Gary Hammer

Endocrinologist, Detroit, USA

Gary Hammer, MD, PhD is Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine, Cell and Developmental Biology, and Molecular and Integrative Physiology at the University of Michigan. He currently serves as Director of the Endocrine Oncology Program at the Rogel Cancer Center, where he holds a professorship in adrenal tumors.

He obtained his MD and PhD in Neurosciences at Tufts University, and completed his residency in Internal Medicine, followed by a fellowship in Endocrinology and postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco.

He contributed to the recent revival of the University of Michigan Adrenal Scientists Team, which includes researchers studying adrenal gland diseases. He has received the UofM Jerome Conn Award for outstanding research in Internal Medicine and the Edwin B. Astwood Award for outstanding research from the Endocrine Society, and is a member of the ASCI and the AAP. He is the former Director of the Center for Organogenesis: Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine.

He has held numerous leadership positions at the University of Michigan and in the public and private sectors, including membership on the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute. He is editor of four books, including Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine (McGraw Hill), and is the incoming Adrenal Section Editor of DeGroot's Endocrinology (Elsevier). He served with the world's largest endocrine organization, the (American) Endocrine Society, including most recently as its President (2020-2021). As an advisor to the Congressional H.E.L.P. Committee, he was co-author of the 21st Century Cancer ALERT (Access to Life Saving Early Detection, Research and Treatment) Act, which was introduced in Congress in 2009.

He played a catalytic role in the formation of two international cooperative groups, the most recent being A5 (American Australian Asian Adrenal Alliance), which uses collaboration to advance pharmaceutical and foundation agency projects across the broad spectrum of adrenal diseases. He is co-founder of two companies, MILLENDO and SLING THERAPEUTICS, which focus on rare endocrine diseases.

Natia Vashakmadze

Endocrinologist. Tbilisi, Georgia

Natia Vashakmadze is the founder and president of the Georgian Association of Endocrinology and Metabolism (GAEM).

She is the head of the Endocrinology Department at Helsicore Clinic and a consultant endocrinologist at Cardio Clinic. She is a doctoral candidate at Ilia State University.

Her areas of interest are thyroid pathologies, adrenal gland diseases, and lipids.

She obtained her general medical education at Tbilisi State Medical University and completed her clinical residency in endocrinology at Saint Petersburg State Medical University. She then pursued advanced training at Charité University Hospital in Berlin in the Department of Endocrinology and Rare Metabolic Disorders.

Under the organization of Natia Vashakmadze, more than 10 international conferences have been held in Georgia with the participation of leading experts from Europe and America and leading local physicians. Of particular note is the 30th Postgraduate Educational Course of the European Society of Endocrinology held in the autumn of 2022, which was held in Georgia for the first time at her invitation and under her hosting.

Under the leadership and organization of Natia Vashakmadze, high-quality medical literature has been translated and published in Georgian. In particular, with the official permission of the respective organizations, 2 guidelines of the American Thyroid Association (ATA), 3 guidelines of the European Thyroid Association (ETA), 4 guidelines of the Endocrine Society, and the Mayo Clinic update have been translated and published.

Natia Vashakmadze is the Editor-in-Chief (current) of the Georgian-language edition of the first ELSEVIER edition of the book “Endocrinology of Aging in Diagrams and Images” by Emiliano Corpas Cobisa, and a co-author of chapter 20 of the original English-language book.

She regularly attends international and local conferences and frequently delivers presentations for physicians at both local and international conferences.

Juan-Carlos Galofre

Endocrinologist. Barcelona, Spain

Dr. Juan-Carlos Galofre is Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Navarra. He is a leading endocrinologist and assistant professor at the University Clinic of Navarra. Professor Juan-Carlos Galofre graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 1980, after which he continued his residency at the University of Navarra.

He obtained his PhD from the University of Santiago de Compostela. He is an internationally recognized expert in thyroidology. Professor Juan-Carlos Galofre is the head of the Thyroid Section and the Thyroid Research Group of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology.

Under his authorship, research in thyroidology is being conducted throughout Spain. He is a member of the editorial board of the journal of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology. He is the author of more than 70 original papers and more than 30 book chapters. He is an invited speaker at international conferences of the European Society of Endocrinology and the European Thyroid Association.

Peter Lansberg

Lipidologist. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dr. Peter Lansberg is a lipidologist and professor at the University of Groningen. Dr. Peter Lansberg obtained his MD and PhD at the University of Amsterdam. The topic of his doctoral thesis was “Molecular Origins and Treatment of Familial Hypercholesterolemia”.

