Silva Arslanian, MD

Education

• MD, American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine Beirut, Lebanon

Training

• Residency, American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine Beirut, Lebanon
• Fellowship, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Research Interests

Silva Arslanian, MD, is a pediatric endocrinologist who pioneered the use of state of the art in vivo research methodologies to investigate insulin sensitivity and beta cell function during childhood growth and development in both healthy individuals and those with metabolic conditions.

Dr. Arslanian’s pioneering research expanded our understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity-associated prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in youth, once considered only an adult disease. Her research was also the first to demonstrate the accelerated tempo of beta cell deterioration in youth with type 2 diabetes, paving the way for two large multicenter National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded studies in youth-onset type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. Moreover, her studies were the first to reveal the severe insulin resistance in adolescents in contrast to adults afflicted with prediabetes but similar degrees of obesity, providing insight into different therapeutic strategies between youth and adults. In addition, her research has advanced our grasp of race/ethnicity-related risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes in children.

Dr. Arslanian’s patient-oriented research was instrumental in furthering discoveries in adolescent polycystic ovary syndrome and its hormonal, metabolic, and cardiovascular derangements.

Dr. Arslanian is the Richard L. Day Endowed Chair in Pediatrics. She is a Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Clinical Translational Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In addition to leading the Center for Pediatric Research in Obesity and Metabolism (CPROM), she has served as director of the NIH-funded Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center since 1999. She founded the Weight Management and Wellness Center in 2004 to enhance the care of children and families afflicted with obesity. An internationally recognized figure in pediatric research, Dr. Arslanian has received multiple awards in recognition of her work and currently holds three NIH awards.

Dr. Arslanian directs one of CPROM’s key research laboratories investigating new therapeutic strategies for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes in youth. She is also responsible for recruiting the top research talent who are helping to fulfill the center’s vision and mission.

A clinician as well as a medical researcher, Dr. Arslanian has been listed among The Best Doctors in America®, Best Doctors, Inc., and among America’s Most Honored Professionals (Top 1%) by The American Registry.

Clinical Activities

Board certified in pediatric endocrinology, Dr. Arslanian sees patients through the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. For appointments: 412-692-5200.

Dr. Arslanian has authored or co-authored more than 200 articles that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals and she has written more than 50 book chapters over the span of her career. The significance of her works is demonstrated by thousands of associated citations.

View Dr. Arslanian’s full list of publications from PubMed.