Leora Allen, MD
I am a third-year fellow at MGH (Massachusetts General Hospital) in Boston. I am originally from Minnesota and completed my bachelor’s degree at Washington University in St. Louis, where I majored in Psychology. I attended medical school at the American Medical Program at Tel Aviv University, completed my pediatrics residency at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital on Long Island, and now living in Boston for fellowship at MGH.
While there are many areas within endocrinology that I love, my primary areas of interest are pediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes. Since the start of residency, I have been drawn to quality improvement work, as it allows for thinking critically and intentionally about how we can improve the care that we are providing to our patients. My current research is focused on understanding how both the advances in anti-obesity pharmacotherapy and the 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics’ Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity have affected clinical care. I am also involved with the Boston site for the NIDDK funded DISCOVERY study, which is a national effort working towards understanding the many drivers of youth-onset type 2 diabetes. I am grateful for the varied research and clinical experiences I have been fortunate to participate in thus far.
I was first drawn to endocrinology during my endocrinology block in medical school, when I learned about pathophysiology, and the large impact of some of our smallest organs. My passion for pediatric endocrinology was solidified in residency, as I saw the effects of endocrine conditions on the growth and development of the patients I encountered, and realized how impactful the long-term relationships between patients and endocrinologist are. My love for pediatric endocrinology has strengthened during fellowship, and I am excited to continue growing and evolving throughout my career.
I am very grateful to all of the mentors throughout my academic journey. I am particularly grateful for Dr. Andrew Lane and Dr. Jennifer Osipoff from Stony Brook, who instilled in me a love of pediatric endocrinology, and Dr. Lauren Ng and Dr. Susmita Pati, with whom I worked on quality improvement research during my residency. I feel very lucky to be training at MGH and have benefited greatly from the knowledge and guidance of the entire team here. I am particularly grateful for the mentorship of Dr. Rachel Whooten and Dr. Takara Stanley, who have guided me along both my research and clinical endeavors, and have continually ensured that I am exposed to impactful career building opportunities, and to Dr. Deborah Mitchell, who has made sure that my fellowship years set me up for future success.
When I reflect on the experiences that have helped to shape my current career path, the common thread is the patients whom I have encountered throughout my medical training. I have also been inspired by my involvement thus far with PES – attending Obesity SIG meetings, participating in the Spring Fellows’ Retreat, working with the Fellows’ Education Subcommittee, and of course, attending the PES Annual Meeting!