Pediatric Diabetes, Metabolism and Obesity Researchers

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Medical School

Assistant Professor of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health

 

Research interests include developmental programming of metabolic disease and early life influences on pancreatic beta-cell mass. Developmental programming of metabolic disease; Early life influences on pancreatic beta-cell mass; Childhood determinants of diabetes risk; Metabolic health during lactation

Associate Director for Informatics and Clinical Research Innovation

Robert P. Kelch Professor of Pediatrics

Professor, Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases

Professor, Nutritional Sciences

 

Biomarker discovery for prediabetes and diabetes in children; The creation of learning health systems using the methods of clinical informatics, quality improvement, and patient-centered participatory design; Studies of collaborative innovation networks and the maker movement; Health applications of emerging technologies (mobile technology and social media)

David Murray Cowie M.D. Research Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases

Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Associate Professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Medical School

 

Using novel mouse models, we are exploring the neuroanatomic and molecular pathways used by the brain to regulate metabolism and energy homeostasis. We are focused on dissecting the physiologic functions of subsets of neurons within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, a critical brain region for body weight regulation. We take advantage of both novel mouse models and viral expression systems to manipulate neural activity and gene expression in specific neuronal populations in the brain in order to understand their role in physiology. Additional studies with collaborators at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, are using inducible, neuron-specific genetic changes to clarify the molecular basis of daily, biologic rhythms and explore how disruption of these rhythms predisposes organisms (rodents and humans) to pathologic changes in metabolism.