Thorner Research Symposium

Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism

Endocrinology Research Symposium Honors Michael Thorner

The Fall 2013 Thorner Research Symposium, organized by the Division of Endocrinology in honor of retiring faculty member Michael O. Thorner, drew former Thorner trainees from all over the globe and highlighted the international impact of his career. The one-day conference, held at UVA on October 29, 2013, included introductory remarks by Department of Medicine chair Mitch Rosner and Endocrinology division chief Zhenqi Liu; they both spoke of Dr. Thorner’s contributions not only as a clinician and researcher but as an academic leader and administrator as well. Dr. Thorner served as chief of Endrocrinology & Metabolism from 1986 to 1998, and as chair of the Department of Medicine from 1997 to 2006.

Thorner, considered one of the world’s foremost clinical neuroendocrinologists, cloned the receptor for growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) and clarified its actions in humans. He also pioneered the medical treatment of prolactin-secreting pituitary tumors with normalization of prolactin and gonadal function, reduction in tumor size, restoration of normal vision and elimination of the need for pituitary surgery. The Endocrine Society bestowed its highest honor, the Fred Conrad Koch Award, on Dr. Thorner in 2013 in recognition of a body of work that “has elevated the entire field of endocrinology in its ability to make a real difference in the lives of patients.”

The ten invited speakers included former UVA Endocrinology fellows and current and former UVA faculty members. Among the Thorner trainees, many of whom are now prominent researchers and leaders in endocrinology in their own right, were: Ken Ho, Professor of Medicine at University of Queensland and Chair of the Centres for Health Research, Brisbane, Australia; Reiko Horikawa, Chief of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the National Center for Child Health and Development in Tokyo; Ian Chapman, Professor of Medicine at the University of Adelaide and Senior Endocrinologist at Royal Adelaide Hospital; and Peter Clayton, Professor Paediatric Endocrinology at the University of Manchester and Director, Medicines for Children Research Network, National Institute for Health Research of Greater Manchester, Lancashire & South Cumbria. Former UVA Endocrinology chief Jerry Nadler, who currently chairs the Department of Medicine and directs the Strelitz Diabetes Center at Eastern Virginia Medicine School in Norfolk, Virginia, also participated in the event.