•Dr. Karel Pacak is an endocrinologist and tenured Chief of the Section on Medical Neuroendocrinology at National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA

•He is recognized internationally for patient-oriented pheochromocytoma (PHEO) and paraganglioma(PGL) research program. He discovered novel genes including HIF2A, SUCLG2, PHD1, and IRP1 in the pathogenesis of PHEO/PGL, introduced genotype-specific functional imaging approaches of PHEO/ PGL into clinical practice, and introduced PARP inhibitors with temozolomide and ascorbic acid as potential treatmentoptions in metastatic PHEO/PGL.

•He established the international pheochromocytoma conferences (ISP). He published over 660 peer-reviewed articles.

•He has received many distinguished awards from the International Association of Endocrine Surgeons, Australian Endocrine Society, Inish Endocrine Society, the Outstanding Clinical Endocrinologist Award and Frontiers in Science and Distinction in Endocrinology Award from AACE, the Outstanding Clinical Investgator Award from the US Endocrine Society, Purkyne Medal from the Czech Medical Society, and the Director’s Awards from the NIH and NICHD.