Biomedical Base
Harvard Clinical Nutrition Research Center
Biomedical Base
Clinical Investigation
Following are the primary investigators of this theme and a brief discussion of their work.
Tom Jaksic
Dr. Jaksic joins the HCNRC renewal as new Investigator. He previously joined the HCNRC during the last research period as an Associate Investigator after moving from the USDA/Children’s Hospital at Baylor Medical School to join the Harvard surgical faculty at Children’s Hospital. He obtained a P/F award in 1999 which was the basis for a recently funded RO1 (HD DK41531) to study protein metabolism in critically ill surgical patients. Dr. Jaksic has a strong background in nutrition having obtained a Ph.D. in nutritional biochemistry at M.I.T. before finishing a pediatric surgical residency and joining the faculty at Baylor Children’s Hospital. His research is unique in that he studies metabolism in hospitalized surgical patients using the most sophisticated stable isotope techniques. In the HCNRC renewal application he will become an Investigator and will direct the Mass Spectrometry Core to replace Dr. Vernon Young. The core has moved from M.I.T. to the SBI at MGH.
Ronald Kleinman
Dr. Kleinman continues as an Investigator in the HCNRC renewal. He has an international reputation as an expert in pediatric nutrition. Having chaired the Committee of Nutrition of the American Academy of Pediatrics and having been the editor of the Pediatric Nutrition Handbook for two editions, he is called upon to consult on nutritional issues worldwide, particularly in developing countries such as the Nutritional Research Program in Lima, Peru. He currently has a Cox Foundation funding project. His research group focuses on the nutritional, psychosocial and cognitive effects of hunger among school-age children and potential interventions. This work is conducted using empirical data from national databases as well as from direct observational and controlled investigations conducted among school-age children from low income families or those who live in poverty. Dr. Kleinman has submitted a multicenter study of the effects of breastfeeding for 4 vs. 6 months on infant growth and protective health (RO1 HD047574).
Anne Klibanski
Dr. Klibanski continues as an Investigator in the HCNRC renewal. As an outstanding mentor of young investigators, especially woman, she has contributed along with Dr. Grinspoon to the training of Drs. Hadigan, Huang, Miller and Misra, all of whom have or have had K23 award and P/F awards or are currently applying for P/F awards. In her capacity of Co-PI of the GCRC at MGH she assists Dr. Grinspoon in planning clinical nutrition research projects and advising young M.D. investigators in planning new clinical projects as a prelude to RO1 funding. In addition she conducts three major areas of research related to nutrition. These include:1.) Neuroendocrine regulation of bone mass: The impact of the GH/IGF-1 axis and acquired hypogonadotropic hypogonadism on bone mass and body composition in states of nutritional deprivation is under investigation. Specific projects include a) the role of acquired GH deficiency and resistance states in determining bone mass and osteoporosis risk. The hypothesis that in states of undernutrition, such as seen in anorexia nervosa, a state of acquired GH resistance is established, resulting in loss of the anabolic effects of GH action on bone mass is being tested, b) the impact of acquired hypogonadotropic hypogonadism on development of peak bone mass in adolescents and c) investigation of the role of endogenous androgens on body composition and fat distribution. 2.) Role of GH in body composition and cardiovascular risk: She has shown that patients with adult-onset GH deficiency have an increased cardiovascular risk, and specific inflammatory risk markers, such as CRP are elevated in patients with GH deficiency and decrease with physiologic GH replacement. These changes occur in direct relationship to GH induced decreases in visceral adiposity and increased lean body mass. The gender-specific effects of the GH/IGF-1 axis are underway using a numbers of patient models. 3.) The pathogenesis of clinically non-functioning pituitary adenomas of gonadotroph origin. Specific projects include: a) the role of endogenous growth factors in promoting cell proliferation and tumor specific receptor expression, b) the role of a newly identified gene, MEG3, found in an RDA of normal pituitary versus pituitary tumors as a potential novel tumor suppressor in pituitary tumorogenesis.