He is the founder and former head of the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network. He developed the Dutch Lipid Clinic Network criteria for familial hypercholesterolemia, which are recognized worldwide today and have been included in the guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists as the gold standard for the diagnosis of familial hypercholesterolemia. He was involved in many clinical studies examining lipid management and genetic research at the Amsterdam Medical Center.

In 2019, he was invited as a Faculty member of the Executive Committee of the European Regional Federation of the International Atherosclerosis Society.

He is the author and co-author of numerous articles, book chapters, and publications.

Alongside his scientific and clinical activities, Dr. Peter Lansberg is engaged in active educational activities; he has delivered more than 1,000 presentations at international workshops and international conferences on cardiovascular risk management, lipids, and prevention of atherosclerosis in more than 65 countries. He is an internationally recognized expert and one of the best speakers in lipidology.

Aart Jan (AJ) Awn der Lely

Rotterdam, Netherlands

Professor Aart Jan (AJ) Awn der Lely, MD, PhD is a world-renowned Dutch endocrinologist and former head of the Department of Endocrinology at the Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam.

He is a past president of the Dutch Endocrine Society and a former secretary of the Endocrinology Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS). He was a member of the Global Task Force of the U.S. Endocrine Society

He is a past president of the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) (2015-2019). He is also a past president of the European Neuroendocrine Association and of the Pituitary Society, and an Honorary Member of the European Society of Endocrinology.

Professor Aart Jan (AJ) Awn der Lely is renowned for his achievements in work on pituitary diseases, for his detailed study of these problems, and for the introduction of new therapies. He has also been a member of the editorial team of such important journals as Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Nature Reviews in Endocrinology, and Clinical Endocrinology.

He is a scientific advisor to Amolyt Pharma. His main areas of research are pituitary diseases and the role of gastrointestinal hormones in health.

David Metreveli

Endocrinologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

David Metreveli is Emeritus Professor of the Department of Endocrinology at Tbilisi State Medical University. His medical career in endocrinology spans 49 years. His teaching experience totals 43 years. He has been Head of the Department of Endocrinology at the Tbilisi State Institute for the Advanced Training of Physicians since 1986.

Chief Endocrinologist of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia since 1986, and Expert Endocrinologist of the same ministry since 2006. Chairman of the Georgian Society of Endocrinologists since 2015. Coordinator of the Georgian State Diabetes Program from 1997 to 2006; coordinator in Georgia of the International European Diabetes Program since 1993; Medical Director of the Georgian Diabetic Association; and Scientific Consultant of the State Program for the Prevention of Iodine Deficiency Disorders since 1997. Member of the European Society of Endocrinology, the European Thyroid Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and the American Society of Endocrinologists. Director and Head of Clinical Services at LLC “Davit Metreveli Medical Center”.

Main areas of scientific interest: clinical endocrinology, diabetology, thyroidology. Author of 172 scientific publications in both national and international journals.

Marina Gordeladze

Pediatric Endocrinologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Marina Gordeladze - Professor, Head of the Department of Endocrinology at TSMU, Head of the Pediatric Endocrinology Center at the G. Zhvania Academic Clinic of Pediatrics, President of the Georgian Association of Pediatric Endocrinologists. In 1978, she graduated from Tbilisi State Medical University; in 1980, she completed a clinical internship in pediatrics.

1980-1984 - Postgraduate Fellow, All-Union Institute of Endocrinology, Moscow.

1985 - Defended her Candidate's dissertation on the topic “Peculiarities of the Diagnosis and Course of Autoimmune Thyroiditis in Childhood”.

1985-2000 - Assistant Professor at the Department of Endocrinology of TSMU.

2000-2020 - Associate Professor.

2021 to present - Professor and Head of the Department.

1996-2007 - Chief Specialist of the State Program for the Prevention of Iodine Deficiency.

1996-2007 - Organizer and Head of the first “Children's Diabetes School” in Georgia.

2004 - Author of the guideline for neonatal screening for congenital hypothyroidism in Georgia.

From 2006 to the present - Author and Director of the State Residency Program in Pediatric Endocrinology.

Since 2014 - Founder and President of the Georgian Association of Pediatric Endocrinologists.

Since 2010 - Principal investigator on 5 international research projects in pediatric endocrinology.

She is a member of ESPE, EASD and other local and international associations. She has presented at the congresses of the above-mentioned associations 4 times.

She is the author of 6 books and 72 scientific papers.

