Sarah Giger, MD
I am currently a third-year pediatric endocrinology fellow at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). I grew up in the Washington, DC area and completed my undergraduate studies at Washington & Lee University in Virginia. I then moved on to medical school at Vanderbilt University, where I obtained my MD and MPH in Global Health. I completed my pediatric residency at CCHMC and ultimately decided to stay for my fellowship training.
I love the breadth of pathology we see in endocrinology, but I am most passionate about the prevention and management of pediatric obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. I enjoy the challenges and opportunities that come with partnering with patients and families along the spectrum of early insulin resistance to type 2 diabetes, helping them to understand and address the biological as well as social, behavioral and environmental factors that impact their glycemic control and weight. I am working toward becoming board certified in obesity medicine in fall 2026, with the goal of complementing and augmenting what I have learned through my endocrinology training.
My research focuses on psychosocial factors which impact pediatric obesity. I am currently working on a project assessing adolescents’ prior experiences of weight stigma and perceptions of being weighed in medical appointments, with the goal of making weight management visits less stigmatizing for patients. I am additionally working on a project assessing self-reported disordered eating behaviors in adolescents with overweight/obesity and their associations with glycemic control. I have appreciated the numerous opportunities available during fellowship to engage more in the obesity/type 2 diabetes space, including learning from the PES Obesity SIG, participating in the Endocrine Society’s Obesity Fellows educational program as well as their podcast, and engaging with researchers and clinicians through the American Diabetes Association and the Obesity Society.
I was fortunate to have an endocrinology rotation during my pediatric clerkship. I loved that endocrinology blended meaningful, long-term relationships with patients (my favorite thing about pediatrics) with interesting physiology and problem-solving. I enjoyed my initial experiences so much that I participated in additional electives in pediatric endocrinology and obesity medicine as a medical student. I tried to keep an open mind as I started residency, but my experiences as a first month intern on our endocrinology team managing new onset diabetes pulled me in further. My experiences at two summers of diabetes camp working with 9–10-year-old girls ultimately solidified my interest.
I am grateful to my medical school research mentors, Drs. Shari Barkin and Bill Heerman, for introducing me to pediatric obesity research. The late Dr. Michael Fowler, an adult endocrinologist, deeply impacted me in our work together at Vanderbilt’s free clinic and ignited my interest in type 2 diabetes management and motivational interviewing. I was able to work with many fantastic pediatric endocrinologists as a medical student and was especially inspired by Drs. Jennifer Najjar and Jennifer Kelley, who encouraged my interest in the specialty. I am especially grateful to my many mentors in Cincinnati who have guided me through residency and fellowship. Drs. Amy Shah and Sarah Lawson have been fantastic research mentors. Dr. Nancy Crimmins has been a wonderful mentor in obesity research and clinical care, as well as my fellowship director, and her guidance has been invaluable to me.