The Division provides a comprehensive clinical service covering all the major fields of endocrinology on both an outpatient and an inpatient basis.
Diabetes Mellitus
As part of the University's Diabetes Center of Excellence, the Division has outpatient clinics each weekday at the Shands Medical Plaza for people with diabetes. Diabetes clinics also occur at the Veteran's Administration Hospital on Mondays and Fridays. These clinics have a close liaison with the American Diabetes Association recognized Diabetes Education Program at Shands Medical Plaza.
Pituitary and Adrenal Diseases
Several faculty members have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating all major pituitary conditions, Cushing's syndrome and adrenal gland disorders. Together with colleagues in the College of Medicine's prestigious Department of Neurological Surgery, we provide a specialist outpatient clinic for pituitary patients on Fridays.
Lipid Disorders
The management of primary lipid disorders, and those associated with diabetes, was a major research focus of the Division for many years. Thyroid, Lipid, Calcium disorder is now a specific clinical interest of two of our faculty.
Other Endocrine Problems, such as disorders of calcium metabolism, osteoporosis and hypogonadism, are managed at the various general endocrine outpatient clinics at the locations mentioned above.
Endocrine Clinic at the VA Medical Center is every Tuesday, with provision for the same range of conditions as listed above.
Research Activities
Dr. Simpson has expertise in the application of NMR techniques to biological systems. The main research project in Dr. Simpsons’ laboratory is the development of a bioartificial pancreas for the long-term treatment of Type 1 Diabetes. Current projects include the development of NMR-based methodology to monitor implanted bioartificial pancreatic constructs, the development of NMR-based methodology to image human islets within the pancreas, and studying the role of anaplerotic pathways in the mechanism of insulin secretion. Additional projects Dr. Simpson is involved with include the use of NMR techniques to study the biochemical consequences of mitochondrial disorders and the effects of glutathione in cancer therapy.
A major basic research focus of Dr. Stacpoole relates to intermediary metabolism, the regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase, its relationship to congenital and acquired forms of lactic acidosis, and the mechanisms of action of dichloroacetate in the prevention and treatment of lactic acidosis. Dr. Stacpoole is also the Director of the University's NIH funded General Clinical Research Center.
Dr. Clare-Salzler, whose primary appointment is with the Department of Pathology, has a research program looking at immune mechanisms in autoimmune thyroid disease and Type 1 diabetes.
Endocrinology Fellowship Program
The Division has an accredited Fellowship Program, with usually two fellows at any one time. The clinical training program lasts two years. Fellows complete training in all the major aspects of clinical endocrinology, and in the second year of the program are encouraged to identify a research interest that may form the basis of an additional research year. The aim is to prepare fellows for a career in either clinical or research endocrinology.