Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
- About Us
- Our Research
- Research Impact
Exploring How Hormones Shape Growing Bodies & Young Lives
Hormone disorders can affect every aspect of a child’s health, from how they grow and develop to how they think, feel, and function. The Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism in Jacksonville, Florida is uncovering the science behind these conditions and reimagining how they’re treated.
For more than 25 years, our team has led clinical research that’s transformed care for children with endocrine disorders. We’ve helped pioneer new drug therapies, test groundbreaking devices, and explore how complex conditions like type 1 diabetes affect brain development and day-to-day function.
At the center of our work is a deep commitment to improving daily life for kids and families. We design studies with practical applications in care. We want to understand disease and deliver therapies that help children grow, thrive, and stay active.
Our team is part of one the busiest pediatric endocrine centers in the Southeast. Through clinical expertise and scientific discovery, we’re shaping the future of pediatric endocrinology. Our work is redefining what’s possible for children with complex hormone-related conditions, in Florida and nationally.
Leading Research That Moves Endocrinology Forward
We’re advancing pediatric endocrinology through high-impact studies that improve care, inform national practice, and help shape future therapies. From innovative trial designs to landmark brain imaging work, we’re pushing the boundaries in what we can achieve.
25+ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý
Years conducting research in pediatric hormone disorders
$16 million +
In investigator-led research funding (Dr. Mauras)
250+
Peer-reviewed articles advancing the field
22
Active clinical trials & studies
We’ve led National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded studies thatÌýreveal how type 1 diabetes affects brain development in young children.ÌýWe’re changing how this disease is understood, monitored, and managed.
Our team helpsÌýtest and validate cutting-edge therapies, including next-generation insulin delivery systemsÌýand new hormonal treatments for growth and puberty disorders.
WeÌýpartner with Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Mayo Clinic, using state-of-the-art facilities to perform complex studies, including brain imaging, overnight protocols, and long-term follow-up.
We focus onÌýtranslating discovery into real-life impact, designing studies that improve outcomes, ease treatment burden, and reduce disparities in care.
Our Leadership
Nelly Mauras, MDÌý
Director of Research, North FloridaÌý
Pediatric Endocrinologist
Professor of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic College of MedicineÌý
Keisha Bird, APRN, DNP
Clinical Trials Manager
Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism
Research Team
Join Us
Tailoring Medicine to Each Child’s Genetic Profile
Our research explores how hormone disorders affect a child’s body and brain, and how the right therapies can improve both. We study mechanisms of disease, test new treatments, and evaluate outcomes to help children live fuller, healthier lives.
Focus Areas
Research is concentrated within these key focus areas:
Supporting Healthy Growth: Growth Hormone & Other Growth-Promoting Therapies
We’ve helped lead national efforts to expand knowledge on growth and growth hormone therapy, showing how GH and IGF-1 impact not just height, but metabolism, lean body mass, and skeletal muscle function. Our team enhanced the use of stable isotope tracing to measure energy use in children. We also explore next-generation therapies, including once-weekly injections, growth-stimulating peptides, and oral agents that give families more options.
Our ability to conduct inpatient studies, supported by research space at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, allows us to measure whole-body metabolism and energy expenditure in ways few pediatric centers can.
Regulating Puberty: Turner Syndrome & Precocious Puberty
Our research has contributed to how pubertal hormone replacement is managed in girls with Turner syndrome, including key studies comparing oral and transdermal estrogen (delivered through the skin). We’ve also contributed to the development of longer-acting puberty blockers, from 3-month injections to newly approved 6- and 12-month options. This helps to ensure safer, more effective care for children with early-onset puberty.
Rethinking Diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes & the Developing BrainÌý
Our diabetes research centers on understanding how this lifelong disease affects children's brains, bodies, and daily lives, and how better tools and therapies can reduce those impacts. We currently focus on three core areas that are helping reshape the field:
- Brain & Cognitive Development:ÌýWe study how type 1 diabetes influences brain growth, structure, and function using MRI and neurocognitive testing to track changes over time and uncover risks early.
- Insulin Delivery & Diabetes Technology:ÌýWe test and improve insulin delivery tools to make them safer and more effective for kids. These include hybrid and closed-loop devices and artificial pancreas technologies, with a focus on pediatric safety and real-world use.
- Glucose Counter-Regulation & Disparities: We study how the body responds to low blood sugars in young children with type 1 diabetes. We also lead equity-focused research to expand access to diabetes technology in underserved populations.
Broadening Our Reach: Obesity, Bone & Thyroid Research
As we expand, our research now includes GLP-1 medications, a newer class of drugs used for obesity and conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome. We’re also advancing studies in thyroid disorders and metabolic bone disease. We’re applying the same rigor and focus that define our core research to these emerging areas so that more children can benefit from breakthrough therapies.
Research Themes
Our work is guided by themes that reflect both our scientific approach and our commitment to children’s health. These principles inform how we design studies, collaborate with partners, and bring new ideas into practice:
- Translational Science:ÌýDesigning studies that move discoveries from lab to bedside, with therapies that improve function, cognition, and quality of life.
- Real-World Innovation:ÌýTesting new drug formulations and medical devices in diverse, everyday settings to ensure impact beyond the trial environment.
