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Diabetes Camp Hertko Hollow 2026 – A Wonderful Summer Session

Dr. Palmer & Dr. Tansey

Diabetes Camps are a summer highlight for many kids who live with diabetes. Camp represents a chance to experience outdoor fun, make new friends who understand what it is like to have diabetes and learn more about diabetes self-care, all while under the watchful eye of diabetes-knowledgeable camp counselors and staff. Several of the staff in our Division help support Camp Hertko Hollow (click for link ), a diabetes camp in central Iowa with access to 400 acres of forest / outdoor recreation space. Dr. Palmer from our division serves to provide medical direction for the camp, and diabetes nurse Susan Huff has long volunteered to support the camp. This year’s camp occurred June 21-27. The Camp website (link above) also has details about Mini Camp and Family Camp opportunities, as well as next summer’s Camp and financial assistance. Sponsorship, donation, and volunteer opportunities also exist. We are grateful for the doctors and nurses from our Division who have volunteered their time in camp last week: Dr. Palmer, Dr. Tansey, Dr. Castaño, Dr. Baum, Dr. Radig, Dr. Gu, Alex LaCarte ARNP, Sue Huff RN, & Ashley Norris RN. Also, a special thanks to Drs. Ariel Roghair, Dr. Julie Lindower, and Kelly Hoenig PharmD from outside our division for helping out. Some of the physician and nurse volunteers from last week are pictured below.

Camp Hertko Hollow – Summer 2026 – some of the Medical Staff Volunteers
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Pediatric Endocrine Fellows Present their Research at International Meeting

In early June, the American Diabetes Association held its annual international scientific meeting. Over 12,000 diabetes researchers and physicians from around the globe gather to discuss the newest and most important developments in diabetes research. Our two senior fellows had their work selected to be presented at the meeting. We are proud that they were selected for this honor. Also, several faculty from our division contributed to presentations at the meeting including Drs. Larson Ode, Norris, Pinnaro and Tansey. The fellow research presentations were as follows:

  • Dr. Power: “Age at Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis Is an Independent Risk Factor from HLA for Development of Type 1 Diabetes in First-Degree Relatives” (abstract doi link)
  • Dr. Baum: “Retatrutide Enhances Weight Loss in Female Mice and Preserves Muscle Mass, Strength, and Mitochondrial Efficiency” (abstract doi link)
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Dr. Pinnaro Begins a New Chapter

Dr. Catherina Pinnaro

Dr. Pinnaro will soon embark on a new chapter in her pediatric endocrinology career, marking the end of a decade (almost) of connection with our division. She first joined us as a fellow and went on to become an integral member of our faculty, leaving a lasting mark on our community. We are deeply grateful for Dr. Pinnaro’s many stellar contributions to our division’s missions, including enhancement of our fellowship program, provision of skilled clinical care to her patients, leadership of diabetes camp, and creation of meaningful clinical research endeavors. During her time here, she built a thriving clinical research program focused on understanding the increased risk of diabetes in individuals with Turner syndrome. Dr. Pinnaro’s insight, steady judgment, and collegial spirit have enriched our division in countless ways and she will be deeply missed. At the same time, we celebrate her accomplishments and the impact she will undoubtedly continue to have. We wish Dr. Pinnaro every success at the start of an age in her new faculty role at McMaster University.

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Discussion of Teplizumab for Stage 2 Type 1 Diabetes

In the following interview, Drs. Norris, Pinnaro, and Tansey discuss the clinical use of teplizumab therapy to delay the onset of insulin dependence in persons with stage 2 (i.e. pre-diabetes stage) type 1 diabetes. Our division was one of the groups that helped conduct the multi-center clinical trials that demonstrated the efficacy of teplizumab. The interview can be found on this Vimeo link.

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Our Division’s Scholarship Well Represented at National Pediatric Endocrine Society Meeting

Dr. Kyle Baum
Dr. Power
Dr. Kanner

Each year, pediatric endocrinologists from around the world attend the “PES Annual Meeting”, hosted by the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES). This year’s PES meeting was held April 30 – May 3. Several Division members were selected to present their research and/or to share their clinical expertise.

Dr. Baum: Presented a poster on his research into how potent obesity medications impact skeletal muscle health.

Dr. Power: Gave a lecture regarding his research examining how the age at which type 1 diabetes develops might run in families.

Dr. Kanner: Gave a symposium talk on primary ovarian insufficiency in adolescents.

Congratulations to all for helping advance the field of Pediatric Endocrinology.

Photos of division members at the meeting can be found in the pictures section here.

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DAISY Award!

Our division is fortunate to work with a dedicated group of Pediatric Diabetes Nurses. We are thrilled that they have just won a Daisy Award for their work! The Daisy Award recognizes nurses who exemplify skillful and compassionate care to patients and their families. The team is pictured below upon receipt of their award. We thank the Pediatric Diabetes Nursing Team and also the closely related Pediatric Endocrine Nursing Team for being amazing nurses!!

