Endocrinology Division

Endocrinology

The Creighton University Endocrinology Division is committed to excellence in research and instruction. The Osteoporosis Research Center (ORC)–directed by Robert Recker, MD–is one part of the Division. The ORC is highly accomplished and active in research and clinical trials, with several current NIH-funded projects.

Christopher Gallagher, MD, continues an active inpatient teaching service for students, residents and fellows. The unit’s research remains active in the area of bone disease and includes work on management of menopausal symptoms, bone loss at menopause, treatment of osteoporosis and vitamin D.

We use our clinical practices for clinical instruction of students, residents and fellows. We have three endocrinology fellows and a steady stream of internal medicine residents. Our fellows have a 100% pass rate for endocrine board exams.

Endocrinology Division at VA–Nebraska Western Iowa

The VA Medical Center is an integral part of our Endocrinology Division and fellowship program. One of our fellowship positions is funded by the VA, and each fellow rotates through the VA. There is participation in a weekly general endocrinology clinic, hands-on thyroid ultrasound and FNA, exposure to clinical research projects, and continuous learning with endocrine electronic consults and pre-clinic evaluation consults.

In the Clinical Research Unit, fellows participate in a pilot study of hypopituitarism associated with mild traumatic brain injury, design and prepare short clinical projects, and learn the process of study design and Institutional Review Board (IRB) submission. Fellows direct and monitor the endocrine testing studies done both in the CRU and the Medical Evaluation Unit.

We participate in VA cooperative studies with our VA as a selected site. We recently completed the eight-year VADT (Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial), the VADT Vascular Metabolic Memory Follow-up trial, and the four-year NEPHRON-D ACEI/ARB combination trial, all of which contributed important manuscripts in highly regarded journals. We have been selected as a site for a cooperative trial on cutting-edge treatments for diabetic neuropathy. Fellows have the opportunity to review how such trials are designed and conducted as a part of their training.

Each fellow completes a VA-based project that will advance the care of our veterans.