Clinician-researcher Dr Lara Graves was recently awarded the best oral presentation prize in the Adrenal and HPA section at the 2023 International Meeting of Paediatric Endocrinology in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Dr Graves is a paediatric endocrinologist and also a researcher in Children’s Medical Research Institute’s Gene Therapy Research Unit. She is currently completing her PhD.

Her area of interest is congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) which is a group of disorders that affect how the adrenal glands work. At this conference she presented her data from preliminary research into 21-hydroxylase deficiency, which is the most common cause of CAH.

Infants with the more severe forms can experience excessive loss of salt in their urine, which can be serious. By diving into what’s happening inside individual cells affected by this condition, Dr Graves was able to make new discoveries which will help us better understand and develop treatments for these disorders.

Dr Graves has previously said that not being able to give patients answers, inspired her to move into research.

“Standard treatment for CAH hasn’t really changed since steroid medications were first introduced the 1950s, whereas the medical field has raced ahead in other areas,’’ Dr Graves said.

“My biggest frustration is that even when parents and children are trying their best to manage conditions such as CAH and do everything they’re supposed to, children can still become profoundly unwell or have significant side effects such as poor growth, depression, and fertility problems.’’

“I’ve always wanted to contribute to research with a direct impact on my patients and thought this was a great opportunity.’’