Year in Review: 2024

A Note from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at UPMC

At UPMC, our endocrinologists treat the entire spectrum of endocrine system disorders, including diabetes, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, pituitary, adrenal, reproductive, and other hormonal and metabolism disorders with a special focus on complex cases. We provide comprehensive, multidisciplinary care to each patient through several specialized endocrinology clinics.

Please join us on our journey as we relentlessly pursue our overall mission to promote health and combat disease in endocrinology and metabolism through high-quality, cutting-edge research, education, and clinical care.

We invite you to explore our efforts in 2024 and hope you’ll consider voting for UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals” survey.

With gratitude,

Frederico Toledo, MD

Interim Division Chief, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism

Professor of Medicine

Director, Endocrinology Clinical Research Core, Translational Research Center

One of the best national hospitals, ranked in diabetes and endocrinology by U.S. News and World Report.

UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Nationally Selected for Excellence in Diabetes and Endocrinology

Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside is proud to be nationally selected by U.S. News & World Report for excellence in diabetes and endocrinology.

Pilot Study Using Intestinal Organoids to Test Whether Interferon-Beta Can Protect the Small Intestine in the Setting of GI-Acute Radiation Syndrome
- A multidisciplinary research team from UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh was awarded a Pilot Grant from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Center for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation to study the “Use of Small Intestinal Organoids to Define Physiology of GI-ARS and Mitigation by IFN.” Alison Kohan, PhD, FAHA, associate professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and director of the Kohan Lab, is the project’s principal investigator. Dr. Kohan is collaborating with two other investigators, including Joel Greenberger, MD, emeritus chair and professor of Radiation Oncology and principal investigator of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Medical Countermeasures Against Radiation and Amitava Mukherjee, PhD, research assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology.

Medical Management of Hypertriglyceridemia in Pancreatitis
- The UPMC Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism published a notable review in Current Opinion in Gastroenterology that explored the role of hypertriglyceridemia-induced acute pancreatitis (HTG-AP). Faculty from the Division included Erin E. Kershaw, MD, and Maja Stefanovic-Racic, MD, PhD, as well as Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism fellow Nikola Gligorijevic, MD. Dr. Kershaw was the corresponding author of the study. The review defines acute pancreatitis as “an inflammatory process that initially involves the acinar cells in the pancreas and progresses to a systemic inflammation.

Margaret Zupa, MD, MS, Receives NIH K Award for Research into Improving Quality of Telemedicine Care for Patients with Complex Type 2 Diabetes
- Margaret Zupa, MD, MS, assistant professor of Medicine in the UPMC Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism was awarded a 2024 NIH K23 grant to support her research into improving the quality of care delivered through telemedicine in patients with complex type 2 diabetes.

Molecular Insights into Thyroid Cytopathology Diagnoses – Working to Improve Indeterminate Diagnoses
- A study published by teams from the UPMC Department of Pathology, the Division of Endocrine Surgery, and the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism examined the effectiveness of molecular-derived risk of malignancy and positive call rate in assessing indeterminate thyroid cytopathology diagnoses. Faculty from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism include Esra Karslioglu French, MD, Elena M. Morariu, MD, and Jagdeesh Ullal, MD.

Assessing Patterns of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Among Adults Using Telemedicine
- UPMC Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism faculty published a notable research article in the Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology that assessed patterns of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support over two years among adults who used telemedicine for type 2 diabetes endocrinology care. Division faculty included in the publication are Jason Ng, MD, and Margaret Zupa, MD, MS, as well as colleagues from the University of Pittsburgh Division of General Internal Medicine.

Michael Jurczak, PhD, was awarded a grant from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for a study on “Insulin resistance and glucose toxicity in CFRD.”
Zamora Z, Lui LY, Sparks LM, Justice J, Lyles M, Gentle L, Gregory H, Yeo RX, Kershaw EE, Stefanovic-Racic M, Newman AB, Kritchevsky S, Toledo FGS. Percutaneous biopsies of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in individuals older than 70: methods and outcomes in the Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging (SOMMA). Geroscience. 2024 Jun;46(3):3419-3428. PMID: 38315316; PMCID: PMC11009187.

Negi V, Lee J, Mandi V, Danvers J, Liu R, Perez-Garcia EM, Li F, Jagannathan R, Yang P, Filingeri D, Kumar A, Ma K, Moulik M, Yechoor VK. Bromodomain Protein Inhibition Protects β-Cells from Cytokine-Induced Death and Dysfunction via Antagonism of NF-κB Pathway. Cells. 2024 Jun 26;13(13):1108. PMID: 38994961; PMCID: PMC11240345.

Teng L, Dedousis N, Adeshirlarijaney A, Kanshana JS, Liu M, Hodges CA, Kohan AB. Impaired intestinal free fatty acid transport followed by chylomicron malformation, not pancreatic insufficiency, cause metabolic defects in cystic fibrosis. J Lipid Res. 2024 Jul;65(7):100551. PMID: 39002195; PMCID: PMC11301217.

