Shana E. McCormack, MD, MTR

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Shana E. McCormack, MD, MTR, is an attending physician and Scientific Director of the Neuroendocrine Center in the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). She also serves as a member of the clinical research team for Mitochondrial Medicine at CHOP.

Areas of Expertise: Neuroendocrinology, Endocrine disorders in individuals with hypothalamic/pituitary brain tumors, Pituitary disorders, Hypothalamic obesity, Endocrine disorders in individuals with mitochondrial diseases, Endocrine disorders in Friedreich's Ataxia, Diabetes mellitus, Hypoglycemia, Lipodystrophy, Pseudotumor cerebri syndrome/idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Locations: Specialty Care, Market Street; Main Hospital

Appointments and Referrals: 1-800-TRY-CHOP (1-800-879-2467)


Background

Shana McCormack, MD, is an attending physician in the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She cares for children with pediatric endocrine disease. She has a clinical interest in patients with endocrine dysfunction related to individually rare metabolic disorders such as primary mitochondrial disease, Freidreich ataxia, and lipodystrophy. She also has an interest in inherited and acquired forms of hypothalamic and pituitary dysfunction, in particular those associated with abnormal energy balance and obesity, like craniopharyngiomas. Finally, she cares for children with all types of obesity and its complications, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and pseudotumor cerebri syndrome/idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

As a physician-scientist, she investigates the neuroendocrine systems that regulate energy balance in humans. Her translational research program has two main areas of focus. First, she studies individuals with metabolic disorders with characterized by risk for diabetes mellitus, including primary mitochondrial diseases, Friedreich's ataxia, and lipodystrophy. Second, she focuses on brain disorders associated with excess weight gain, including brain-tumor related hypothalamic obesity syndrome and pseudotumor cerebri syndrome/idiopathic intracranial hypertension. She performs detailed assessments of mitochondrial bioenergetics and metabolism in humans with these conditions using, for example, non-invasive imaging techniques, stable isotopes, and integrated metabolomics and proteomics. She complements these in vivo studies with in vitro experiments to more fully explore the tissue-specific causes and consequences of abnormal energy balance in model systems such as patient-derived cell lines.

Dr. McCormack's profile on the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania website.

Education and Training

Medical School

MD - Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA

Internship

Pediatrics - Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Residency

Pediatrics - Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA

Fellowship

Pediatric Endocrinology - Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, MA

Board Certification

Obesity Medicine
Pediatric Endocrinology – American Board of Pediatrics
Pediatrics – American Board of Pediatrics

Graduate Degree

Master of Science in Translational Research (MTR) - University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia PA

Titles and Academic Titles

Attending Physician

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Departments and Services

Research Interests

Dr. McCormack studies the neuroendocrine systems that regulate energy balance in humans. Her translational and clinical research program has two main areas of focus. First, her team studies individuals with metabolic disorders with characterized by risk for diabetes mellitus, including primary mitochondrial diseases, Friedreich's ataxia, and lipodystrophy. Second, her group focuses on brain disorders associated with excess weight gain, including brain-tumor related hypothalamic obesity syndrome and idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Publications

Posters and Presentations

Dr. McCormack's publications on PubMed.

Awards and Honors

2016, American Society for Clinical Investigation Young Investigators Award

2013, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) Fellowship

2012, Travel Award for Young Investigators Pediatric Academic Society, Boston MA

2011, Outstanding Abstract and Travel Award Endocrine Society, Boston MA

2010, Fellow Travel Award, Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society

2008, Resident Teaching Award, Harvard Medical School

2006, Family-Centered Care Award, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children

2002, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Medical Student Research Fellowship

1999, Phi Beta Kappa Society, Harvard College

1996, Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Editorial and Academic Positions

Editorial Positions

Ad hoc reviewer

2016-present, Science Translational Medicine

2016-present, British Journal of Nutrition

2016-present, BMJ Open

2016-present, International Journal of Epidemiology

2015-present, Metabolism

2015-present, PLOS One

2014-present, Pediatric Obesity

2013-present, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism

Academic and Institutional Committees

2013-present, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Scientific Review Committee

Leadership and Memberships

Memberships in Professional Organizations

International

2015-present, Society for Inherited Metabolic Disorders

National

2015-present, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research

2014-present, Society for Pediatric Research

2014-2017, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

 - 2014-2017, Chair, Mitochondrial Disease Common Data Element Working Group on Endocrinology, Diabetes, GI, Nutrition

2013-present, United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation

2013-present, Mitochondrial Medicine Society

 - 2016, Mitochondrial Preventative Care Work Group, Endocrinology Lead

2009-present, Pediatric Endocrine Society

2009-present, Endocrine Society

 - 2017-2020, Member, Research Affairs Core Committee

 - 2017-2020, Member, Diabetes Government and Public Affairs Advisory Board