- Health Access:ÌýExpanding access to diabetes technologies and designing studies that intentionally include underserved and historically underrepresented populations.
- Longitudinal Insight:ÌýFollowing children over time to see how early treatments affect long-term health and development.
- Multidisciplinary Collaboration:ÌýPartnering across endocrinology, imaging, neurology, and behavioral health to answer complex pediatric questions with precision.
Clinical Trials & Research Studies at Nemours
Pediatric clinical trials and research studies are important for advancing medical knowledge and improving care for kids around the world. Our researchers lead clinical research to study new drugs, treatments, devices and techniques. We also contribute to national registries and collaboratives to further research in this area. Find a clinical trial or study now.
Related Research & Care at Nemours
Centers at Nemours often align with research areas, affiliated labs, and clinical programs to support discovery and care systemwide.
Endocrinology, Hormones & Growth
CLINICAL CARE
Pediatric care for hormone-related conditions, including growth, puberty, thyroid, and diabetes concerns. Available at Nemours in the Delaware Valley and Florida.
Neuroscience Research
RESEARCH AREA
We investigate brain development and neurological disorders to advance pediatric neuroscience through collaboration and translational science.
How We Make a Difference
Through long-term studies, clinical innovation, and national collaborations, our team is shaping the future of pediatric endocrinology. We focus on research that not only deepens understanding, but leads to real advances in care, outcomes, and equity. Notable impacts include:
- Revealed how type 1 diabetes affects brain development in young children, through NIH-funded longitudinal MRI and cognitive testing studies now in their third funding cycle.
- Helped validate advanced insulin delivery systems, including the bionic pancreas, through national trials that supported FDA approval for pediatric use.
- Led pivotal studies comparing hormone delivery methods and supporting new treatment regimens for growth disorders, Turner syndrome, and precocious puberty.
- Applied innovative methods, like stable isotope tracing, to measure the metabolic impact of GH and IGF-1 therapy. These studies offer new insights into how children use energy and build lean body mass.
- Designed and led research to help all children access the latest diabetes care, no matter their background or income.
Publications
Nemours researchers constantly contribute to advancing scientific understanding. We share our knowledge, insights, and discoveries to encourage collaboration and inspire further research.Ìý
Major Grants & Funding
Our work is supported by competitive grants from national organizations including:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
U01 GrantÌý| Cognitive, structural and functional impact of new-onset type 1 diabetes on the brain of young childrenÌý(2024-2029) | Mauras, N. (PI) |Ìý$2.4 million
UC4 GrantÌý|ÌýFinal clinical studies for pre-market approval of a bionic pancreasÌý(2017-2022) | Mauras, N. (Site PI) |Ìý$90,000
UC4 GrantÌý| Automated closed-loop insulin delivery vs. pump therapy in children (2019-2023) | Mauras, N. (Site PI)
R01 Grants
Molecular mechanisms in familial and sporadic precocious puberty (2017-2019) | Mauras, N. (Site PI)Ìý
Hypoglycemia in children with T1D: mechanisms and prevention (2007-2013) | Mauras, N. (PI) | $1.02 million
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)Ìý
R01 GrantÌý| Type 1 diabetes and the brain in children: metabolic interventions (2014-2021) | Mauras, N. (PI) | $10 million
Philanthropy & Development
Breaking Health Care Disparities in Access to Advanced Diabetes Technologies in Children With Type 1 Diabetes (2023-2025) | Mauras, N. (PI) | $400,000
Thrasher Research Fund & Development FundsÌý| Aromatase Inhibitors & Growth Hormone in Adolescent Boys with Short Stature (2010-2015) | Mauras, N. (PI) | $650,000
Industry Sponsored Research
Novo Nordisk
REAL 8 Basket Study: Somapacitan vs. Norditropin in children with short stature (2023-2026) | Mauras, N. (PI)
GH Effects on Muscle & Metabolism in Prepubertal Boys (2019-2025) | Mauras, N. (PI) | $360,000
OPKO Health, Inc.Ìý| Phase 3 study of weekly MOD-4023 vs. daily Genotropin in GH deficiency (2017-present) | Mauras, N. (PI)
GenentechÌý| Estrogen dosing in Turner Syndrome: pharmacology & metabolism (2009-2013) | Mauras, N. (PI) | $400,000
Nemours Research ProgramsÌý| Statins in Children with T1D: effects on metabolism, inflammation, and endothelial function (2010–2013) | Mauras, N. (PI) | $650,000
Research Partnerships & Collaborations
We expand our knowledge and leverage diverse perspectives with partnerships and collaborations within and outside our field of study. Partnerships include:
Wolfson Children’s Hospital
Our in Jacksonville provides access to a dedicated clinical research center, including space and staff for inpatient studies and overnight protocols. This collaboration allows us to conduct high-complexity research with the highest standards for safety and support.
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Jacksonville
We hold full academic appointments at and collaborate on NIH-funded research, including our ongoing brain imaging studies in children with type 1 diabetes. Their advanced imaging facilities near 911ÖÆÆ·³§Â黨’s Health, Jacksonville, are instrumental in conducting unsedated MRI scans and cognitive testing for our longitudinal studies.
Industry Collaborators
We partner with leading pharmaceutical and device companies like , and others to evaluate the safety and efficacy of emerging treatments and technologies for children with endocrine disorders.
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