In 2012, by decree of the President of Georgia, she was awarded the Order of Honor.

Lisa Hemer

Michigan, USA

Dr. Lisa Hemer received her Bachelor's degree in 1992 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She then graduated from medical school at the University of California in 1996 and completed her residency in Pediatrics in 1999. She is licensed in Pediatrics and in Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine, and is a certified lactation consultant. She is a member of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, as well as a member of Postpartum Support International, and is certified in Postpartum Mental Health Management.

Lisa Hemer combines her experience in pediatrics, lactation, and postpartum management to provide mothers with appropriate counseling and support during the breastfeeding process.

She was a faculty member of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan from 2000 to 2015, where she developed a highly successful, multidisciplinary program in breastfeeding medicine, as well as in the timely diagnosis of perinatal mental health disorders.

In 2016, in partnership with Trinity Health, she developed and launched a breastfeeding medicine program, which subsequently evolved into a perinatal health model encompassing perinatal mental health care and other necessary perinatal services. She continues to be actively involved in breastfeeding medicine today and is dedicated to improving services for new mothers and newborns

Okan Bulent Yildiz

Ankara, Turkey

Okan Bulent Yildiz, MD, PhD is Professor of Medicine/Endocrinology and Metabolism at Hacettepe University Medical School in Ankara. His clinical and scientific interests include obesity, type 2 diabetes, and androgen-excess disorders in women, including polycystic ovary syndrome. He has published more than 140 articles, reviews, and book chapters. He has delivered numerous presentations, lectures, and conferences worldwide.

He served as a member and officer of the Executive Committee of the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) and as a member of the College of the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society. He was the head of the Organizing Committee of the 19th European Congress of Endocrinology (ECE2017) and co-chair of the Annual Meetings of the Endocrine Society (ENDO2021 and ENDO2022).

He is the Clinical Lead of the Reproductive and Developmental Endocrinology section of the ESE.

He founded and leads EndoBridge, a unique international initiative to promote education and clinical skills, supported by the US Endocrine Society and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE).

He has received the following awards: the Special Recognition Award from the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE) in 2022, the Walter Futterweit Award for Clinical Research from the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society in 2022, the Eisenhower Fellowship for International Leadership from the U.S. Eisenhower Foundation in 2007, and others.

Dr. Okan Bulent Yildiz's fellowship covers: the relationship between academia, government and industry in research; public policy; and access to healthcare for the prevention and management of chronic diseases, in particular diabetes and obesity.

Henning Drale

Essen, Germany

Henning Drale, MD, PhD has been Professor of Surgery and Chair of the Department of Surgery at the University of Halle-Wittenberg in Germany since 1994.

Professor Henning Drale served as President of the German Association of Endocrine Surgeons (CAEK) from 1997-2000 and 2006-2009. From 2005-2011, he was President of the German Thyroid Association, and from 2005-2007 President of the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons (IAES). He also served as Secretary of the Endocrine Division of the European Board of Surgery (DES) from 1999-2007, and as President of the European Society of Endocrine Surgeons (ESES) from 2008-2020.

Professor Henning Drale is a member of many different medical societies, such as the European Thyroid Association (ETA), the British Association of Endocrine and Thyroid Surgeons (BAETS), and the International Society of Surgery (ISS). He is a corresponding member of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AACE), a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (FRCS), and others.

Professor Henning Drale is the author of more than 620 publications and more than 180 book chapters and articles. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the German journal 'Chirurg', co-editor of Langenbeck's Archives of Surgery, and a member of the editorial board of various international surgical journals.

His special area of interest is clinical and translational research in the surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands, and of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors. In 2014, he published a textbook in German entitled 'Endokrine Chirurgie, Evidenz und Erfahrung'.

In addition to active involvement in national and international medical societies, Professor Henning Drale is also the author of various national and international surgical and interdisciplinary guidelines.

Nazi Chelidze

Endocrinologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Nazi Chelidze is a clinical endocrinologist at Aversi Clinic, where she also works on DXA densitometry diagnostics.

She is an invited lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, of the University of Georgia (UG) and Caucasus International University (CIU).

She is the Vice-President of the Georgian Association of Endocrinology and Metabolism (GAEM) and has been a member since its founding.

Nazi Chelidze is co-translator and co-editor of 10 endocrinology guidelines issued by various international endocrine societies (ESE, ISE, Endocrine Society) and of several articles published in international journals.

With her involvement, GAEM has held international conferences and congresses, at which Georgian and foreign experts from various countries have presented.

