Daniela Aguilar Abisad, MD
I am a third year Pediatric Endocrinology Fellow at Stanford University. I was born and raised in the beautiful coastal town of Tampico, Mexico, where my Mexican-Lebanese heritage shaped my early perspectives on culture and community. I attended medical school at Tec de Monterrey and completed my pediatric residency at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.
My research interests center on type 2 diabetes and health equity. My current fellowship project, which is funded by the PES Addressing Health Disparities Award, is a mixed-methods study that examines the presence and nature of stigma and discrimination experienced by youth with type 2 diabetes and their families, seeking to understand how these challenges affect their care, well-being, and diabetes-related outcomes.
Clinically, I am drawn to growth and pubertal disorders, differences of sex development, and diabetes management. These are areas where I can walk alongside patients and families over time, supporting them through both medical complexities and the important psychosocial dimensions of care.
My journey to pediatric endocrinology began in medical school, where I became fascinated by the intricacy of endocrine physiology. However, my true calling was solidified during my social service year as a physician at DIF Capullos, one of the largest Child Protective Services institutions in Mexico. There, I had the profound opportunity to closely manage and advocate for children with type 1 diabetes in a resource-limited setting. I developed and implemented a standard basal-bolus insulin regimen that became the established protocol for these children and subsequent patients with type 1 diabetes at the institution. This experience showed me the profound difference an endocrinologist can make, not just in disease management, but in dismantling systemic barriers so children can receive compassionate, high-quality care.
I have been fortunate to learn from exceptional mentors throughout my training. During residency, Drs. Pedro Pagan, Adriana Carrillo, and Alejandro Diaz provided not only clinical expertise but also unwavering support as I explored this field.
In my fellowship, I have been inspired by Stanford’s outstanding faculty. Dr. Ananta Addala has thoughtfully guided me in health equity research, helping me develop the perspective and skills to conduct meaningful work on type 2 diabetes stigma. My primary clinical mentors, Drs. Holly Cooper, Caroline Buckway, and Diane Stafford, have modeled clinical excellence and deep commitment to trainees. I am also learning from Drs. David Maahs and Hilary Seeley, whose remarkable ability to connect with families exemplifies how genuine compassion forms the foundation of excellent patient care.