Faculty Member, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute and Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center
Professor of Medicine
Director of Clinical Research
Vice-chair for Faculty Development & Diversity in the Department of Medicine
Laura P. Svetkey, MD, MHS has more than 25 years of experience in the investigation of hypertension, obesity, and related areas. During this time, she has conducted NIH-sponsored clinical research ranging from behavioral intervention trials to metabolomics and genetics, with a consistent focus on prevention, non-pharmacologic intervention, health disparities and minority health.
MD Harvard University, Boston, MA
Clinical research efforts
Clinical (human) research conducted at the Stedman Building on the Center for Living Campus focuses on understanding and treating nutrition-related disease. These studies, primarily NIH-sponsored, include controlled feeding studies such as DASH (1,2), DASH-sodium (3,4), DASH-mech (5), and DASH-CKD (in progress); real-life behavioral interventions such as PREMIER (6,7,8), Weight Loss Maintenance (9), HIP (10,11), HIP-Latino (12,13), CITY (14), and Weight Loss in Female Veterans (in progress); and identification of metabolomics and genetic profiles associated with obesity and its consequences, such as the STEDMAN and MURDOCK studies (15,16,17,18). The research conducted in the Stedman Building maintains a consistent focus on health disparities and minority health.
To conduct this work, Dr. Svetkey leads a diverse team of investigators. Members include Bryan C. Batch MD and Leonor Corsino MD in the Division of Metabolism and Endocrinology; Crystal Tyson MD in Nephrology; Pao-Hwa Lin who is a PhD nutritionist; and Study Coordinator Aziza Sutton. Key collaborators include Gary Bennett PhD (Duke Cancer Institute and Global Health Institute), Hayden Bosworth PhD (Health Services Research), Corrine Voils PhD (qualitative research), and several members of the DMPI faculty (Newgard, Shah, Hauser, Muehlbauer, etc).