Incoming President of International Federation of Neuroendocrinology - Dr. Belsham

Finding the perfect venue for PANS2024

Our own Dr Denise Belsham, the incoming President for the International Federation of Neuroendocrinology, the governing body for the global neuroendocrine community and immediate past President of the Pan American Neuroendocrine Society (PANS), went on a site visit to Sao Paulo Brazil and Santiago Chile from March 17-22, 2023. Her and Mike Lehman, the current President of PANS, visited their wonderful colleagues in South America to scout for the optimal location to hold the first in-person PANS meeting since 2019 to make their society more inclusive and equitable in terms of opportunities and locations to hold scientific meetings.  The trip was such a success with visits to the University of Sao Paulo and the coastal town of Santos on the Atlantic side, followed by some networking that included some samba dancing and, of course, what I call “the meat feast” or churrasco. The weather was just perfect as they were finishing their summer – a great time of year to go south for a meeting next year. They then took a flight across the continent to Santiago to meet with their colleagues who immediately whisked them off to Concon on the Pacific coast. They then went on a lovely tour, including to a fabulous winery on the way back to Santiago. They managed to present two seminars that evening at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and after the talks they headed out to an engaging and energetic networking evening with a group of trainees. The next morning, they visited with colleagues at the University of San Sebastian. To make things even more exciting, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit Santiago making their visit quite memorable without a doubt… Denise then presented another seminar at the University of Chile. It was a whirlwind of activities that really gave them a feel for their meeting options. No matter which venue they choose, we know that PANS2024 will be in great hands - mark your calendars for March 2024!