Pediatric Endocrinology Inter-Institute Training Program
- Rachel I. Gafni, MD, Program Director, Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program, NICHD and Senior Research Physician, NIDCR
- Catherine M. Gordon, MD, MS, Clinical Director and Chief, Adolescent Bone and Body Composition Section, NICHD
- Jeffrey Baron, MD, Chief, Section on Growth and Development and Affinity Group Head, Developmental Endocrinology, Genetics, and Endocrine Oncology, NICHD
- Jack Yanovski, MD, PhD, Chief, Section on Growth and Obesity and Associate Scientific Director for Translational Medicine, NICHD
- Deborah Merke, MD, Chief of Pediatric Services and Chief, Section of Congenital Disorders, NIH Clinical Center; Adjunct Investigator, NICHD
- Rebecca J. Brown, MD, MHSc, Chief, Section on Translational Diabetes and Metabolic Syndromes, Diabetes, Endocrinology, & Obesity Branch, NIDDK
- Alison M. Boyce, MD, Lasker Tenure-Track Investigator, Head, Metabolic Bone Disorders Unit, Section on Skeletal Disorders and Mineral Homeostasis, NIDCR
- Stephanie Chung, MBBS, Lasker Tenure-Track Investigator and Acting Chief, Section on Pediatric Diabetes, Obesity, and Metabolism, Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Obesity Branch, NIDDK
- Christina Tatsi, MD, MHSc, PhD, Staff Clinician, Department of Pediatrics, NIH Clinical Center
- Marissa Lightbourne, MD, MPH, Assistant Research Investigator/Staff Clinician, Section on Translational Diabetes and Metabolic Syndromes, Diabetes, Endocrinology, & Obesity Branch, NIDDK
- Vivian Szymczuk, MD, Staff Clinician, Metabolic Bone Disorders Unit, NIDCR
- Samar Rahhal, MD, Assistant Research Physician, Office of the Clinical Director, NICHD
- Harinder Raipuria, DNP, FNP-C, Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Endocrinology Consult Service, Office of the Clinical Director, NICHD
- Sheila M. Brady, FNP, MSN, Section on Growth and Obesity, Pediatric Endocrinology Inter-Institute Training Program, NICHD
- Devora Stein, FNP-BC, MSN, Nurse Practitioner, Pediatric Endocrinology Consult Service, Office of the Clinical Director, NICHD
- Sanjay Jumani, MD, Fellow, Pediatric Endocrinology Inter-Institute Training Program, NICHD
- Mikyeong Woo, MD, Fellow, Pediatric Endocrinology Inter-Institute Training Program, NICHD
The Fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology is a three-year program, accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Applicants generally have completed a residency in Pediatrics or Medicine/Pediatrics and, if trained in the US, are eligible for the American Board of Pediatrics certification examination. However, exceptions can be made on an individual basis, according to ACGME rules, to allow fellows without pediatric residency training in the US to join this program. The fellowship is open for new trainees. It is also possible for research-oriented fellows at other institutions who are selected to participate in the Pediatric Scientist Development Program to complete their training in the program. Training takes place predominantly at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, which is the largest clinical research hospital in the world, on the NIH Bethesda research campus, which is the world's largest biomedical research facility. Additional clinical training takes place at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC, and at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. The fellowship is designed to provide clinical and research exposure that fosters the development of academic pediatric endocrinologists with experience in clinical, translational, and/or basic research.
The URL https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/dir/osd/tp/peitp provides more detailed information about the program.
Members of the NIH Pediatric Endocrinology Service
Members of the NIH Pediatric Endocrinology Service. From left to right: Stephanie Chung, MBBS; Christina Tatsi, MD, MHSc, PhD; Jack Yanovski, MD, PhD; Samar Rahhal, MD; Rachel Gafni, MD (Pediatric Endocrinology Program Director); Vivian Szymczuk, MD; Deborah Merke, MD, MS; Alison Boyce, MD; Catherine Gordon, MD, MS (NICHD Clinical Director); Sanjay Jumani, MD (Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow); Marissa Lightbourne, MD, MPH; Jeffrey Baron, MD; Sheila Brady, FNP.
Members of the NIH Pediatric Endocrinology Service
Members of the NIH Pediatric Endocrinology Service. From left to right: Stephanie Chung, MBBS; Christina Tatsi, MD, MHSc, PhD; Jack Yanovski, MD, PhD; Samar Rahhal, MD; Rachel Gafni, MD (Pediatric Endocrinology Program Director); Vivian Szymczuk, MD; Deborah Merke, MD, MS; Alison Boyce, MD; Catherine Gordon, MD, MS (NICHD Clinical Director); Sanjay Jumani, MD (Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow); Marissa Lightbourne, MD, MPH; Jeffrey Baron, MD; Sheila Brady, FNP.
Program structure
The Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship at NIH consists of one year of clinical training and two years of combined clinical and research training.
First year
A typical training schedule for first-year fellows includes four months at the NIH Clinical Center, four months at Children’s National Hospital (CNH), two months at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, one month on consult service, and one month elective (e.g., at The Johns Hopkins University Hospital, Baltimore, MD). Continuity clinics are held once a week and alternate between the NIH outpatient pediatric endocrine clinic and the diabetes and general endocrine outpatient clinics at CNH. In addition, multi-disciplinary clinics for bone disorders, neuroendocrine tumors, differences in sex development, obesity, and other conditions are offered. Endocrine investigators in the intramural research program at the NIH run clinical protocols involving individuals with adrenal and pituitary tumors, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, McCune-Albright syndrome, bone and mineral disorders, lipodystrophy, and others.
Second and third years
During the second and third years, mandatory clinical responsibilities are limited to one half-day continuity clinic per week and inpatient pediatric endocrine consultation on an on-call basis for three months per year. Fellows learn how to develop a research protocol, conduct a clinical study or basic research, evaluate the results, and generate presentations and manuscripts suitable for publication. Fellows may choose to work in a laboratory setting, clinical setting, or both, and they perform state-of-the-art basic and clinical research closely supervised by internationally known mentors. During the first year, a research mentor is chosen, and the fellow’s progress is monitored by the Scholarship Oversight Committee. Many of our fellows choose academic careers following graduation.
Application information
Application to this program can be made through the NIH Graduate Medical Education Residency and Subspecialty Training (GME) Application. Those with international residencies and/or J1–supported trainees may also consider reaching out via e-mail during the application cycle.
Physician-scientists who have already started fellowship training and are interested in completing their training at the NIH should seek admission to the Pediatric Scientist Development Program at https://amspdc-psdp.org.
Publications
- Clinical and biochemical phenotype across the genotypic spectrum of 21-hydroxylase deficiency in 457 individuals. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2025 Online ahead of print
- Gain of function NOTCH3 variants cause familial partial lipodystrophy due to activation of senescence pathways. Diabetes 2025 74:427-438
- Low-magnitude mechanical signals to preserve skeletal health in female adolescents with anorexia nervosa: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Netw Open 2024 e2441779
- Safety and efficacy of moderate-dose denosumab in fibrous dysplasia: observational results from a phase 2 clinical trial. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2025 110:2666-2673
- Glycemia and gluconeogenesis with metformin and liraglutide: a randomized trial in youth-onset type 2 diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2024 109:1361-1370
Collaborators
- Andrew Dauber, MD, MMSc, Director, Pediatric Endocrinology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
- Sarah M. Reynolds, MD, Program Director, National Capital Consortium Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship, The Children's Center, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC), Bethesda, MD
Contact
For more information, email Rachel Gafni, MD, Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Director, at gafnir@nih.gov, or visit https://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/dir/osd/tp/peitp