Our Story

Dennis M. Bier, MD, is Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. He is a Member of the National Academy of Medicine (USA), a Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dr. Bier serves as Editor-in-Chief of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. He was the former Editor of Pediatric Research and Associate Editor of the Annual Review of Nutrition. Previously, Dr. Bier was Chairman of the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences (USA). He served as President of the American Society of Clinical Nutrition, Co-President of the American Society for Nutritional Sciences, and Councilor of the American Pediatric Society. He has authored more than 275 scientific publication and has received many awards for his scholarly research contributions.

Dr. Geffner is Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and the Ron Burkle Chair in the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism.

He graduated from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1975); was a house officer at LAC-USC Medical Center (1975-1979); and completed his fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at UCLA (1979-1982). Dr. Geffner is a recent Past-President of the Pediatric Endocrine Society (2014-2015). His basic science research interest is in the general area of hormone resistance while, on the clinical side, he is involved in studies of new formulations, delivery systems, and indications for GH and GnRH therapy.

Dr. Geffner is principal investigator at CHLA of the NIH-sponsored TODAY2 trial that is studying long-term outcomes of youth with T2DM and national consultant to the NIH-sponsored PHACS study of endocrinological/metabolic manifestations of HIV infection and its treatment in childhood. He has served on the American Board of Pediatrics Sub-Board on Pediatric Endocrinology; as a Director, President, and soon Secretary of the Pediatric Endocrine Society; and is an advisor to the MAGIC Foundation, the Pituitary Network Association, and CARES Foundation. Dr. Geffner is Associate Editor of the journal, Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews, pediatric endocrinology editor for UpToDate, and co-editor of the textbook, “Pediatric Practice: Endocrinology” (McGraw-Hill) (second edition published in 2014).

Dr. Newfield graduated as MD at the Technion’s Institute of Technology in Israel, after which he did his residency at Schneider’s Children’s Hospital in New York, followed by a fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan, New York. He has been at the University of California and Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego since 2000, quickly rising to become a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, working full time clinically as a pediatric endocrinologist and being involved as a principal Investigator (PI) in many clinical research trials in the areas of growth hormone, diabetes and lipids.

Dr. Newfield is an active member of a number of professional organizations, such as the Endocrine Society, Pediatric Endocrine Society, American Diabetes Association, and American Thyroid Association. He has more than 45 publications in the areas of growth, obesity, thyroid and adrenal disorders and diabetes, published in top journals, like the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the New England Journal of Medicine, Thyroid, and Diabetes Care to name just a few. He has a wealth of experience in clinical practice in pediatric endocrinology and clinical research in the area of growth in children.

Robert Rapaport, MD is a Professor of Pediatrics, Chief of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, and the Emma Elizabeth Sullivan Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York.

He has been a long time active member of the Pediatric Endocrine Society serving in many capacities during membership. He was elected member of the American Pediatric Society and has been active in both the ADA and the JDRF. In addition, he was on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, the Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism, Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews, and is currently senior editor of Journal of Diabetes and Endocrine Connection.

He has published more than 200 articles, chapters and abstracts including chapters in major Pediatric (Nelson) and Pediatric Endocrinology (Sperling, Lifshitz and Pescovitz) textbooks. He directs an annual Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Symposium. His current research interests include: Neonatal thyroid disease; Growth Hormone in children born SGA, Growth Hormone-Immune interactions; Endocrine abnormalities in HIV and several aspects of Childhood Diabetes.

Dr. Stallings is currently the director of the Nutrition Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. She received her early nutrition training at Auburn University and graduate training at Cornell University.

Dr. Stallings received her medical degree from the University of Alabama in Birmingham and completed a general pediatrics residency at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. She completed her professional training at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto as a fellow in clinical nutrition and research.

She has been on the faculty of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for over 25 years and led the development of the nutrition program at the Hospital, with broad based clinical care, research and training.

Her research is focused on the nutrition related growth and body composition abnormalities of children with different chronic diseases. Dr. Stallings is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and has participated in many related reports that have resulted in changes in child nutrition policy and care.