ECTS Awards
In fulfillment of the ECTS mission to foster excellence in bone and musculoskeletal research, during the 2019 Congress in Budapest several major prices were awarded.
Steven Boonen Clinical Research Award
This award is dedicated to Steven Boonen, a translational and clinical researcher with a focus on age-related skeletal fragility. The ECTS/Amgen Steven Boonen Clinical Research Award is given to physicians who have made significant progress and contribution to the field of clinical bone research. The 2019 awardee is Roger Bouillon (Leuven, Belgium), an outstanding basic, translational and clinical investigator; the major research topic of his scientific career is vitamin D.
Mike Horton Basic/Translational Award
This award honors Mike Horton, a hematologist who performed pioneering work in osteoclast research. The award is given to individuals who have made a significant basic or translational contribution to the field of bone and calcified tissue. The recipient of the 2019 award is Miep Helfrich (Aberdeen, United Kingdom) who significantly advanced our knowledge of osteoclast biology and served as a role model for young scientists.
Iain T Boyle Award
Iain T Boyle contributed greatly to the field of mineral metabolism and osteoporosis. This award is given to young scientists who have made significant progress and contributions to the field of bone and calcified tissue. The 2019 awardee, Bjorn Busse (Hamburg, Germany), made significant discoveries in skeletal imaging and bone quality analyses by using very innovative techniques.
Philippe Bordier Clinical Award
Philippe Bordier made important progress to our understanding of metabolic bone diseases by the development of histomorphometry. The ECTS Philippe Bordier Clinical Award is given to individuals who have made a significant clinical contribution to the field of bone and calcified tissue. In 2019 the price was awarded to Christian Meier (Basel, Switzerland), an experienced clinician and researcher in metabolic bone diseases.
ECTS Excellence in Research Award
This award is selected by the ECTS Board of Directors and honors a scientist who substantially advanced the field of musculoskeletal research. The recipient of the 2019 Excellence in Research Award is Klaus Engelke (Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany). Klaus significantly promoted osteoporosis and musculoskeletal research by developing a multitude of novel in vivo and in vitro techniques for the imaging and analysis of bone tissue.
Peter Pietschmann, Co-Chair, ECTS Grants and Awards Committe