Apply for ECTS Academy and get the chance to join the most talented young researchers and clinicians working on calcified tissues in Europe.  The ECTS Academy is aimed at strengthening the future of musculoskeletal research by attracting top scientists and assisting them in setting up their research network.

Scientific excellence and cooperative engagement for advancing musculoskeletal research are key requirements for being elected to the membership.

Key Benefits

A maximum of ten members are elected every year for a membership duration of five years. The ECTS Academy membership will not exceed 50 members and during their membership, each fellow will receive a wide range of benefits including:

• One personal research grant in the amount of €2,500.00
• Free registration at the ECTS Annual Congress (up to 5 years)

A key benefit is also the access to ECTS members and supporters which include top level scientists in Europe. The ECTS Academy members will be able to network and establish personal contacts. The ECTS Academy will receive funds to support Academy activities, such as its own ECTS Academy Annual Retreat.

Eligibility Criteria

Applications are accepted from candidates who meet the following criteria:

• The applicant is an ECTS Member and works in the musculoskeletal field in Europe.
• For Basic Scientists:
  • <10 years after degree. This period may be extended up to a maximum of 2 years in case of exceptional circumstances (illness and pregnancy/childcare).
  • At least 3 publication as first or last authors  in international peer reviewed journals.
• For MDs:
  • <10 years from MDs OR <5 from specialty. This period may be extended up to a maximum of 2 years in case of exceptional circumstances (illness and pregnancy/childcare).
  • At least 3 publication as first or last authors  in international peer reviewed journals.
• Applicants holding a permanent faculty position for at least 3 years are not eligible to apply.
• The applicant should be able to demonstrate a proven track record in securing external grant income
• The applicant should be able to demonstrate a scientific excellence profile and cooperative engagement for advancing musculoskeletal research
• The applicant should have good social skills and should have documented leadership during their career path.

Exclusion criteria: Researchers, who have been appointed to a tenure track professorship or hold a permanent position as a leader of a research team for at least 3 years.

Learn more about the ECTS Academy and apply now.  Deadline for applications: 13 December 2017

Activities of ECTS Academy are possible thanks to financial support from Amgen Europe and AgNovos Healthcare.

Fractures in patients with CKD—diagnosis, treatment, and prevention: a review by members of the European Calcified Tissue Society and the European Renal Association of Nephrology Dialysis and Transplantation

Mineral and bone disease is omnipresent in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and leads to a diverse range of clinical manifestations, including bone pain and fractures. The accumulation of traditional clinical risk factors, in addition to those related to CKD, enhances the risk of comorbidity and mortality. Despite significant advances in understanding bone disease in CKD, most clinical and biochemical targets used in clinical practice remain controversial, resulting in an undermanagement of bone fragility. Vitamin D supplementation is widely used, but only a few studies have shown beneficial effects and a reduced risk of fracture and mortality. The achievement of serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is recommended for CKD patients to reduce a high parathyroid hormone level, which is associated with skeletal fractures. Optimal control of parathyroid hormone also improves bone mineralization and lowers circulating bone biomarkers such as alkaline phosphatase and cross-linked collagen type I peptide. The potential value of more recent biomarkers such as sclerostin and fibroblast growth factor 23, as surrogates for bone fragility, is an encouraging new direction in clinical research but is far from being firmly established. This article reviews the literature related to the pathophysiological role of various mineral and biochemical factors involved in renal osteodystrophy. To better understand bone fragility in CKD, new information related to the impact of disturbances of mineral metabolism on bone strength is urgently needed. The combined expertise of clinicians from various medical disciplines appears crucial for the most successful prevention of fractures in these patients.

The full article has been published by Kidney International and is co-authored by ECTS and ERA-EDTA.

Read here the job description of Group Leaders at Quantitative Tissue Biology and Disease Modelling at EMBL Barcelona, Spain.

Webcasts, summaries, interviews and stories from research presented at the ECTS 2017 Congress, 13-16 May 2017, Salzburg, Austria.

Access here the ECTS 2017 Congress Report.  Additional session recordings are available at https://ectsoc.org/webcasts-ects-2017/.