A Physicians Journey: Chasing hormones you never knew you had and why you need them

(Paperback)

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When Emeritus Professor Eric Espiner commenced training as a physician specialising in endocrinology, there were no validated tests for the hormones thought to be the cause of many of the disorders encountered in clinical practice. That all changed in the 1950s and Espiner was in the right place at the right time to begin his unplanned and immensely productive career.

A Physicians Journey is one of discovery: how hormones can be used or manipulated to benefit the health of a patient. Findings that the heart in humans is itself an endocrine gland have changed the established view of how cardiovascular health is maintained in people; that some of these same heart hormones also participate in maintaining health in such diverse areas as skeletal development and neurological disorders, including Parkinsons disease.

Written with the wisdom and insights borne of more than 90 years of life, Eric Espiners memoir offers an engaging account of curious and dedicated physicians working alongside like-minded scientists, across disciplines, in a community hospital where the culture of enquiry was firmly entrenched. It highlights how chance, shifting opportunities and the vagaries of funding can determine research outcomes.

Reviews

Good science so often has application for patients, and indeed for industry, in ways that can never be predicted by Treasury or politicians. A Physicians Journey contains vital lessons about the importance of refreshing our investment in both basic biomedical and clinical science.

From the Foreword by Sir Peter Gluckman ONZ KNZM FMedSci FRS

President, International Science Council

Director, Koi T: The Centre for Informed Futures, Auckland

Author Bio

Since graduating from the University of Otago Medical School in 1957, Eric Espiner has been at the forefront of endocrinology both in New Zealand and worldwide. He has received numerous awards and authored more than 350 peer-reviewed publications. He has also been heavily involved with training, teaching and mentoring both endocrinologists and research scientists. Now, in his tenth decade, when not dreaming of the next research project, he can be found hiking, biking or striking tennis balls. He also restores perspective through a lifelong passion for classical music of all genres.