Nutrition and Metabolism

Pediatrics faculty members in the the divisions of endocrinology; gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition; clinical genetics; molecular genetics; and hematology, oncology, and stem cell transplant, as well as Columbia's Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, the Institute of Human Nutrition, and the International Initiative for Pediatrics and Nutrition, are conducting multidisciplinary research with collaborators inside and outside the department related to:

• immune system alterations that occur during the development of obesity and contribute to the development of diabetes and its complications
• the genetic basis of diabetes and obesity and tailored treatments based on the molecular mechanism of disease
• the molecular genetics and physiology of weight regulation and diabetes
• the use of stem cells to investigate the cellular and molecular biology of diabetes, and the development of cell replacement therapies for diabetics
• identifying and addressing early-life determinants of obesity
• school-based programs to stem the epidemic of Type 2 diabetes in adolescents
• the effects of fatty acids and other nutrients in a number of diseases and disorders