Division of Pediatric Endocrinology
The Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism was founded in 1972 by Drs. John Malone and Allen Root who were recruited from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to be a part of the newly formed Department of Pediatrics at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Dr. Root became Chief of Endocrinology at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, and Dr. Malone formed a Division of Diabetes and Metabolism and the USF Diabetes Center on the north Tampa Campus of the medical school. The two Divisions became one in 1996 with its main academic office located at All Children's Hospital.
Today the Division consists of 6 faculty members, 3 pediatric endocrine fellows, 2 nurse practitioners, 3 nurses, a metabolic dietician/infant screening coordinator, and social worker. The USF Diabetes Center on the north Tampa Campus has 2 additional certified diabetes educators and is currently led by Dr. Jeffrey Krischer, statistician and head of the coordinating center for Trialnet and other international epidemiologic studies of type 1 diabetes.
The Division provides consultation and care for children with complex endocrine disorders and diabetes. Dr. Malone also cares for children with inborn errors of metabolism such as phenylketonuria and galactosemia. The Division is one of 3 major referral centers in the State of Florida for newborns with abnormal screening results for hypothyroidism, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and inborn errors of metabolism. The Division has an approved 3 year Fellowship Training Program in Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes that accepts 1 fellow per year.
Patients are seen at a variety of locations including 1) All Children's Hospital facilities in St. Petersburg, New Port Richey, Sarasota, Tampa and Lakeland, 2) Children's Medical Services facilities in Tampa, and 3) the USF Outpatient Clinic in South Tampa.
Current research projects in the Division include:
- Treatment of precocious puberty
- Growth hormone therapy
- Estrogen replacement in girls with Turner syndrome
- The effects of hyper- and hypoglycemia on the central nervous system
- The Trialnet Natural History study of Type 1 diabetes mellitus
- Continuous glucose monitoring systems
- Functional studies of calcium sensing receptor mutations
- PLAC1, a novel placental-specific protein