She is actively involved in the organization of various meetings, round tables, and conferences by the association. She delivers presentations for students and colleagues, and is a member of international endocrine societies (ESE, ISE).

Ketevan Dzagania

Endocrinologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Ketevan Dzagania has been an endocrinologist since 2021. She received her medical education at Tbilisi State Medical University, and completed her specialization in the private residency program at Aversi Clinic.

She is a clinical endocrinologist at IMC Clinic, and previously worked at the David Tatishvili Medical Center. She has completed a retraining course in DXA densitometry and has experience working in this field.

Ketevan Dzagania is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Georgian Association of Endocrinology and Metabolism (GAEM), a member of its Executive Committee, and a long-standing member.

With her involvement, the association has planned and held numerous international and local conferences. She is also actively involved in GAEM's translation and editing of guidelines and articles issued by various international endocrine associations.

She is also an invited lecturer at the University of Georgia (UG), where she has taught lectures and seminars in histology for many years. She regularly participates in projects aimed at improving medical education for young professionals.

Ketevan Dzagania is a member of various international medical associations, such as ESE, ISE, Endocrine Society, etc. She frequently attends medical conferences and congresses, both locally and internationally.

Ketevan Asatiani

Endocrinologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Endocrinologist, MD, Head of the Department of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders at the National Institute of Endocrinology. Associate Professor at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University. President of the Georgian Association for the Study of Obesity. Full member of the Executive Committee of the European Association for the Study of Obesity.

She graduated from Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen (Germany). She is a DAAD scholarship recipient, within the framework of which she worked on her candidate's thesis at the Institute of Reproductive Medicine in Münster (Germany). She defended her candidate's dissertation in 2002 in Tbilisi. In the same year, she began working at Clinical Hospital No. 4, in the Department of “Endocrine Disorders and Endovideosurgery” (at present, the National Institute of Endocrinology) as a junior physician, and subsequently as an endocrinologist.

She conducts trainings, lectures, and seminars for students, family physicians, and endocrinologists. She is a participant in many local and international conferences and a member of professional associations.

Maka Gegechkori

Reproductologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Specialization - Reproductologist; Professional experience - 36 years of work.

From September 1984 to August 2016 - Reproductologist at the I. Zhordania Scientific Research Institute of Human Reproduction. 2012-2016 - Head of the Institute's outpatient department. From August 2016 to the present - Head of the Educational and Scientific Department at the Z. Sabakhtarashvili Reproductive Clinic.

Head of the Georgian Association of Gynecologist-Endocrinologists.

Teaching experience - From 2001 to 2012, Assistant Professor of undergraduate studies at the Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology-Reproductology of the Faculty of Medicine, TSU. From 2008 to the present, invited teacher at TSMU - residency program - modules - “Infertility and Regulation of the Reproductive System”; “Gynecological Endocrinology”; “Reproductive Health of Children and Adolescents”. Local head. (From 2016 to the present, Z. Sabakhtarashvili Reproductive Clinic; 2002-2016, I. Zhordania Scientific Research Institute of Human Reproduction).

2009 to present - TSMU, invited teacher - “Modern Principles and Fundamental Foundations of Adult Teaching” - CPD program.

“Training of family physicians, course on antenatal and postnatal care, modern methods of family planning, oncology vigilance and preventive screening tests” - accredited CPD. UNFPA consultant and expert since 2011.

Author of the teaching curriculum on modern family planning methods in the undergraduate and postgraduate programs of the higher medical institutions of Kyrgyzstan and TSMU in Georgia. Trainer since 2010.

Co-author of the residency program in reproductology and of its teaching modules.

CPD accredited seminars - “Reproductive Health”; “Gynecological Neuroendocrine Syndromes”; “Modern Methods of Family Planning”.

Master trainer of several international educational programs - [John Snow Institute of Training and Research, USAID; UNICEF; MSH, CIF; JHPIEGO Corporation; Open Society - Georgia Foundation; Europe and Eurasia Regional Family Planning Activity]

Academic Doctor of Medicine since 2003.

Professor of the TSMU Clinic since 2013.

Lali Nikoleishvili

Endocrinologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Lali Nikoleishvili - Endocrinologist, MD, Associate Professor at the European University from 2019 to the present, Co-founder and Clinical Director of LLC “Diacor”;

Expert in Endocrinology at the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia;

Local Head of the Endocrinology Residency Program at the Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Continuing Professional Development of TSMU 2016 to the present;

Co-founder and Chair of the Non-commercial Legal Entity “Association for the Education of Chronic Metabolic Diseases” from 2022 to the present;

elected member of the Georgian Academy of Natural Sciences since 2024; principal clinical investigator in more than 20 clinical studies;

member of American and European, as well as Georgian, endocrinology associations.

