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Dr. Larson Ode Publishes on the Endocrine Complications of Cystic Fibrosis.

Dr. Larson Ode

It has been a productive fall for Dr. Larson Ode, who has published 5 review articles focused on various endocrine complications of cystic fibrosis. You can find summaries of these works at the following links: one – two – three – four – five. Dr. Larson Ode is a leading expert in the clinical care and clinical research involving persons with cystic fibrosis who have developed diabetes and other endocrine complications. She sees children and adult patients in the cystic fibrosis clinic to help them manage these conditions. On the research side, she coordinates a variety of clinical studies here at Iowa and also at other academic medical centers across the country to better understand these complications. She is also serving as a career and research mentor to several junior endocrinology faculty across the country to further their expertise and research in this important area. Kudos Dr. Larson Ode on your accomplishments!

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Endocrinology & Sports Medicine

Dr. Vanessa Curtis

Sports performance and hormonal systems are closely intertwined. There are several hormonal / endocrine conditions that can greatly impair sports performance. Conversely, exercise can benefit the endocrine system. However, there are times that intense sports participation can adversely affect various hormones. Dr. Vanessa Curtis has interest and expertise in these complex interactions, and treats children and adolescents with such conditions in her clinic. Gender of course has a powerful influence on this interplay. To this end, Dr. Curtis just served as an invited speaker for the 35th Annual University of Iowa Sports Medicine Symposium, speaking on Gender and Sex in Sport. Also along these lines, Dr. Curtis has traveled to various parts of the state of Iowa over the past few years to provide lectures on Athletes with Type 1 Diabetes and Childhood Obesity to residency programs.

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Dr. Larson Ode to Help Mentor Faculty Across the Country.

Dr. Larson Ode

There is a strong need to train endocrinologist to help provide expert care for the endocrine complications experienced by patients with cystic fibrosis. For this reason, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has established a program to identify national leaders in this area who can help mentor other endocrinologists. We are proud of Dr. Katie Larson Ode, who has been named one of the selected mentors to help train the future leaders in cystic fibrosis endocrinology. This honor includes grant funds to support her time in these efforts.

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Dr. Sandberg to Serve as Co-leader for the National Education Subcommittee for the Pediatric Endocrine Society

Dr. Sandberg

Dr. Sandberg is an ardent educator regarding training medical professionals at all levels on how to provide compassionate and informed care for highly vulnerable youth with endocrine needs. To this end, Dr. Sandberg serves as the co-leader of the education subcommittee of one of the related special interest groups at the national Pediatric Endocrine Society. We thank her for her important service in this area and for helping educate health care providers how to provide the best care possible.

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Dr. Tansey Elected to the American Pediatric Society

Dr. Tansey

The American Pediatric Society (APS) was founded in 1888 and remains the most prestigious pediatric academic organization in North America. Election to the APS is highly selective, recognizing those pediatricians who have exhibited leading excellence in their pediatric-focused scholarship, advocacy, education, and leadership. We are thus quite proud to announce that our own Dr. Mike Tansey has been elected to the APS, effective January 1st, 2020. Dr. Tansey received his medical training at Loyola School of Medicine. He then completed a pediatric residency followed by a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at the University of Iowa. While a pediatric endocrinology fellow he became interested in diabetes-focused clinical research. He quickly showed great aptitude for the design of important and practical research studies to help address key knowledge gaps in how we manage diabetes in pediatric patients. He has developed nationally recognized expertise in continuous glucose monitoring and the impact of exercise on glucose levels in children with type 1 diabetes. He has given invited lectures at the annual American Diabetes Association scientific sessions. Dr. Tansey is an important contributor at the University of Iowa, where is an active clinical member of our pediatric endocrinology and diabetes program, but also serves as the Associate Vice Chair for Faculty Development in Pediatrics, and as the Interim-Chair Health Information Management Subcommittee. He also is the director of the Pediatric Endocrinology fellowship program. Finally, he provides important service to the state and region by being the (volunteer) Medical Director for Hertko Hollow Diabetes Camp for children, located in central Iowa. Congratulations Dr. Tansey for this well earned honor of being elected to the APS.

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Dr. Pesce Serves on National Thyroid Committee

Dr. Pesce

Dr. Pesce is now a member of the American Thyroid Association Patient Affairs & Education Committee . She plans to serve on this committee through fall 2022. We thank her for her service in this area, helping make sure that pediatric thyroid considerations are well represented at the national level. Back here in Iowa, Dr. Pesce is the Director of the Pediatric Thyroid Clinic at the UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, where she provides expert care for children and adolescents with thyroid conditions including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism including Graves Disease, thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer.

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Dr. Kanner Opens Clinic for Evaluation and Treatment of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Adolescent Girls.

Dr. Kanner

Polycystic ovarian syndrome, often abbreviated as PCOS, affects 4-12% of American women. What is less commonly appreciated is that PCOS can start as early as puberty. Symptoms can include irregular periods, excess body/facial hair growth , and acne. Diagnosis of PCOS is less straightforward in adolescents compared to adults. Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Lauren Kanner has assembled a multidisciplinary clinical team to help tackle PCOS in adolescents. The clinic offers a full PCOS diagnostic work-up and provides ongoing screening and treatment regarding any metabolic, weight, and hyperandrogen concerns. The clinic includes dietary and psychology services. Referral to other specialists needed for care, such as dermatology and gynecology, is also provided. Currently the clinic meets monthly. Browse to the “Clinical Website” on the Links page to find appointment contacts.

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Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Persons Without Diabetes

Dr. Tansey

We have entered a new era whereby wearable continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) can provide a reasonable representation of a person’s blood glucose for days on end. These devices have been very useful for persons with diabetes. However, one difficulty has been understanding what glucose levels reported by these devices represent normal. To better addressed this knowledge gap, our own Dr. Tansey helped direct a study assessing CGM data collected from healthy persons without diabetes. The results are now published in the prestigious Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The results from this study will be very useful, especially when assessing persons who might be in the process of developing diabetes to determine when their blood glucose levels deviate from normal patterns.

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Dr. Sandberg Opens Pediatric Endocrine Outreach Clinic in Cedar Falls

Dr. Sandberg

To help better distribute pediatric endocrine care across the state, Dr. Sandberg has started a new outreach pediatric endocrine clinic in Cedar Falls. She will be seeing pediatric endocrine patients there on Wednesdays. To find how to schedule an appointment, go to the links page and click on the “Clinical Website” link. (Note that at this time, the Cedar Falls clinic does not have the personnel or resources to see pediatric diabetes patients at that location.)