COURSE GUIDE - International Association for the Study of Obesity

Speaker BiographiesArne AstrupArne Astrup was awarded a degree in medicine from the Universityof Copenhagen in 1981, and a Doctorate of Medical Sciencein 1986. He is Head of The Department of Human Nutrition atThe Faculty of Life Sciences (LIFE), University of Copenhagen,Denmark, where he was awarded the Chair in Nutrition in 1990,and Director of the Nordea Foundation funded OPUS researchcentre 2009-13. He is currently Associate Editor of AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition.Main research areas: physiology and pathophysiology of energyand substrate metabolism, with focus on the etiology and treatmentof obesity. Major research collaborations include participation in theEU multicenter studies EUROSTARCH, CARMEN, NUGENOB,DIABESITY, DIOGENES, EMOB, and HEALTHGRAIN.Honours: Knight of the Order of Dannebrog 1999. Servier’sAward for Outstanding Obesity Research 1990; IASO AndréMayer Award 1994; Danone Chair in Nutrition at The Universityof Antwerp 2002; LIFE Communication Prize 2007; InternationalAssociation of Business Communicators’ EME Excel Merit Awardfor Communication Leadership 2009; LIFE Innovations Award 2010;Nutrition & Santé Weight Management Award (France) 2010.Consultant or member of advisory boards for European AlmondAdvisory Board; Communications and Scientific Advisory Board ofThe Global Dairy Platform, USA; 7TM Pharma, DK; NovoNordisk,DK; NeuroSearch, DK; Basic Research, USA; Kraft FoodsWorldwide Health & Wellness Advisory Council; Jennie Craig,USA. Recipient of honoraria as speaker for a wide range of Danishand international concerns.Henning BliddalHenning Bliddal, MD, DMSci, Professor of RheumatologyHenning Bliddal is a specialist in rheumatology. Since 1997 he hasbeen Leader and Professor of Research at the Parker Institute,a clinical research unit in rheumatology, University Hospital atFrederiksberg, Copenhagen.In addition to having initiated a substantial number of researchprojects, Henning Bliddal supervises numerous medical studentsand physicians, including 20 PhD students. He has extensiveteaching experience and is a regular contributor and guest speakerat national and international congresses.Henning Bliddal has contributed to textbooks, and has publishedmore than 200 papers (April 2011) in international medical journalscovering many different aspects of rheumatology. For detailsplease refer to PubMed and Embase. His main research focusis clinical including diagnostics, imaging, medical therapy, andrehabilitation. He is also a frequent reviewer for scientific andmedical journals.Henning Bliddal has been especially involved in projects ofosteoarthritis with focus on non-surgical treatment, especiallydietary intervention with systematic weight loss programs for theobese. The Parker program has been developed over these yearsand has a very significant impact on the knee osteoarthritis withincrease function. Studies are continuing to evaluated the possiblechanges in the joint.George BrayAfter completing his undergraduate work at Brown University inProvidence Rhode Island where he graduated summa cum laudein 1953, Dr. Bray entered Harvard Medical School where hegraduated Magna cum Laude in 1957. His internship on the OslerService of The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD wasfollowed by a Research Associateship at NIH. After completinghis training in internal medicine and endocrinology residency at theUniversity of Rochester Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester,NY, Dr. Bray spent a year at the National Institute for MedicalResearch in London followed by further training in endocrinologyat the Tufts-New England Medical Center in Boston. In 1970,after 8 years in Boston, Dr. Bray accepted a position as Director ofthe Clinical Research Center at the Harbor UCLA Medical Center.He organized the First Fogarty International Center Conference onObesity in 1972 and Chaired the Second International Congresson Obesity held in Washington DC in 1977.In 1989 Dr. Bray became the first Executive Director of thePennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge,Louisiana. He oversaw the growth of the facility from 25 employeesand a million dollar budget to a flourishing research center withover 70 scientists, 350 employees and an annual budget of nearly$ 20 million.Dr. Bray is now a Boyd (University) Professor at the PenningtonBiomedical Research Center of Louisiana State University in BatonRouge, Louisiana, and Professor of Medicine at the LouisianaState University Medical Center in New Orleans. He is PrincipalInvestigator for the Diabetes Prevention Program OutcomesStudy and the Look AHEAD study, 2 multi-center NIH-fundedclinical trials. He is a Master in the American College of Physiciansand the American College of Endocrinology. He is a member ofnumerous professional societies including the American MedicalAssociation, The Obesity Society, The Endocrine Society, theAmerican Diabetes Association, the American Association ofClinical Endocrinologists, the American Physiological Society. In1982 he founded the North American Association for the Studyof Obesity (NAASO now The Obesity Society), and he was thefounding editor of Obesity Research, as well as co-founder ofthe International Journal of Obesity and the founding editor ofEndocrine Practice.Charles CapperCharles Capper is currently a practicing GP partner in a mediumsized practice in North London at which he is the obesity lead. Hequalified as a solicitor in 1986 and practiced as such for 10 yearsbefore retraining in medicine. He has been practicing medicinesince 2001 and became interested in obesity and has attendedconferences organised by EASO and NOF. Charles Capper isinvolved in medical student and GP registrar training and activelypromotes understanding of obesity management in this rolevia lectures and tutorials. He regularly audits and reviews themanagement of obesity within his practice.15