Georgeanna J. Klingensmith, M.D. Professor of Pediatrics: Dr. Klingensmith is a
pediatric endocrinologist who has extensive experience in clinical diabetes directed
research and, is the PI of the BDC K12 for the ‘Developing Pediatric Diabetes
Investigators for the Future’ and the PI of the BDC T32 for Training Program for Pediatric
Endocrine Fellows in Diabetes and Endocrine Research. In these positions she has
served as a career mentor for many junior and mid-level faculty members throughout the
Department of Pediatrics. She is a co-investigator on the CDC funded, NIH supported
SEARCH for Diabetes study, now in its third funding cycle. This study has determined
the incidence and prevalence rates of childhood diabetes in six selected clinical centers,
including Colorado. SEARCH allowed the documentation of an increase of 2.7% per
year in type 1 diabetes incidence in Colorado over the past 20 years. In addition, the
study is determining outcome measures of diabetes care, healthcare utilization and
quality of life. She is a co-investigator on the NIH trial in youth with T2D, Treatment
Options in Type 2 Diabetes in Youth (TODAY) and now its extension T2P1. She used
this study to define the occurrence of antibody positive youth in a population diagnosed
with T2D by pediatric endocrinologists. She is the Colorado PI for the Pediatric Diabetes
Consortium, a seven-center consortium evaluating care of children with type 1 diabetes
in specialty diabetes centers. She is also the BDC Pediatric Clinic PI for the T1D
Exchange, a new epidemiology study that will enroll 25,000 patients with type 1 diabetes
from almost 60 centers throughout the US. An associated biobank is planned. This
clinical database should provide scholars the opportunity to explore questions of both
outcomes and patho-etiology of type 1 diabetes over the age spectrum. Finally, she has
guided endocrinology fellows and junior faculty scholars in utilizing the large, HIPPA
compliant, medical record/clinical research database at the Barbara Davis Center to
encourage scholars and trainees to learn first hand the tools of outcomes research.
All of the Scholars mentored through the prior BDC K12 remain in academic pediatric
endocrinology and have obtained K23 or equivalent JDRF career development awards
or research project grants. As PI of the Fellowship Training grant and prior Director of
the Pediatric Endocrine Fellowship Training Program, Dr. Klingensmith has trained a
number of pediatric endocrine fellows; many are now independent investigators in
academic institutions and some are Directors of Pediatric Endocrinology at their
institutions, and others are directors of endocrine fellowship training programs. She has
served on the thesis committee for many Masters and PhD. in Public Health candidates
in the Department of Preventive Medicine. She has been a member of the Endocrinology
Sub-board of the American Board of Pediatrics and served as the Chair of the
Credentialing Committee of the Sub-board. Dr. Klingensmith is a the past Chairman of
the American Diabetes Association’s Council of Diabetes in Youth, a member of the
ADA Professional Affairs Committee, and has been a member of the National Board of
Directors of the American Diabetes Association. She serves on the committee to write
ADA Standards for Pediatric Diabetes Care and on the editorial board of the
International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes Guidelines for Pediatric
Diabetes Care.