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Endocrinology

Research

Research activities cover the entire spectrum of pediatric endocrinology conditions: disorders of carbohydrate and mineral metabolism; Type 1 and 2 Diabetes; growth, puberty, the thyroid, and disorders of bone and mineral metabolism. Our faculty investigators are renowned in their clinical and basic research. This ensures that research findings translate more quickly to improved patient care and outcomes.

Dr. William Tamborlane studies diabetes and metabolism in children. He directs the Yale Center in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (DCCT/EDIC) Study. Dr. Tamborlane's ongoing project regarding the prevention of hypoglycemia is funded within The Yale Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Center grant for the study of hypoglycemia. Dr. Tamborlane holds two training grants in pediatric endocrinology/diabetes from the NIH/NIDDK. He is Deputy Director, Yale General Clinical Research Center, a multidisciplinary center that studies the causes of diseases and searches for cures by providing optimal settings for medical investigators to conduct patient-oriented research.

Dr. Sonia Caprio researches the pathophysiology of metabolic defects of juvenile obesity, including metabolic predictors and markers of childhood obesity. Her research includes the pathophysiology of Type 2 diabetes in youth, including uncovering the metabolic phenotype of pre-diabetes in youth. She is the Principle Investigator of an NIH-funded multicenter study of the treatment of T2DM in youth.

Dr. Thomas Carpenter investigates disorders of mineral metabolism in children, including calcium, phosphorus, and Vitamin D (nutritional rickets). Dr. Carpenter is director of the Physiology Core of the NIH-supported Yale Core Center for Musculoskeletal Diseases, which facilitates basic research in the bone. Dr. Carpenter serves on a committee which functions in concert with the Human Investigation Committee and the General Clinical Research Center to insure the highest quality approach to clinical research and optimum measures of safety in pediatric research.

Dr. Myron Genel is actively engaged in directing public policy relating to clinical research. Dr. Genel received the 2004 Joseph W. St. Geme Leadership Award, one of the highest honors in academic pediatrics, primarily for two decades' directing the Public Policy Council of the American Pediatric Society, Society for Pediatric Research and Association of American Pediatric Department Chairs, which he continues to lead. He served as chair of the American Medical Association's Section on Medical Schools, as a member of the Institute of Medicine's Clinical Research Roundtable, and on the executive council of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering. He is a member of the Committee on Federal Government Affairs, American Academy of Pediatrics; the Government Relations Committee, Endocrine Society; and the External Affairs Committee, Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society. Dr. Genel is interested in disorders of sexual differentiation and gender verification procedures. He was a member of the International Olympic (IOC) Committee Medical Commission's Working Group on Transexual Athletes which drafted criteria, later approved by the IOC, under which transexual athletes will be permitted to compete.

Dr. Scott A. Rivkees' laboratory has a longstanding interest in fundamental issues that are pertinent to children. These areas of interest include the development of circadian rhythms, heart formation, and brain development. Particularly he is studying the role of A1-adenosine receptor action in the developing heart and hippocampus, and in hypoglycemic brain injury.
Learn more about the Rivkees' laboratory.

Dr. Stuart Weinzimer has initiated a series of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic euglycemic clamp studies designed to look at the variations in insulin delivery and action, when given via insulin pump therapy, in children with type 1 diabetes under different demographic and clinical circumstances. He also continues, through the multi-center Diabetes Research in Children Network, to critically evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of continuous glucose monitors in children with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Weinzimer has received pilot funding through a Yale School of Nursing Program Project to evaluate childhood cancer survivors for the development of the metabolic syndrome.

Dr. Tania Burgert studies cardiovascular risk factors in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Burgert's main research involvement is in an investigator initiated placebo-controlled double blind drug intervention trial. This study incorporates many of the techniques that are important to assessing metabolism in obesity such as euglycemic clamp techniques, NMR spectroscopy, and techniques in exercise physiology. With a third year resident, she is assessing if the state of glucose tolerance as defined by OGTT is representative of real life glucose challenges as encountered by adolescents in their home environment. Glucose excursions at home will be measured by continuous subcutaneous glucose monitoring. The subjects will also have a direct assessment of their vascular health. To this end, Dr. Burgert has learned the non-invasive technique of peripheral arterial tonometry (PAT) and therefore has started to evaluate endothelial dysfunction through assessing flow mediated vascular wall dilation in Pediatric subjects. She has also initiated a collaboration with adult cardiology to further assess vascular health through measurements of intima media thickness.

Hemang Barbhaiya, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist, is studying new treatments for congenital adrenal hyperplasia.