It is with great pleasure that we welcome Patrick Catalano, MD, FACOG to the Mother Infant Research Institute (MIRI) at Tufts Medical Center. Dr. Catalano will serve as both a Senior Research Investigator at MIRI and the new Vice Chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology Research. Dr. Catalano joins us from Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, OH where he was the Director of the Center for Reproductive Health and the Director of the Clinical Research Unit. A Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Dr. Catalano received his medical degree from the University of Vermont’s College of Medicine, where he also completed both his residency in Ob-Gyn and a fellowship in Maternal-Fetal Medicine. As a practicing physician-scientist for over 40 years, Dr. Catalano has helped to identify the lifelong health consequences of maternal obesity and gestational diabetes on both pregnant women and their children. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for over 30 years.
Throughout his career, Dr. Catalano has received numerous awards and accolades for his contribution to maternal and child health, including the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award in recognition of his lifelong commitment to improve maternal nutrition. He has co-authored over 200 publications and has lectured world-wide about his research aimed at improving our understanding of a broad range of morbidities affecting maternal and child health and potential treatment strategies targeted to mitigate their effects.
Dr. Catalano’s research interests have included the impact of insulin resistance and glucose metabolism on pregnancy, as well as maternal over nutrition and its associated impact on offspring growth, metabolism and adiposity. He served as the Principal Investigator on the NIH-sponsored trial exploring the role of calcium supplementation in pregnancy to prevent preeclampsia, and more recently has examined the potential of omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy to reduce inflammation and decrease fetal obesity. Currently, Dr. Catalano serves as a Principal Investigator on the NICHD R01- sponsored clinical trial exploring the impact of lifestyle interventions in preparation for pregnancy (the LIPP trial). The LIPP trial will commence at Tufts Medical Center and the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) with Dr. Catalano’s arrival at Tuft MC this spring.
As a committed educator, Dr. Catalano has successfully mentored dozens of junior investigators. He was awarded a national Faculty Award for Excellence in Resident Education, as well as the MetroHealth Medical Center Teacher of the Year Award.
Dr. Catalano brings to MIRI and Tufts Medical Center an international reputation of providing outstanding clinical care, translating his research to improve the outcomes of pregnant women and their children, and educating the next generation of physician-scientists and principal investigators. We are thrilled to have him as part of our team.
