Pediatric Endocrinology Researcher Awarded ISPAD-JDRF Fellowship for Diabetes Research

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Division of Pediatric Endocrinology researcher Christine March, MD, MS, was awarded one of the combined International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes – Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (ISPAD-JDRF) fellowships in 2020. Dr. March was one of four recipients selected internationally for the annual fellowship award.

Dr. March’s ISPA-JDRF fellowship will support her investigation titled, “Examining Factors Associated With Glycemic Control in School for Children with Type 1 Diabetes: A Pilot Study.” Dr. March’s study will obtain preliminary data on the factors contributing to glycemia during the school day in children who use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Specific aims of the study include: 1) Examining glycemic control during school hours using CGM metrics; 2) Identifying whether and how clinical factors may relate to glycemic control (measured by time in range) in school; 3) Exploring comparisons of CGM metrics between school and non-school time.

Dr. March and her team will be conducting a retrospective analysis of clinically available CGM data within the large diabetes center at UPMC Children’s. Dr. March’s study may support future prospective evaluations of potentially modifiable factors that influence glycemic control during the school day and identify target groups for school-based interventions to optimize care delivery. This study will further add to Dr. March’s long-term research goal to create novel paradigms for the comprehensive care of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes through clinical and community partnerships. 

More About Dr. March

Christine March, MD, MS, is an Instructor of Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and an attending physician in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Dr. March earned her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She both her pediatric residency and fellowship training in pediatric endocrinology at UPMC Children’s and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. March also earned a master’s degree in clinical research from the Institute for Clinical Research Education at the University of Pittsburgh at the same time as her endocrinology fellowship. 

Dr. March’s research focuses on the care and outcomes of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Her academic interests include utilizing a community-engaged research approach to study school-based diabetes care. Her primary work focuses on optimizing school-based management of type 1 diabetes in the context of emerging diabetes technologies, including insulin pumps, CGM, and sensor-augmented insulin pumps. Her long-term interests include designing and testing community-based interventions to enhance chronic care management for children and adolescents with diabetes.