to
be
caused
by
defects
in
intracellular
acidification
mechanisms.
He
has
subsequently
become
involved
with
developmental
aspects
of
skeletogenesis
and
the
role
of
different
transcription
factors
like
Hoxd13,
Runx2
and
Mef2c.
Recently,
the
scope
of
his
interests
was
further
broadened
by
investigations
on
Golgi
function
in
bone
homestasis.
2006
Award
Dr
Florent
Elefteriou
was
selected
as
the
fourth
recipient
of
the
Alliance
for
Better
Bone
Health
Iain
T
Boyle
award.
Dr
Elefteriou
was
trained
in
biochemistry
and
genetics
in
Claude-Bernard
University
(France)
and
then
Baylor
College
of
Medicine
(USA)
and
is
leading
since
2005
his
own
research
group
at
UT-Health
Science
Center
of
San
Antonio.
His
major
scientific
contribution
to
the
bone
field
has
been
to
uncover
the
role
of
the
central
and
peripheral
nervous
systems
in
the
regulation
of
bone
remodeling.
His
seminal
work
has
demonstrated
that
hypothalamic
neurons
responsive
to
the
adipocyte-derived
hormone
leptin
inhibits
bone
formation
and
favor
bone
resorption
via
the
sympathetic
nervous
system
and
b2-adrenergic
receptors
expressed
by
osteoblasts.
He
has
also
identified
using
number
of
mutant
mouse
models
the
neuropeptide
CART
and
the
melanocortin
4
receptor
as
additional
and
possible
central
molecules
involved
in
bone
mass
homeostasis.
His
current
research
focuses
on
b2-adrenergic
signaling
in
osteoblats
and
on
the
characterization
of
the
molecular
mechanisms
causing
the
skeletal
defects
observed
in
Neurofibromatosis.
2005
Award
Dr
Tjeerd
van
Staa
was
selected
as
the
third
recipient
of
the
Alliance
for
Better
Bone
Health
(Procter
&
Gamble
Pharmaceuticals
and
Sanofi-Aventis)
award.
Dr
van
Staa
has
made
major
contributions
to
the
epidemiology
of
osteoporosis,
with
particular
regard
to
glucocorticoid-induced
bone
loss.
His
seminal
work
has
demonstrated
that
fracture
risk
in
glucocorticoid
treated
patients
rises
steeply
soon
after
commencement
of
therapy;
attenuates
rapidly
after
cessation
of
therapy;
and
occurs
at
prednisolone
doses
less
than
those
conventionally
associated
with
osteoporosis.
His
scholarly
contributions
have
had
a
major
input
upon
clinical
practice
and
have
been
highly
cited
in
the
peer
reviewed
literature.
He
continues
to
hold
academic
positions
at
the
MRC
Epidemiology
Resource
Centre,
University
of
Southampton
and
Institute
for
Pharmaceutical
Sciences,
Utrecht
University,
the
Netherlands.
2004
Award
Wim
Van
Hul
was
selected
as
the
second
recipient
of
the
prestigious
Alliance
for
Better
Bone
Health
Iain
T.
Boyle
award.
He
is
a
researcher
trained
in
molecular
biology
and
genetics
who
started,
after
his
PhD
studies
on
the
genetics
of
Alzheimer's
disease,
his
own
research
team
at
the
Department
of
Medical
Genetics
at
the
University
and
University
Hospital
in
Antwerp,
Belgium.
In
the
last
decennium,
his
team
has
been
very
successful
in
identifying
and
characterizing
genes
underlying,
mainly
monogenic,
genetic
conditions
associated
with
an
abnormal
bone
homeostasis.
These
include
the
SOST
gene
underlying
Van
Buchem
disease
and
sclerosteosis,
the
role
of
TGFbeta-1
in
Camurati-Engelmann
disease,
the
chloride
channel
ClCN7
in
autosomal
dominant
osteopetrosis,
LRP5
in
different
sclerosing
bone
dysplasias
as
well
as
the
involvement
of
Msx2
and
Alx4
in
ossification
defects
of
the
skull.
He
is
currently
coauthor
of
about
80
publications,
many
of
them
in
journals
of
high
impact.
2003
Award
Michael
Rogers
is
an
outstanding
young
scientist
and
is
a
worthy
recipient
of
this
prestigious
award.
His
major
scientific
achievement
has
been
to
elucidate
the
molecular
mechanisms
of
action
of
bisphosphonate
drugs.
He
and
his
group
are
at
the
forefront
of
this
research
and
have
clearly
shown
that
bisphosphonates
act
on
osteoclasts
by
two
distinct
mechanisms.
Simple
bisphosphonates
become
incorporated
into
toxic
ATP
analogues
that
induce
osteoclast
apoptosis,
whereas
the
more
potent
nitrogen-containing
bisphosphonates
prevent
prenylation
of
small
GTPase
signalling
proteins
by
inhibiting
the
enzyme
FPP
synthase.
He
started
this
research
on
bisphosphonates
during
his
PhD
studies
in
1989
and
over
the
following
decade
has
produced
a
very
impressive
number
of
publications.
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