Dr. Pinnaro, pediatric endocrine fellow, has published her recent research that finds several candidate genes which may modify the phenotype of 22q11.2 syndrome. This genetic syndrome can cause congenital structural heart disease, failure of the parathyroid glands to properly form, and immunodeficiency. Although the effects of the syndrome vary from person to person, the reasons for this variability is unknown. Thus, Dr. Pinnaro set out to understand whether other genetic regions might be the reason. Her findings show that various genes might indeed contribute. She is the lead author on the work which is published in the January 2020 issue of Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine. Congratulations to Dr. Pinnaro for the results of her hard work in this area.
Children, adolescents, and young adults with neuromuscular disorders are at risk for various endocrine complications. For example, Duchenne muscular dystrophy is associated with risk of various endocrine conditions including poor bone health, adrenal insufficiency, obesity, pubertal delay, and short stature. To help with these issues, in 2019, Dr. Vanessa Curtis joined the multidisciplinary Neuromuscular team at the University of Iowa to provide endocrine care to patients in this clinic. This week, Dr. Curtis attended the Parent Project MD meeting in San Diego to further her skills in this emerging area of medicine.
We are pleased to report that Dr. Liuska Pesce, one of our pediatric endocrine faculty, has been selected to co-chair & then chair the Pediatric Endocrinology Self-assessment Program for the Endocrine Society in 2020 & 2021. As part of this group, she helped publish Pediatric ESAP 2019-2020, ESAP Special Edition: Historical Perspectives for Today’s Clinician, and Pediatric ESAP 2017- 2018.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dr. Pinnaro, pediatric endocrine fellow, with supervision from pediatric endocrine faculty Dr. Curtis, have devised a simulator that models how pediatric patients develop ketones and how insulin dosing can be applied to prevent ketoacidosis. They have just published an overview of their work in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.
