Prof. HU Wei co-chaired the neuroendocrinology session on the 10th International Symposium on Fish Endocrinology's opening day. (Credit: IHB)

From September 15 to 19, 2024, Prof. HU Wei and Dr. TAO Binbin from the Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences attended the 10th International Symposium on Fish Endocrinology in Baltimore, USA. They were invited by renowned fish endocrinologist Prof. Yonathan Zohar from the University of Maryland’s Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET) and Dr. Vance Trudeau, president of the International Society of Fish Endocrinology and professor at the University of Ottawa.

The symposium, organized by IMET and hosted by the International Society of Fish Endocrinology, featured a broad range of research topics, including neuroendocrinology, reproductive endocrinology, developmental endocrinology, sex determination and differentiation, behavioral regulation by hormones, endocrine disruption, hormone interactions, feeding, metabolism, growth regulation, and advancements in genomics and epigenetics. Researchers from 23 countries, including China, the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, participated, delivering a total of 69 presentations.

Prof. Hu co-chaired the neuroendocrinology session on the symposium’s opening day and presented findings on a new role for the classic reproductive axis signaling molecule GnRH3, which appears to regulate sex differentiation and courtship behavior in fish. Dr. Tao’s presentation introduced the team’s discovery of a nucleolar protein essential for oocyte development in fish.

Prof. Hu also held in-depth discussions with Dr. Trudeau on their ongoing collaborative research, aimed at advancing knowledge in fish endocrinology, particularly in reproductive and neuroendocrine mechanisms.

The International Symposium on Fish Endocrinology, held every four years, first convened in Canada in 1988 and has since been hosted by several countries, including France, Japan, the United States, Spain, Argentina, Sweden, and Portugal. This year's symposium furthered its legacy as a vital global forum for advancements in fish endocrinology.

Dr. TAO Binbin gave an oral presentation at the 10th International Symposium on Fish Endocrinology. (Credit: IHB)