Obituary

Professor Bruno Szczygieł (born 1928), an outstanding teacher, mentor and pioneer in the field of clinical nutrition in Poland and Europe, founder of POLSPEN (1986) and Co-Founder of ESPEN (1979), passed away on Sunday, 14^th January 2024.

Professor Szczygiel worked at the Medical Academy in Warsaw, where he served as the Head of the Clinic for General Surgery, Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

In 1986 he became first chairman of the Section of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition of the Polish Medical Society, which in 1998 transformed into the Polish Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (POLSPEN). He served as the first Chairman of the Board (1998-2002).

He was a founding member of European Society for Enteral and Parenteral Nutrition (ESPEN, 1979)

He authored many publications in the field of clinical nutrition, held key academic positions, including: as Vice-Dean and Dean of the 1st Faculty of Medicine, as well as Vice-Rector for Science and Research Staff Development.

His influence on the development of nutritional treatment in Poland was invaluable.

Scientific Committee call
Call for New Members: ESPEN Scientific Committee
(2 positions)

ESPEN invites applications for two positions on the ESPEN Scientific Committee. We are seeking established physician-scientists or basic scientists who can contribute to the scientific strategy and activities of ESPEN and strengthen the Society’s national and international scientific profile.

Eligibility criteria

• Independent Principal Investigator at the level of Associate Professor or Professor
• Active research programme in clinical nutrition and/or metabolism
• Active and sustained scientific productivity, evidenced by recent peer-reviewed publications; H-index > 20 and i10-index > 30 (Google Scholar)
• Track record of competitive research funding, including current active research funding as Principal Investigator or equivalent
• National and international scientific engagement and recognition, for example through invited lectures, international collaborations, scientific leadership positions, editorial activities, guideline or consensus activities, or active participation in national and international scientific organisations
• ESPEN member for at least 5 years

Expected activities

• Scientific programme: contributing to the development and scientific quality of the ESPEN Congress programme and other ESPEN scientific activities
• Scientific evaluation: reviewing and scoring abstracts submitted to the ESPEN Congress and evaluating scientific grant proposals and other initiatives
• Congress: active participation in the ESPEN Congress, including chairing and moderating scientific sessions
• Meetings: attending the Scientific Committee’s in-person meetings in January, May and September
• Scientific strategy: contributing to the development of ESPEN’s scientific priorities and initiatives

Term of office

4 years, not renewable.

How to apply

Complete and sign the ESPEN Scientific Committee 2026 Application Form, which includes confirmation of support from your national PEN society.

Send the signed application form in PDF format to Professor Mireille Serlie, Chair of the ESPEN Scientific Committee (scientific.committee@espen.org), with a copy to the ESPEN Executive Committee (Execom@espen.org). Use the subject line: ESPEN Scientific Committee 2026 – Application

Deadline: 6 November 2026, 5 pm CET. Late submissions will not be considered.

Download the call and application form

ESPEN Educational Grants 2026 – Second Call

Take part in the ESPEN Guidelines App Survey

We are gathering feedback to gain a better understanding of how the ESPEN Guidelines App is used and to identify areas where improvements may be needed. Your input is particularly important in helping us to assess engagement levels across Europe and other regions, and your insights will directly influence future developments. 

We would be grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete our short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ESPEN-guidelines-App-Survey
The survey is anonymous and will take less than 5–10 minutes to complete.

We particularly encourage those who have not yet used the app to participate – your perspective is just as important!

About the ESPEN Guidelines App
The app now includes 14 guidelines, putting ESPEN’s trusted recommendations right in your pocket. It is available for Android and iOS.

Thank you for attending 46^th ESPEN Congress in Milan

The 46th ESPEN Congress on Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism, held in Milan, Italy, from September 7-10, 2024, was a landmark gathering that brought together 4,820 participants from 128 countries, with 1280 abstracts presented, encompassing state-of-the-art lectures, innovative symposia, hands-on workshops, and panel discussions.

The renewal of the ESPEN Committees and the Chairman took place. Rocco Barazzonni finishes his mandate and Stanisław Kłęk starts as new Chairman, joining Cristina Cuerda and Stéphane Schneider in the Executive Committee.

Delphi Consensus from the Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS)

Recently, our esteemed colleagues, Ben Kirk and Alfonso Cruz-Jentoft, have published a groundbreaking paper (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD) that highlights the remarkable accomplishments of the Global Leadership Initiative in Sarcopenia (GLIS).

As proud partners of GLIS https://www.esceo.org/glis, also ESPEN has been actively involved in supporting this initiative.

As we celebrate this milestone achievement, let us also reaffirm our commitment to supporting initiatives like GLIS that are dedicated to advancing musculoskeletal health on a global scale. Together, we can continue to make meaningful progress in addressing the challenges posed by sarcopenia and other musculoskeletal conditions, ultimately enhancing the quality of life for millions of people worldwide.