Hirsch IB, Draznin B, Buse JB, Raghinaru D, Spanbauer C, Umpierrez GE, Ullal J, Jones MS, Low Wang CC, Spanakis EK, Chao JH, Sibayan J, Kollman C, Zabala ZE, Moazzami B, Reynolds SL, Ferrara W, Fulghum K, Kass A, Armstrong C, Gilani F, Seggelke S, Churchill J, Monye JO, Choe MY, Scott W, Baran JD, Bais R, Khakpour D, Pasquel FJ, Davis GM, Vellanki P, Kershaw EE, Gligorijevic N, Goley A, Garg A, Alexander B, Matson BC, Diner J, Klein KR, Adair WB, Choksi P, Huang M, Vinh J, Singh LG, Beck RW; TIGHT RCT Study Group. Results From a Randomized Trial of Intensive Glucose Management Using CGM Versus Usual Care in Hospitalized Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: The TIGHT Study. Diabetes Care. 2024 Nov 21:dc241779. doi: 10.2337/dc24-1779. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39571106.

Other Publications from the Division in 2024.

Frederico Toledo, MD, was appointed interim division chief in July.

Three UPMC Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism Experts Named Pittsburgh Magazine Top Doctors
- Susan L. Greenspan, MD, Helena Levitt, MD, and David A. Rometo, MD, are among the physicians recognized on the 2024 Top Doctors® list. Peer-to-peer nominations and a rigorous research process ensure only the most qualified doctors are honored.

Innovations in Managing Diabetes: UPMC/UPMC Health Plan Program Focused on Proactive Identification, Outreach, and Management of High-Risk Patients
- The UPMC Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, in collaboration with UPMC Health Plan, has developed an innovative, multi-pronged program to proactively identify and address the needs and health care complexities of high-risk patients with diabetes.

UPMC Experts Provide World-Class Care at the UPMC Pituitary Center of Excellence
- Our Pituitary Center of Excellence is a UPMC Health Plan recognized center with a team of pituitary tumor experts, including neurosurgeons, pediatric neurosurgeons, neuroendocrinologists, otolaryngologists, neuroradiologists, and neuro-ophthalmologists. Together this team provides multidisciplinary care for pituitary tumors, offering cutting-edge care for these diseases. Together with the UPMC Health Plan, they track specific outcomes to ensure patients get the best care available in the region and the world. Pituitary Centers of Excellence like this have been proven to provide better outcomes, with long-term disease control.

Jason Ng, MD, commented in a recent MedicalNewsToday article about how sitting time affects mortality in adults with diabetes.

Margaret Zupa, MD, MS, was the recipient of Excellence in Patient Experience Awards in Endocrinology.

Sann Mon, MBBS, MPH, was promoted to clinical professor of Medicine in July.

Pouneh Fazeli, MD, MPH, received conferral of tenure in September.

Faculty and Staff Who Joined the Division in 2024 include:

Sura Alqaisi, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor
Niveditha Manivannan, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor
Luca Galgano, PhD, Postdoctoral Associate
Anupam Raja, MPharm, Postdoctoral Associate
Rachel Wills, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar
Noah German, MA, Medical Assistant
Simone Glenn, MA, Medical Assistant
Trinity Moorestevens, MA, Medical Assistant
Sherri Rosenthal, RN, Registered Nurse
Adam Snyder, RN, Registered Nurse
Dani Thomas, MA, Medical Assistant
Danielle Wolfe, RN, Registered Nurse

The 2024 Class of Clinical Fellows are:

Advanced Thyroid Cancer and Parathyroid Disease
- In this CME, Elena Morariu, MD, and colleagues discuss the radiographic and clinical findings of dedifferentiated thyroid cancer, review systemic therapeutic options for locally unresectable anaplastic/poorly differentiated thyroid cancer, and more.

Updates in the Management of Osteoporosis
- In this CME, Diana Pinkhasova, MD, discusses following recommended guidelines for management of osteoporosis, increasing patient outcomes with initiation of appropriate pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis, and more.

Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals
- In this CME, Charity Kwamanakweenda, MD, discusses how to identify endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), how to identify endocrine-associated disorders, and how to reduce EDC exposures.

Lipodystrophy: Clinical Approach to Diagnosis and Management | UPMC
- In this CME, Katrina Han, MD, discusses lipodystrophy syndromes and explains how to diagnose, treat, and clinically monitor patients with this condition.

Creating Multidisciplinary Teams for Chronic Disease | UPMC
- In this CME, Esra Karslioglu French, MD, discusses how to implement multidisciplinary care teams to improve chronic disease outcomes, improve access to subspecialists, and implement integration of APPs to the chronic disease management team.

Advancing Diabetes Care with Technology | UPMC
- In this CME, Janet Leung, MD, discusses how to individualize glucose targets in older adults, how to use CGM data to adjust diabetes treatment, and more.

Hyperprolactinemia: A Case-Based Approach | UPMC
- In this presentation, Pouneh Fazeli, MD, MPH, reviews the causes and treatment options for patients with hyperprolactinemia and associated prolactinomas.

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Year in Review: 2024

A Note from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at UPMC

UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Nationally Selected for Excellence in Diabetes and Endocrinology

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