The 2014 ESCEO-IOF Servier Pierre D. Delmas Prize was awarded today to Cyrus Cooper, Professor of Rheumatology and Director of the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, and Professor of Musculoskeletal Science at the University of Oxford.
Presented at the opening of the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases in Seville, Spain, the prestigious annual Prize honours an outstanding researcher who has made major scientific contributions to the study of bone and mineral diseases. The Prize, granted by the European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) with the support of Servier is valued at 40,000 EUR.
Presenting the Prize in Seville, Professor Bess Dawson Hughes, IOF General Secretary, commented "We are delighted to present this award to one of the field's most distinguished scientists and educators. Cyrus Cooper has been identified recently as among the 400 most influential biomedical researchers worldwide and the highest ranked within the bone field. His body of work has made essential contributions across several key areas. Most notably, his pioneering clinical studies on the developmental origins of peak bone mass have provided invaluable insights that impact on a wide spectrum of research within the field."
Professor Cooper stated, "I am greatly honoured to receive this prestigious Prize. Research is always a collaborative effort and as such this Award also recognizes the excellent work of my dedicated colleagues at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, as well as more widely within the University of Southampton and NHS Trust."
Cyrus Cooper leads an internationally competitive programme of research into the epidemiology of musculoskeletal disorders, most notably osteoporosis. Key research contributions have included the discovery of the developmental influences which contribute to the risk of osteoporosis and hip fracture in late adulthood; demonstration that maternal vitamin D insufficiency is associated with sub-optimal bone mineral accrual in childhood; characterization of the definition and incidence rates of vertebral fractures; and leadership of large randomized controlled trials of calcium and vitamin D supplementation in the elderly as immediate preventative strategies against hip fracture. Professor Cooper is Chairman of the IOF Committee of Scientific Advisors; Chair of the MRC Population Health Sciences Research Network; Associate Director of Research at the University of Southampton Medical School; and Associate Editor of the journal Osteoporosis International. He has published over 630 research papers on osteoporosis and rheumatic disorders.
About the ESCEO-IOF Servier Pierre D. Delmas Prize
The Prize is named after the late Pierre Delmas, the eminent researcher and founding IOF President who was Professor of Medicine and Rheumatology at the University of Lyon, France and Director of the INSERM research unit 'Pathophysiology of Osteoporosis'. It has been awarded annually since 2010 with the support of Servier.
About IOF
The International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) is the world's largest nongovernmental organization dedicated to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and related musculoskeletal diseases. IOF members, including committees of scientific researchers, leading companies, as well as more than 200 patient, medical and research societies, work together to make bone, joint and muscle health a worldwide heath care priority. http://www.iofbonehealth.org ; http://www.facebook.com/iofbonehealth ; http://twitter.com/iofbonehealth #OsteoCongress
About ESCEO
The European Society for Clinical & Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis (ESCEO) is a non-profit organization, dedicated to a close interaction between clinical scientists dealing with rheumatic disorders, pharmaceutical industry developing new compounds in this field, regulators responsible for the registration of such drugs and health policy makers, to integrate the management of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis within the comprehensive perspective of health resources utilization. The objective of ESCEO is to provide practitioners with the latest clinical and economic information, allowing them to organize their daily practice, in an evidence-based medicine perspective, with a cost-conscious perception. http://www.esceo.org
Information about the IOF-ESCEO World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases is available at http://www.wco-iof-esceo.org
Media contact
Charanjit K. Jagait, PhD
Communications Director, International Osteoporosis Foundation
Tel.: +41 22 994 01 02 • Mob.: +41 79 874 52 08 • Email: cjagait@iofbonehealth.org