Endocrinology
Boston Children's Hospital's Division of Endocrinology operates one of the nation's most extensive research programs focused on pediatric endocrine disorders. With more than 50 basic science and clinical researchers, we are attempting to unravel the genetic and biochemical underpinnings of the endocrine system.
We are constantly studying new ways to preventing premature births, improve diabetes management, control obesity, enhance our knowledge and treatment of growth and development disorders, and address other endocrine malfunctions that affect the health and quality of life of children.
Here are some of the projects we’ve been working on:
- Identifying the genetic causes of endocrine diseases (including short stature and obesity)
- Researching the causes and treatment of obesity by studying diets characterized by a “high glycemic index”
- Evaluating methods to slow down aging and prevent cancer by regulating insulin signaling in the brain
- Developing treatments for type 1 diabetes that do not require insulin
- Studying the role of blood sugar control in ensuring the best outcomes for patients in the intensive care unit
- Developing drugs that treat obesity by regulating leptin levels
- Identifying potential sources of stem cells in endocrine organs to eventually replace diseased tissue
Research opportunities within Children's Hospital Division of Endocrinology and Joslin Diabetes Center include a wide variety of projects at the level of patient-oriented research, isolated genes, cells, and intact organisms that include transgenic, knockout, and knockin mouse models of human diseases.
For further information contact:
Joseph A. Majzoub, M.D., Chief, Division of Endocrinology
Director, Training Program in Pediatric Endocrinology at Boston Children's Hospital and Joslin Diabetes Center
Children’s Hospital Boston, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115
617-919-2930; 617-730-0244 (fax)
For more information about other professional training programs at Children’s see our For Medical Professionals page.
Some of the patients treated by physicians in the Division of Endocrinology may participate in clinical trials. For more information on studies in which your child may be eligible to participate, find a clinical trial.
For more information about other professional training programs at Children’s see our For Medical Professionals page.
Some of the patients treated by physicians in the Division of Endocrinology may participate in clinical trials. For more information on studies in which your child may be eligible to participate, find a clinical trial
Did you know?
- Reduced insulin signaling hampers insulin’s ability to manage the transfer of energy from the bloodstream to the cell. But a study led by Children’s researcher Morris White, PhD, indicates that this may be true only in the body — in the brain, reduced insulin signaling is linked with increased longevity. What is the easiest way to keep insulin signaling in the brain low? Good old-fashioned exercise.
- Our taste for sugar evolved as a response to the drive of plants to reproduce. Seed-bearing fruits were infused with sugar, rich in available energy and used by every cell in the body, in an effort to keep the fruit-eaters strong. Humans grew to associate sweetness with goodness, and the “sugar tooth” was born.
