On July 1, the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Pediatrics welcomed a new faculty member who will serve as chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes. Brigid Gregg, MD, visiting associate professor, is an established physician-scientist practicing clinically in pediatric endocrinology, with a research focus on diabetes and metabolic events that predispose children to diabetes.
Gregg completed her medical degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Her pediatric residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center segued into three years as both a clinical and research fellow at that same institution. At the University of Michigan Medical School, she was associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology within the Department of Pediatrics, as well as associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Science in the School of Public Health.
Her role as inaugural director of well-being and culture in that Department of Pediatrics was followed by a system-level role within Michigan Medicine as an office well-being faculty associate. It is an important area for her, and she intends to continue her involvement here. In addition, Gregg serendipitously encountered the Culinary Medicine Program at Tulane University in New Orleans. She had always had an interest in food as both nutrition and medicine, and her observation of the Tulane program inspired her to bring it north to the University of Michigan. In this way, