Professor Sadaf Farooqi has today become the first person to be presented with the Endocrinology Across the Life Course Award. The award recognises her leading research on obesity and is awarded jointly by the European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE).
A consultant endocrinologist at Addenbrooke’s Hospital and professor of metabolism and medicine at the Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Prof Farooqi has played an integral role in identifying the biological basis for obesity.
I am deeply honoured to receive this award in recognition of our team’s work. Over the last two decades, we have learned that obesity is an endocrine disease. I look forward to working with my colleagues and members of both Societies to harness that knowledge to deliver treatments which improve the lives of children and adults with obesity.
Professor Sadaf Farooqi, consultant endocrinologist and professor of metabolism and medicine.
Endocrinology is the medical specialism that focuses of glands within the body and the hormones they produce. It includes obesity, diabetes and thyroid disorders.
The award recognises Prof Farooqi’s fundamental contributions to the discovery and understanding of mechanisms that control human eating behaviour and energy management.
The ESPE/ESE announcement notes that:
Her work has changed attitudes towards people with severe obesity by demonstrating its biological basis. By defining human genetic obesity syndromes and their physiological consequences, her research has changed the investigation, management and, in several cases, the treatment of children and adults with severe obesity.
Prof Farroqi was selected for the award by an international committee of experts. The award recognises achievements in endocrinology research that have benefitted both children and adults. It was presented at the joint congress of the ESPE and ESE, which is currently being held in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Prof Farroqi started her career in Birmingham and Oxford before coming to Cambridge where she gained her PhD. She has published over 200 research papers and has been elected as a Fellow of both the Royal Society (FRS) and the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci).
Addenbrooke's often runs research studies on obesity and other endocrine conditions. If you are interested in taking part in research, find out how with Love Research.