FOR WEBSITE-- TO BE USED AS A LINK FOR THE
PEDIATRIC DEPARTMENT AND ANY OTHER LAB THAT
WISHES IT SO.
Developmental Origins of Endocrine Dysfunction
Overview
The goal of this N.I.H. supported Training Program is to provide high
quality research training in one of two major tracks, Basic Science or
Clinical Investigation and Epidemiology to pediatricians and basic
scientists demonstrating a career commitment to academic pediatric
endocrinology and metabolism.
A Picture Here—someone talking
with a trainee while discussion
data or at a poster session---Do
any of you have a picture like
that?
This program is centered in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology,
Department of Pediatrics, but includes faculty from other
departments that offer an interdisciplinary research environment for
the successful training of young physician-scientist in the specific
area of mechanisms playing a role in the impact of early life events on endocrine disorders in
post-natal life. The program can also support candidates with a Ph.D. degree seeking further
training in endocrinology in a developmental context.
This training grant is a key aspect of the Pediatric Endocrine Subspecialty Training Program.
The Highlights of this Training Program Include:

Research that uses clinical, cellular/molecular, physiological, and/or behavioral
approaches to tackle integrated questions.

Research Mentors with expertise in a variety of problems and approaches that come from
many departments.

Increasing the breadth of training by including intellectual and technical training from two
mentors that represent the basic and clinical links to the chosen project.

