International Bone and Mineral Society

The International Bone and Mineral Society has its origins in the Parathyroid Conferences, a triennial event run from 1960 to 1977.

[1] The conferences started off focusing on the biology related to parathyroid hormones and calcitonin, but widened the scope to match participants' interests, and began covering osteoporosis, vitamin D, and the cellular and molecular biology of bone.

[2] In 1980, the group was incorporated in Quebec, Canada, under the name International Conferences on Calcium Regulating Hormones (ICCRH).

IBMS rotated its meetings among North America, Europe, and the Pacific region.

It also organized the biennial International Conference on Osteoporosis and Bone Disease, held in China, in collaboration with the International Chinese Hard Tissue Society and the Chinese Society of Osteoporosis and Bone and Mineral Research.

The purpose of this event was to Gordon Conference style of forum for students, post-doctoral researchers, and early stage principal investigators to present their work, network with colleagues, and obtain feedback from scientists experienced in the field.