IOF-Servier Young Investigator Research Grant
The IOF-Servier Young Investigator Research Grant aims specifically at encouraging young scientists to carry out high quality research. The grant is generously supported by the Servier Research group in partnership with IOF, and awards Euro 40,000 towards original research of significant value and international relevance in the field of osteoporosis. Consistent with IOF's objectives, the project must contribute to ensuring that osteoporosis sufferers receive the best care possible.
DEADLINE FOR THE 2010 AWARD HAS PASSED - APPLICATIONS NO LONGER ACCEPTED.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Only applicants up to 40 years of age (at the date of submission)
- Staff of pharmaceutical companies are not eligible for the grant
- The research project shall not be related to a pharmaceutical product
- There shall be no conflict of interest between Servier and the grant winner
- Applicants will be required to fully disclose any significant financial interest relating to the projects proposed for the Grant
The results of the research conducted with the aid of this Grant may be published in an international journal subject to IOF being informed in advance and should acknowledge the support of Servier and the IOF. The Award winner is expected to provide a report at the end of the period for which the funding is authorised.
2008 IOF-Servier Young Investigator Research Grant
Dr. Roger Zebaze, Research Fellow at the Department of Endocrinology, Austin Health, at the University of Melbourne has been named the winner of the 2008 IOF-Servier Young Investigator Research Grant. The Grant was awarded on March 18, 2009 at the ECCEO9-IOF meeting held in Athens.
Dr. Zebaze’s winning project will investigate whether reduced bone strength due to structural abnormalities, independent of bone mineral density, contributes to distal radius fractures in childhood. Although these fractures occur in circumstances of trauma, it is likely that underlying bone fragility is a contributing factor. Using a new peripheral computed tomography, Dr. Zebaze’s project will directly quantify and compare bone structure and strength (by FEA) in subjects with distal radius fractures with non-fracture peers matched by sex, age and pubertal status.
Fractures in children are as common as in elderly people and their direct and indirect costs to society are considerable. The results of the project will ultimately help devise adequate preventative and therapeutic measures for childhood fractures.
2006 IOF-Servier Young Investigator Research Grant
Dr. Elise Feng-i Morgan, of Boston University, received the 2006 IOF-Servier Young Investigator Grant (formerly 'Award'), presented during the 2006 IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis (IOF WCO) in Toronto, Canada. Dr. Morgan, who is Assistant Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, at Boston University, USA, won this award for her proposal to use three-dimensional visualization to understand how spine fractures start and progress, and then to test models to predict vertebral fracture. “Dr. Feng-i Morgan’s project to use the latest techniques from aerospatial and mechanical engineering to understand how vertebrae fracture, caught the judges attention as it will contribute to widening our knowledge of osteoporosis,” said IOF President Prof. Pierre D. Delmas.
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| Dr. Feng-i Morgan (right) receives medal from Laurence Alliot, Director of Division for Medical Affairs – Servier, and IOF President Prof. Pierre D. Delmas (left) |
Winner of 2004 Award
The winner of the 2004 IOF-Servier Young Investigator Research Award, presented at the 2004 IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis in Rio de Janeiro, is Professor Hong-Wen Deng. Prof. Hong-Wen Deng, who holds a tenured position at Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA, and also a secondary appointment at HuNan Normal University, China, won the Award for his proposal to study comparative genetics of osteoporosis in Caucasians and Asians (Chinese).
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| Dr. Hong-Weng Deng receives award medal from Dr. Christophe Charpentier, Director, Medical Information Division, Servier. |
Winner of 2002 Award
Dr. Yunbo Duan was awarded the 2002 award for his project, "Are racial differences in periosteal apposition during aging responsible for the racial differences in bone fragility: Studies in Asians and Caucasians".
It focuses on the structural and biomechanical basis responsible for the racial differences in fracture rates between Asians and Caucasians. Dr. Duan's hypothesis is that racial differences in periosteal expansion during aging may contribute, in part, to the racial differences in bone fragility at the spine and hip. A cross-sectional study will be conducted in 500 healthy Chinese men and 500 Chinese women age ranged 18 to 85 years living in Melbourne, Australia. Dr. Duan is currently a research fellow in the Department of Endocrinology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Australia.
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| Dr. Yunbo Duan |
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| From left: Dr. Duan receives the Award medal from the CEO of Servier International, Dr Jean-Philippe Seta, and from IOF President Prof. Pierre D. Delmas. |
Winner of 2000 Award
The first award was presented at the IOF World Congress on Osteoporosis in June 2000 to two young investigators who shared the award:
Freda Wynne of the University College of Cork, Ireland is working on a project which aims to identify the gene(s) responsible for susceptibility to low bone mineral density (BMD) in the Irish population. The project involves the collection and analysis of blood samples from an extensive set of families with low BMD. The identification of the genes which may be responsible for predisposition to osteoporosis will lead to the development of a genetic test to identify individuals at risk so that they may be targeted for preventative measures or specific treatments.
The second project, that of Dr. Luigi Gennari of the University of Florence, Italy, studies the genetics of male osteoporosis. Dr. Gennari will perform a longitudinal clinical study (2-3 years) on 500 elderly men. The results of the study are expected to uncover possible relationships between polymorphisms in male genes and bone mass, bone turnover or bone loss.