Diabetes Nurses Amy, Haley, Sue, Ashley & Kaitelynn (not pictured is Nurse Haylee)
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Need for Thyroid Monitoring and Further Research After Iodinated Contrast Use in Young

Dr. Pesce

A newly peer-reviewed manuscript addresses thyroid monitoring following intravascular iodinated contrast media exposure in infants and young children. This consensus-based publication was developed in response to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s 2022 Drug Safety Communication recommending thyroid function monitoring in children up to 3 years of age after iodinated contrast–enhanced imaging. The manuscript resulted from discussions among a multidisciplinary collection of pediatric endocrinology and imaging experts. The manuscript critically reviews the existing evidence on iodine-associated thyroid dysfunction in early childhood and offers practical guidance on post-exposure thyroid testing and management. Importantly, the authors identify substantial gaps in current knowledge and strongly advocate for well-designed prospective studies to better define the incidence, risk factors, natural history, and outcomes of thyroid dysfunction in this vulnerable population. Dr. Pesce from our division was one of the participating experts and authors of the manuscript. This reflects her commitment to advancing evidence-based guidance at the intersection of pediatric thyroid management and clinical policy, and we congratulate her and the full author team on this impactful contribution to pediatric care. The abstract is indexed on PubMed and can be found here.

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Concordance of HbA1c and CGM in Adults with Cystic Fibrosis–Related Diabetes

Dr. Larson Ode

A newly published manuscript examines the relationship between HbA1c and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)–derived metrics in adults with cystic fibrosis–related diabetes (CFRD). This work addresses an ongoing clinical question in CFRD care, particularly in the era of widespread CGM use and modern CFTR modulator therapy. Drawing on real-world data from adults with established CFRD, the study demonstrates agreement between HbA1c and CGM-derived measures of mean glycemia, reinforcing clinical relevance of HbA1c while underscoring the added value of CGM metrics. Dr. Larson Ode from our division contributed to the manuscript, highlighting her ongoing commitment to advancing evidence-based care for people with cystic fibrosis and diabetes, and we congratulate her and the full author team on this meaningful contribution to the field.

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Great Podcast Episode to Enhance Medical Knowledge About Pediatric Diabetes and Obesity

Dr. Castaño

Two of our division members were interviewed as part of a podcast to disseminate knowledge about diabetes and obesity in youth. Dr. Gabo Castano and Dr. Lisa Ejsmont (an outstanding PharmD who assists our division) were interviewed by Rounding@IOWA, which is a podcast intended to provide ongoing education to healthcare teams. They were joined by Dr. Uzma Rani, adolescent medicine pediatrician and pediatric obesity healthcare leader. These three doctors were interviewed for nearly an hour and covered a wide range of topics related to pediatric diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, and childhood obesity. The podcast is highly informative for healthcare providers and highly recommended. It can be found at https://uiowace.libsyn.com/90-childhood-diabetes. A special thank you to Drs. Castano, Ejsmont, and Rani for sharing their expertise in this important area!!!

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Assessing the Advances in Endocrine Care for People With Cystic Fibrosis

Dr. Larson Ode

Dr. Larson Ode from our division has co-authored two newly-published, peer‑reviewed articles in the journal titled Endocrine Practice.

Th first article examines the real-world practice of endocrinologists to manage dysglycemia in people with cystic fibrosis who do not meet criteria for cystic fibrosis–related diabetes (CFRD). The study, titled “Between the Guidelines: Variability in Management of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis & Dysglycemia,” reports findings from a national survey of U.S. endocrinologists with CF expertise. The challenge in management is that current guidelines do not address how to manage people with cystic fibrosis who have elevated blood sugar levels that are not high enough to meet criteria to be diagnosed as diabetes. The survey found substantial variation in clinical practice. One frequent approach was use of continuous glucose monitors, though access barriers and disagreement over which metrics are most meaningful highlight uncertainties. Use of lifestyle interventions and medications—including insulin and selected non‑insulin therapies—also varied widely. The results underscore the need for more standardized approaches to support future research and guide evidence‑based care. You can find the PubMed link to the full article here.

A second article reviews endocrine care for people with cystic fibrosis. The publication reviews the evolving endocrine and metabolic considerations in cystic fibrosis in the era of CFTR modulator therapies, with attention to diabetes, bone health, growth, and emerging metabolic risks. The article, “The Changing Landscape of Pediatric Endocrinology in Cystic Fibrosis: Insights from the Post‑CFTR Modulator Era,” emphasizes how advances in targeted CF therapies are reshaping long‑term endocrine management and highlights areas where ongoing research will be essential to guide best practices. You can find the PubMed link to the full article here.