The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (ESCEO) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF) have awarded the 2025 ESCEO-IOF Pierre Meunier Young Scientist Award to Dr. Elizabeth M. Curtis, Associate Professor in Rheumatology at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, and an honorary consultant rheumatologist at University Hospitals Southampton.

The prestigious annual Award, which was presented on the occasion of the WCO-IOF-ESCEO Congress in Rome, Italy on April 12, 2025, recognizes young investigators in the field who have demonstrated outstanding scientific merit early in their careers, prior to reaching a prominent academic position. The Award is named after the late Professor Pierre Meunier, a distinguished clinician and scientist who made major contributions to histomorphometry analysis and to calcium and vitamin D effects and strontium ranelate. He was a significant mentor to numerous investigators who went on to become academic leaders. 

Professor René Rizzoli, Chair of the ESCEO Scientific Advisory Board, presented the award, stating,

“It is my great pleasure to present Dr. Beth Curtis with the ESCEO-IOF Pierre Meunier Young Investigator award. Beth is an Associate Professor in Rheumatology at the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre, University of Southampton, and an honorary consultant rheumatologist at University Hospitals Southampton. Dr. Curtis completed her medical training at the University of Oxford in 2010 and went on to pursue a PhD at the University of Southampton, where she researched the mechanisms that influence musculoskeletal health in childhood, including epigenetic processes and the role of vitamin D during pregnancy. Her ongoing work focuses on the epidemiology of bone, muscle health and joint health across the lifespan, utilizing big data resources such as the UK Biobank. She collaborates internationally on a variety of projects with ESCEO and others, recently publishing a review on the impact of dementia on bone health in older people. A highly regarded expert in osteoporosis and musculoskeletal health, Dr. Curtis is widely published and is an active member of both the UK Bone Research Society Committee and the International Osteoporosis Foundation's Committee of Scientific Advisors. Her outstanding contributions to the field continue to have a significant impact on advancing our understanding of musculoskeletal health.”

Dr Curtis responded, 

“It is an honour to be presented with the ESCEO-IOF Pierre Meunier Young Investigator award, I would like to thank ESCEO and the IOF for this recognition. Of course, epidemiological research is always a team effort and I am hugely grateful to all my research colleagues and collaborators and of course our participants, who are so generous with their time. In particular, I would like to thank my mentors and past PhD supervisors Professors Nicholas Harvey and Cyrus Cooper for their support from a very early stage in my medical career. It was their enthusiasm, inspiration and belief which encouraged me along this fascinating path in musculoskeletal research and clinical practice”. 

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About the World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis & Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO-IOF-ESCEO)
Held jointly by IOF and ESCEO, the WCO-IOF-ESCEO annual congress is the world’s largest forum for the presentation of clinical research and new advances in the prevention and management of musculoskeletal disorders, including osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, sarcopenia, and frailty. The WCO-IOF-ESCEO 2025 is being held from April 10-13, 2025 in Rome, Italy. For complete information visit www.wco-iof-esceo.org/    

The next WCO-IOF-ESCO is planned from April 16-19, 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic.  

About ESCEO
The European Society for Clinical and Economic Aspects of Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (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 policymakers, 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. www.esceo.org/ 

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’s network includes membership committees comprised of scientific experts, 340 patient, medical societies and universities in more than 150 countries, as well as over 1100 Fracture Liaison Services in all regions of the world. The IOF network is united in its mission to prioritize bone health and fracture prevention, striving toward a shared vision of a world free from fragility fractures, where healthy mobility is a reality for all. @iofbonehealth
Websites: www.osteoporosis.foundation ; www.capturethefracture.org ; www.worldosteoporosisday.org ; www.buildbetterbones.org