Manuel Heitor to share perspectives on the future of research in Europe at launch of EndoCompass

(Press-News.org) Endocrine diseases affect millions of people in Europe, yet research into hormone health remains underfunded and fragmented. EndoCompass aims to change this. By identifying key research priorities and knowledge gaps, the roadmap will guide future studies, funding programmes and policy decisions at European and national levels. Although the full publication is still to come, two dedicated sessions at the Joint Congress will offer an exclusive preview:

• On Sunday 11 May, a Scientific Symposium will introduce key findings from the EndoCompass project, focusing particularly on cross-cutting areas of endocrine research including artificial intelligence, laboratory medicine and early careers in endocrine research. The session will be chaired by two of the EndoCompass cochairs, Martine Cools and Martin Fassnacht, with speakers including Guillaume Assié, Annemieke Heijboer, Rade Vukovic and Jonathan Mertens.

• On Monday 12 May, a Special Session will focus on the importance of endocrine science for society and the need for greater investment. Manuel Heitor, former Portuguese Minister for Science, Technology and Higher Education, will give a keynote speech on Scientific Activism for “Choose Europe” and share his perspective on the future of research in Europe.

Professor Heitor served as the Chair of the Independent Expert Group on the Interim Evaluation of Horizon Europe that provided the European Commission with recommendations on how to enhance the EU research and Innovation programmes. He is currently a professor at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal.

Speaking ahead of the event, Professor Heitor said:

"Europe has a unique strategic opportunity to advance research and innovation at a world level. This means strengthening European, national and regional investment in research and innovation to face emerging threats, together with prevention, preparedness and readiness,” he said.

“It requires us to ALIGN coordinated investments and policy in health security, energy and environmental security and overall citizen security; ACT on our common institutional framework; and ACCELERATE investments in basic science and disrupting innovation. At the same time, we must promote a strong “Choose Europe” programme, making Europe an attractive place for researchers to choose as a base for their careers. EndoCompass is a great example of a scientific community leading by example and showing how collaboration can make this a reality.”

The publication, “EndoCompass Research Roadmap: Directions for the Future of Endocrine Science,” is set to be published in June 2025 as a supplement to both the European Journal of Endocrinology and Hormone Research in Paediatrics. This follows two years of dedicated collaboration led by ESE and ESPE, together with representatives of nine partner societies in Europe and Endo-ERN (European Network for Rare Endocrine Diseases). The project involved 228 experts from across Europe, reflects the collective expertise of the European endocrine community, bringing together clinical experts, researchers, patient advocacy groups and specialist partner societies.

Designed to strengthen coordination and visibility in the field, the new research roadmap spans eight endocrine specialties and five cross-cutting themes. It also emphasises the importance of research that bridges paediatric and adult care, supports early-career scientists, and addresses emerging challenges such as environmental effects on the endocrine system and the rising burden of non-communicable diseases.

With publication in sight, the focus now shifts to putting the recommendations into practice and ensuring the findings drive real change in endocrine research. This will be an invaluable resource for the endocrine community to use, reference and share – and ensure hormone health gets the attention it deserves.

Find out more about the EndoCompass project.

END