Speaker and participant at many international and local conferences. Organizer and participant of local conferences in the field of endocrinology within the framework of continuing medical education aimed at physician education.

Author and presenter of numerous lectures in the field of endocrinology at various conferences, for both endocrinologists and physicians of other specialties.

Various activities for patient education - the Diabetes School, video broadcasts - “Medical Education”, printed materials for patients.

Natalia Asatiani

Endocrinologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Natalia Asatiani is Head of the Clinical Department at the National Diabetes Research Center; Director of the program “Diabetes and Pregnancy”;

Associate Professor and Head of the Residency Program in Postgraduate Medical Education with the specialization “Endocrinology” at the Petre Shotadze Tbilisi Medical Academy.

Her professional experience includes:

Prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications; study of metabolic and hormonal disorders in diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. The use of extracorporeal methods in the treatment of diabetes mellitus - hemofiltration and the artificial pancreas, the Biostator. Patient education on diabetes mellitus. Experience in the treatment and education of pregnant women with diabetes mellitus. Experience in the modules of the Postgraduate Medical Education Residency Program with the specialization Endocrinology.

Professional activity:

Author of the joint Israeli-Georgian programs “Diabetes and Pregnancy” and “Screening for Gestational Diabetes”; 1997-2023. Author of the project “Methodology of Organizing Diabetes Schools” of the Ministry of Health of Georgia, 1997; Author of the project ” “ “Increasing the GP's Knowledge in Order to Prevent Diabetes Mellitus and its Late Complications”, grant of Open Society-Georgia Foundation, Soros 1998; Author of the clinical manual “Diabetes and Pregnancy”, 2008; Responsible person (local head) for the modules of the Postgraduate Medical Education Residency Program with the specialization “Endocrinology”. Academic Lecturer (Faculty) EASD Postgraduate Course, Tbilisi, Georgia, May 2015. Workshop: Diabetes and pregnancy and follow-up of care after delivery. Academic Lecturer (Faculty) - EASD Postgraduate Course, Tbilisi, Georgia, May 2018. Workshop: Diabetes and pregnancy and follow-up of care after delivery. Author of the guideline - “Management of Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus during Pregnancy”, 2015.

She is a member of the following medical organizations:

Member of the BSDU Board on Diabetes Education Member since 1997. EASD Member since 1997. Board/Directorate Member Georgian Union of Diabetes and Endocrine Associations. Editorial Board Member “Diabeti Da Janmrteloba”. Advisory Board European Association of Perinatal Medicine (EAMP). Member of the General Committee DESG (Diabetes Education Study Group of the EASD) (2012-2019). ESE Member since 2022. Member of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine (EAMP) since 2005. Author of more than 120 publications in English, Russian, and Georgian.

Nino Nadiradze

Endocrinologist, Tbilisi, Georgia

Nino Nadiradze graduated with distinction from the Academician I. Pavlov State University in St. Petersburg in 2002-2008.

2008-2010 - Completed with distinction a clinical internship at the V. Baranov Department of Endocrinology in St. Petersburg, based at the Medical Academy of Postgraduate Education.

2008-2010 - Worked as an endocrinologist at Medical Plus Clinic in St. Petersburg.

In 2012, she mastered the latest methods of treating diabetes mellitus, in particular, the use of insulin pumps and CGM systems.

Since 2017, she has been an invited lecturer at the European University.

From 2011 to the present, she has worked as an endocrinologist at the Center for Diabetes, Endocrine and Cardiopulmonary Diseases - Diacor, and at the Hepa Hepatology Clinic in Tbilisi, Georgia.

She is the author and co-author of several posters, including an oral poster, at the World Diabetes Congress. She is a member of several international associations, such as: the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS), and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE).

She is a member of the editorial committee of guidelines of the Georgian Association of Endocrinology and Metabolism (GAEM) and a member of the Health Federation of Georgia.

Under the auspices and with her participation, GAEM has translated and published the Endocrine Society and Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines on vitamin D deficiency; in 2019 the European Thyroid Association (ETA) guidelines on Graves' disease and the (ETA/EUGOGO) guidelines on Graves' orbitopathy; and in 2021 the ATA guidelines on thyroid nodules and cancer, and on RAI therapy for thyroid cancer.