A.J. van der Lely, MD, is Chief and Professor of Clinical Endocrinology at the Department of Medicine, section of Endocrinology and Head of the Clinical Research Unit at the Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Dr. Van der Lely’s areas of research are neuro-endocrine disorders, pituitary disease, clinical and basic aspects of the role of gut hormones in metabolism. He has published more than 100 original papers and book chapters and he serves/served on the editorial board of Clinical Endocrinology (Oxford), the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation, Clinical Interventions in Aging and Nature Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. He is currently president of the Dutch Endocrine Society and secretary of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS), section of endocrinology. Dr Van der Lely has also served or is serving as consultant for several pharmaceutical companies including Sensus, Pharmacia, Novartis, Theratechnologies, Pfizer, Ipsen and Human Genome Sciences.

Dr. Ezio Ghigo is Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism, and Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Turin, Italy.  He is currently also Chairman of the Postagraduate School in Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Turin.  His research interests include the neural control of anterior pituitary function, ghrelin and synthetic GH secretagogues, the endocrinology of ageing, diabetes, and anorexia nervosa. He has authored or coauthored over 300 papers.  He is currently the editor in chief of the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation and member of the Editorial Board of other international journals in endocrinology. He is a member of a many endocrine societies and is currently vice president of the European Endocrine Society. Dr Ghigo was also the recipient of a number of honours and awards, including the 2001 Award of the Italian Society of Endocrinology and the 2003 Gold Medal Lecture Award of the Society of Endocrinology of London. Dr Ghigo has also served or is serving as consultant for several  pharmaceutical companies including Pierrel, Kabi Vitrum, Pharmacia, Europeptides, Schwarz Pharma, Novartis, Theratechnologies, Pfizer, Ipsen.