Coursework tailored to the individualized training needs of the trainee.
For more information, contact the Director or Associate Director of the
Training Grant.
Director:
Delia M. Vazquez, M.D.
Associate Professor and Pediatric Endocrine
Fellowship Director
dmvazq@umich.edu
Associate Director:
Vasantha Padmanabham, Ph.D.
Professor and Director of
Pediatric Endocrine Research
vasantha@umich.edu
Pediatric Endocrinology Training Program Faculty: Rank, Research Interest and Role
MENTOR AND RESEARCH TRACK
RANK
RESEARCH INTEREST
Christin Carter-Su, PhD
Basic Science Track
Professor, Molecular and
Integrative Physiology
William Herman, MD
Basic Science Track
Clinical Investigation Track
Professor, Internal Medicine,
Endocrinology and
Epidemiology, Interim
Director, Michigan Diabetes
Research and Training Center
Assistant Professor, Division
of Kinesiology
Growth/Diabetes: Growth hormone
receptor structure and signal
transduction pathways
Diabetes: Diabetes, diabetes
complications, diabetes and
pregnancy, diabetes epidemiology,
managed care and health economics
Jeff Horowitz, PhD
Basic Science Track
Josephine Kasa-Vubu, MS, MD
Clinical Investigation Track
Theresa Lee, PhD
Basic Science Track
Ram Menon, MD
Basic Science Track
Martin Myers Jr., MD, Ph.D.
Basic Science Track
Vasantha Padmanabhan, PhD
Basic Science Track
Clinical Investigation Track
Assistant Professor,
Department of Pediatrics &
Comm Diseases, Pediatric
Endocrine Division
Professor, Psychology &
Neuroscience
Professor, Pediatrics & Comm
Diseases & Physiology,
Director, Pediatric Endocrine
Division and Molecular &
Integrative Physiology
Assistant Professor
Internal Medicine and
Physiology
Professor, Pediatrics & Comm
Diseases, Obstetrics and
Gynecology, and Molecular &
Integrative Physiology
Obesity/Diabetes/Energy
Metabolism: regulation of fat and
carbohydrate metabolism
Obesity/Reproduction: Hormonal
regulation and insulin resistance in
adolescent girls.
Behavior/Reproduction/Stress:
Regulation of adult sex behavior by
prenatal exposure to excess sex
steroids
Growth/Diabetes/Reproduction:
Growth hormone action, regulation of
gene transcription, and role of growth
factors in germ cell function.
Obesity/Diabetes:
Type 2 diabetes, energy balance,
insulin, leptin
Reproduction/Growth:
Understanding the fetal origin of
pubertal and adult reproductive and
metabolic disorders and the impact of
native steroids and estrogenic
environmental pollutants in
programming such defects.
Growth: Mechanisms for regulation
of gene expression by growth factors
Jessica Schwartz, PhD
Basic Science Track
Professor, Molecular and
Integrative Physiology;
Director, Cellular and
Molecular Biology Training
Program
Robert Thompson, PhD
Basic Science Track
Assistant Professor,
Psychiatry and Reproductive
Science
Obesity/Reproduction: Modulation
of processes leading to successful
and unsuccessful reproduction,
regulation lipid metabolism.
Delia M. Vazquez, MD
Basic Science Track
Clinical Investigation Track
Associate Professor,
Pediatrics & Comm Diseases,
Pediatric Endocrinology
Division, and Psychiatry;
Research Associate
Stress/Growth/Behavior: Molecular
brain mechanisms underlying longterm consequences of stress in
growing organisms & Consequences
of prenatal and postnatal stress in
Jon Kar Zubieta, MD, PhD
Clinical Investigation Track
Professor, Center for Human
Growth and Development
Associate Professor,
Departments of Psychiatry,
Radiology and Mental Health
Research Institute
infants and children
Stress Regulatory Mechanisms
Examination of neurotransmitter
systems and neuronal nuclei involved
in the stress response and emotional
regulation in humans with PET and
fMRI
The Department of Pediatrics Division of Endocrinology provides an exciting and vigorous research setting for
faculty to perform the most advanced research aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of pubertal and adult
endocrine, behavioral, growth and reproductive disorders. The Faculty employ a wide array of integrative
molecular, cellular, physiologic and clinical approaches to explore fundamental questions relating to growth and
differentiation of tissues and the genes and signaling pathways involved in organ function and dysfunction. Both
animal and clinical models are effectively employed to gain an understanding of the origin and pathophysiology of
pediatric and adult endocrine diseases and develop strategies to prevent or manage diseases. Faculty with both
basic and clinical science research interests interact amongst themselves and with various members of the
University faculty to provide exciting preclinical, translational and clinical research opportunities. An NIH funded
Postdoctoral Research Training Program in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes supported by 10
established investigators from 9 different departments at the University of Michigan facilitates high quality research
training for both pediatricians and basic scientists demonstrating a career commitment to academic pediatric
endocrinology and metabolism. The individual pediatric endocrinology faculty and their research areas are:
Department’s Web site
Delia M. Vazquez, M.D.
Developmental Origins of Endocrine Dysfunction
Postdoctoral positions are available to study mechanisms leading to Developmental Origins of Endocrine
Dysfunction. The candidate can choose among several targeted areas of pediatric endocrine research – growth,
metabolic syndrome, reproduction, and stress and behavior. Each research area is sponsored by one of 10
established investigators from 9 different departments at the University of Michigan who are exploring possible
mechanisms of endocrine dysfunction at a cellular and molecular, physiological, behavioral and/or clinical level in a
developmental context.
Qualifications: Applicants must hold a Ph.D. in physiology, bioengineering, cell and molecular biology, or a related
field from an accredited program. The position is funded by a recent training award from NIH-NIDDK. U.S.
citizenship or permanent resident status is necessary due to training grant requirements.
For further information visit our website at -------and contact individual investigators based on your research
interest. Please provide a CV, three letters of reference (or contact information), and a detailed cover letter
describing research experience, interests, and short and long term career goals.
Post-Doctoral Opportunity Advertisement
Another Version for Web site—which is too wordy….
Developmental Origins of Endocrine Dysfunction
This new postdoctoral research training program in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University of
Michigan has two main goals: 1) to provide high quality research training in one of two major tracks, Basic Science
or Clinical Investigation and Epidemiology to pediatricians and basic scientists demonstrating a career commitment
to academic pediatric endocrinology and metabolism, and 2) to provide an interdisciplinary research environment
for the successful training of young physician-scientist in the specific area of mechanisms playing a role in the
impact of early life events on endocrine disorders in post-natal life. The Pediatric Endocrinology Training Program
(PETP) will provide 2 years of intensive postdoctoral research training for M.D. and Ph.D. trainees in an
individualized and closely-mentored research training program designed to best fit each trainee’s skills and
interests. For the physician-scientist, this program will be integrated with the ongoing ACGME approved fellowship
program to include a one year intensive training in clinical pediatric endocrinology, which will be funded with nonNIH monies. In order to provide outstanding mentorship for the trainees, the PETP will be actively supported by 10
established investigators from 9 different departments at the University of Michigan, all with extensive research
and mentoring experience within their respective areas of expertise. Each trainee will be mentored by a
clinical/basic dyad of mentors to provide strong footing on hypothesis-driven translational research, centering on
developmental origin of endocrine diseases. The trainee will choose among several targeted areas of pediatric
endocrine research – growth, metabolic syndrome, reproduction, and stress and behavior. These areas are
chosen because of the established strengths of other University of Michigan research programs and participating
investigators in the PETP (see PETP Faculty, below). The overarching goal is to foster academic careers that will
improve children's health and thereby, the health of the population in the United States.