Karen Peterson
Dr. Peterson joins the HCNRC renewal as a new Investigator. She has extensive experience in clinical investigation, particularly in children. She is Director of Public Health Nutrition and Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, with a joint appointment in the Department of Society, Human Development and Health. Her major research interests include: 1) Determinants of intergenerational patterns of growth in mothers and children, with emphasis on biosocial and environmental influences, including toxic exposures, on decanalization during critical periods in groups undergoing the epidemiologic transition; 2) Design and evaluation of domestic and international nutrition surveillance systems, including underlying conceptual models, requirements for validity of self-report and biologic indicators for different public health purposes, and participatory action research methods analyzing uses of surveillance data in the U.S. and Latin America; and 3) Design and evaluation of interventions simultaneously targeting risk factors for over- and undernutrition in critical periods of growth in low income, multi-ethnic populations. Dr. Peterson is the PI of Reducing Disease Risk in Low-Income, Postpartum Women, a randomized controlled trial (R01 HD37368), designed to test the efficacy of an educational model delivered by community-based paraprofessionals in improving diet, activity, and patterns of pregnancy-related weight retention among new mothers over a 12-month postpartum period. She is currently Co-PI of Evaluation of the Massachusetts Partnership for a Healthy Weight, testing the efficacy of Planet Health combined with environmental policy change in MA middle schools. Dr. Peterson developed and currently directs the newly established Program in Public Health Nutrition in the HSPH, Department of Nutrition, a program of applied research and doctoral level training in public health nutrition practice.
Edward Saltzman
Dr. Saltzman continues as an Investigator in the renewal application for the HCNR. He represents a link between the HCNRC and the USDA-HNC at Tufts NEMC. His research interests include characterization of energy metabolism, substrate oxidation, and body composition in the extremely obese. He participates in a longitudinal study following changes in the above areas following gastric bypass surgery. Effects of dietary composition and energy density on eating behavior and energy intake. Proposed research includes a new clinical trial of effective strategies to prevent weight gain in mildly overweight but not yet obese persons at risk for further weight gain.
Dr. Schoenfeld continues as an Investigator and Director of the Biostatistics Program within the Administrative Core of the HCNRC renewal application. With a joint appointment at HMS (MGH) and HSPH, Dr. Schoenfeld provides a link with Investigators in both institutions and is available to provide advice on statistical approaches to P/F and other new nutritional projects. In collaboration with Dr. Tompkins at the SBI he has helped with clinical trials on nutritional management of acute burn patients. Dr. Schoenfeld is invaluable to the Investigators and Associate Investigators in the Center. He provides consultation on biostatistics for clinical and basic research members. He teaches a course in biostatistics in conjunction with the GCRC at MGH each year as part of the Biostatistics Program for the Center. He reviews the statistical analysis on all PFP applicants.
Karen Miller
Dr. Miller joins the HCNRC renewal as a new Investigator. As an endocrine fellow in medicine at MGH she worked closely with Drs. Klibanski and Grinspoon and has developed a strong interest in nutrition and metabolism in women’s health, particularly in anorexia nervosa. She is active in clinical studies at the GCRC at MGH and has two RO1 grants pending. We anticipate her interaction with many clinical investigators in the Center.
David Nathan
Dr. Nathan continues as an Investigator in the HCNRC renewal. He has been the Program Director of the GCRC at Mass General Hospital since 1990. Since 2002, he has also had responsibility for the direction of a satellite GCRC at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition to performing clinical research on the GCRC, Dr. Nathan directs the Diabetes Center at Mass General Hospital, which includes a clinical research center. Dr. Nathan’s main research interests are the study and development of new methods to normalize glucose metabolism in diabetes mellitus and the long-term consequences of such therapy. He has helped develop and investigated external and implantable pump therapy, islet and whole organ transplantation, and the use of new pharmacologic agents and hormones in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. He has also investigated the role of diet and exercise in the pathogenesis and treatment of diabetes mellitus. Dr. Nathan has been an active participant in epidemiologic studies of diabetes and cardiovascular disease including the Framingham Heart Study, Nurses’ and Physician’s Health studies, and the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. He was one of the architects of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and currently co-chairs the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study, and is the Chairman of the Diabetes Prevention Program, an NIH-sponsored multicenter trial to prevent Type 2 diabetes. Dr. Nathan works closely with Drs. Avruch, Faustman, Schoenfeld, Klibanski, Levitsky, Kleinman and Grinspoon on aspects of clinical dietary management of Types I and II diabetes mellitus.