Spring 2026, Date: Friday April 24th, 2026, Time: 2:30-4pm in Lecture Hall 1. Reception with poster presentations to follow.
Innovative mathematical solutions to tackle 21st century nutrition challenges in pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes
Pediatric overweight and obesity occur in one in three youth in United States, and prevalence rates are rapidly increasing worldwide. In parallel, high rates of metabolic diseases such as pediatric type 2 diabetes and fatty liver disease are emerging public health concerns. Insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion are key components of pediatric and adult metabolic disorders alike, but disease presentation and treatment are distinct from adult-onset disease and novel tools are needed to improve early screening and detection in youth. This seminar will present contemporary data on the natural history of pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes and highlight research advances in mathematical modeling of disease risk designed to improve screening and disease prediction.
Dr. Stephanie Chung, M.B.B.S., Lasker Tenure Track Investigator, NIH Distinguished Scholar
Dr. Arthur Sherman, Lab Chief of Laboratory of Biological Modeling, NIDDK, NIH
Drs. Sherman and Chung have collaborated on dozens of articles around quantitative representation of insulin sensitivity in diabetic patients include those from underrepresented groups and youth. In this inaugural talk in the series, we get to hear from both the theoretical and experimental sides of the collaboration. What are the results of their collaboration? How are they able to so successfully contribute to such a sustained endeavor? What are their tips for developing and maintaining such a joint venture?