People

Tobias Else

Namita Hattangady

Ono Yoshikiyo

Shan Wilson

 

Tobias Else

My main clinical and research interest is the care for people with adrenal diseases and inherited cancer syndromes. It is very important to me to have a direct connection between my clinical care and my research as well as a collaborative exchange with other researchers world-wide. I am attending the Endocrine Oncology Clinic and Cancer Genetics Clinic. Patients with hereditary syndromes are the main focus in both clinics, as are endocrine tumors and hormone access syndromes. I am leading the von Hippel Lindau Comprehensive Clinical Care Center, which delivers high-end care to patients and families with this diagnosis through a network of specialized physicians dedicated to the care for VHL at the University of Michigan. As part of endocrine genetics focus we also care for patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1& 2, hereditary paraganglioma syndromes (SDHx-related diseases), as well as for patients with endocrine manifestation due to other hereditary conditions.

As part of the dedication to rare disease, we started the Michigan Endocrine Oncology Repository (MEOR) in 2011 and also work in close relationship with the Cancer Genetics Registry at the University of Michigan. We are most thankful to all our patients who consented to these registries and provided samples over the years. These rare biospecimens fuel the research in our laboratory and make new discoveries regarding these ultra-rare diseases possible. We are proud to work together with our patients on the common goal to improve care for patients with rare endocrine diseases and hereditary tumor syndromes and are excited that more than 1000 patients have joined us in these efforts over the years.

I believe that research is only possible as part of a large research team and through large collaborative platforms around the globe. To enhance common research activities, increase exchange between research sites and to gather a critical amount of patients for clinical studies in rare diseases, we founded the American-Australian-Asian Adrenal Alliance (A5), which will exactly fulfill these purposes and closely collaborate with our European colleagues of the ENS@T network.

I got my medical education at the University of Hamburg in Germany and the Leopold Franzens University in Innsbruck Austria and graduated in 2000. After initial clinical training in Internal Medicine in Germany, I stated a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan in Ann arbor, working on the effect of dysfunctional telomeres on tumor development. From 2008 to 2014 I conducted a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Endocrinology at the University of Michigan, where I now practice and work as an assistant professor in medical care and research. In addition to clinical care and direct patient-related translational research, I enjoy teaching learners of all levels from undergraduate students to fellows, just as I strive to continue a lifelong learning in a stimulating academic environment.