Message from Dr Zhenqi Liu – Division Chief, Endocrinology & Metabolism
The Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism has a rich history and tradition of excellence in patient care, education and research and remains one of the finest endocrinology divisions in the country. Our faculty members strive to provide the best possible care to patients with a variety of hormonal and metabolic disorders and best training to the next generation of physicians and scientists and make cut-edge scientific discoveries in both clinical and basic endocrine research.
We currently have thirty-six faculty members (twelve full professors, nine associate professors, eleven assistant professors, and four NPs) and seven clinical endocrine fellows. The Division boasts many previous and current leaders in national professional societies including three presidents of the Endocrine Society (Margaret A. Shupnik, PhD, Robert M. Carey, MD, and Richard J. Santen, MD) and one president of the American Diabetes Association (Eugene J. Barrett, MD, PhD), and welcomed in 2019 four new members to its faculty: Su Hee Kim, MD, Jessica Lundgren, MD, Silas Culver, MD, and William (Ben) Horton, MD. ~Zhenqi Liu, MD, Division Chief
CLINICAL CARE
Division faculty members carry out the clinical mission in both outpatient and inpatient settings to care for patients with a broad spectrum of endocrine disorders. The Division houses an internationally renowned pituitary/neuroendocrinology program (led by Mary Lee Vance, MD, John C. Marshall, MD, and Gregory Hong, MD) with patients referred here from around the world. We have a robust clinical diabetes program that provides outstanding care to patients with diabetes both in our outpatient clinics and inside the hospital. We expanded the cardiovascular diabetes inpatient service (led by Jennifer Kirby, MD) and launched an Advanced Diabetes Management clinic (i.e., diabetes technology clinic) with a focus on type 1 diabetes and the use of continuous glucose monitoring devices and insulin pumps. The ADM clinic, directed by Andy Basu, MD, has been highly successful and garnered substantial media attention/coverage. We are also experiencing a rapid growth and expansion in the transgender care program (joint program with Family Medicine) and the transplant endocrine program and started a new joint thyroid nodule/cancer program with general surgery and ENT.
RESEARCH
The Division has a rich portfolio of research programs that focus on diabetes (pathophysiology, complications, artificial pancreas, and exercise physiology), endocrine hypertension, and neuroendocrinology/polycystic ovary syndrome. We have experienced unprecedented growth in research with research funding tripled in the past two years. Our artificial pancreas clinical research program, in conjunction with the Center of Diabetes Technology, is second to none in the nation. Division faculty published a total of 61 publications in the past twelve months, including the most recent publication by Sue Brown, MD et al in New England Journal of Medicine, titled “Six-Month Randomized, Multicenter Trial of Closed-Loop Control in Type 1 Diabetes”
Three faculty members were awarded career development awards. Su Hee Kim, MD received a K23 mentored patient-oriented research career development award from NIH/NICHD. Silas Culver, MD and William (Ben) Horton, MD were selected by the integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia (iTHRIV) as 2019 iTHRIV scholars, a pan-University mentored career development award. The major goal of the program is to train small groups of junior faculty seeking a clinical and translational research career within the University.
EDUCATION
We have a nationally respected fellowship training program, led by program director Christopher McCartney, MD, and associate program director Gregory Hong, MD, and faculty members who are fully committed to medical education. The Division has one neuroendocrine training grant, directed by Eugene J. Barrett, MD, PhD, and Andy Basu, MD. We aim to prepare trainees for an independent career in clinical care, academic research, and medical education and we have multiple faculty members who are educational leaders at national GME levels. Christopher McCartney, MD currently serves as president of the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism and helps set national standards in fellowship training in endocrinology and metabolism.
Filed Under: Clinical Research, Education, News and Notes, Research, Top News
Tags: DOM, Education, Endocrinology, February 2020 Medicine Matters, medicine matters, newsletter