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a brief history of the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society
The field of androgen excess research, particularly the study of polycystic ovary syndrome and its relationship to metabolic abnormalities, grew exponentially during the 1990s. This was associated with an increased awareness of the disorder among patients and the general public, the increasing degree of collaboration among investigators from different disciplines, and pharmaceutical interests which drove specific research in this area. As it became evident that the number of patients with androgen excess represented a significant fraction of the population, and as the number of investigators in this area was growing rapidly, the need for an androgen excess investigator-initiated society became increasingly evident.
During the 82 nd Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society, June 21-24, 2000, in Toronto, Canada, Drs. Richard S. Legro, John E. Nestler, and Ricardo Azziz met to discuss the organization of such a society. It was proposed that a meeting would be held at the following Endocrine Society’s annual meeting to assemble many of the experts in the area and discuss the possibility of creating such an organization. An organizing committee, composed of Drs. Didier Dewailly, Andrea Dunaif, Stephen Franks, Lourdes Ibanez, Richard S. Legro, John E. Nestler, Carlos Moran, and Ann E. Taylor, was created, and the national and international community of androgen excess investigators was queried regarding their interest and the potential goals of such a society.
On June 22, 2001, at the Adams Mark Hotel, Denver, CO, the first organizing meeting of what would become the Androgen Excess Society was held with over 60 national and international figures in the area of research in androgen-related disorders attending. From this meeting, four sub-committees were established to deal with “Mission/Purpose”, “Membership requirements”, “Organization name”, and “Dues and organizational structure”. The committees presented their reports in mid-September. In the interim, the infrastructure of the organization was propelled by two small, but generous, grants from Wyeth Pharmaceuticals and Organon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
On June 20, 2002, in the San Francisco Marriott, San Francisco, CA, in conjunction with the 84 th Annual Meeting of the Endocrine Society, the second organizational meeting was held. At this crucial meeting, attended by over 50 investigators, the bylaws of the organization were ratified, the name of the organization approved, and the first election of officers of the Society was completed, with all individuals present voting. Dr. John E. Nestler was elected the first President of the Society. Other officers of the Society included Drs. Ann E. Taylor, Andrea Dunaif, David Ehrmann, Walter Miller, Stephen Franks, and Richard S. Legro. The Board subsequently named Dr. Ricardo Azziz as Executive Director of the Society. During the remainder of 2002, the Society was incorporated in the state of California, with its bylaws approved in November of 2002, subsequently receiving tax-exempt status from the state of California and from the federal government. The website of the Society, the principal mechanism of communication with the world and membership at large, was also created during this time, as were the logo and seal of the Society which were trademarked.
The First Annual Meeting of the Androgen Excess Society was held June 18, 2003, in the Austrian Auditorium of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA. During following yars, Dr. Ann E. Taylor, Dr. Enrico Carmina and Dr. Onno E. Janssen have been Presidents of the Society.
At the last meeting in Toronto, June 1st 2007, Dr. Robert Norman was elected as new President of AES. From September 1st 2007, Dr. Enrico Carmina has assumed the role of Executive Director of the Society.
Because PCOS represents the androgen excess disorder, in November 2007, the overwhelming majority of active members voted to change the name of the Society to the actual name of: ANDROGEN EXCESS AND PCOS SOCIETY.
The Society is now planning its sixth annual meeting, and continues to grow, consistent with the clinical significance of androgen excess disorders and mostly of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and the international presence of most of the investigators in this area. We look forward to a continued and productive future as we develop further programs to prioritize and stimulate research efforts, and educate the public and medical community, regarding these disorders.