Scientists Examine Health Threats Posed by Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals

Registration Now Open for Endocrine Society’s Science Writers Conference in Brussels

To register, go to: http://www.endocrine.org/endosociety/news-room/science-writers-conference/science-writers-conference-registration

International experts will share the latest scientific findings on the dangers posed by endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in the environment, foods and manufactured products during the Endocrine Society’s Science Writers Conference in Brussels on Nov. 12.

At “The Real Risks of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals: What Does the Science Say,” health and science journalists will have the opportunity to interact with international experts who study the health effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Nearly every person on the planet has been exposed to EDCs, and studies have linked EDC exposure to infertility, cancer, birth defects and obesity.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals mimic, block or interfere with the functions of the body’s natural hormones – the chemical messengers that govern how the body functions. EDCs include chemicals such as:

• Bisphenol A found in water bottles and can linings
• Phthalates found in plastics and cosmetics
• Pesticides such as chlorpyrifos

The conference is exclusively for journalists and will feature a panel of leading physicians and endocrinology researchers. The conference will explore the intricate connection between endocrine-disrupting chemicals and human health, including the following topics (subject to change):

• EDCs and Public Health: Why Should the World Take Notice?
• From Exposure to Hormone Disruption: General Principles of Endocrinology
• Assessing Chemicals for Endocrine Disruption
• EDCs and the Developing Fetus

Scheduled speakers include:

• Rémy Slama, PhD
  Senior Investigator at Inserm (National Institute for Health and Medical Research),
  Team of Environmental Epidemiology, Grenoble (France).

• Jean-Pierre Bourguignon MD, PhD
  Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Endocrinology, CHU Liège
  Head Developmental Neuroendocrinology Unit, GIGA Neurosciences, Univ. Liège (Belgium)

• Prof. Barbara Demeneix, PhD
  Director Department Regulations and Development,
  National Museum of Natural History, Paris (France)

• Prof. Richard Ivell, PhD
  Special Joint Professor, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham (U.K.)

• R. Thomas Zoeller, PhD
  Professor of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, (USA)

Date:

Wednesday, 12 November 2014
09h00 — Media Registration & Continental Breakfast
09h30 – 11h30 — Conference Program

Location:

Résidence Palace - International Press Centre
rue de la Loi 155 C - 1040 Brussels

Media are invited to attend this event at no cost, although seating is limited. Breakfast will be provided by the Society. Register online at http://www.endocrine.org/endosociety/news-room/science-writers-conference/science-writers-conference-registration.

About Endocrine Society

Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.

The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses, and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.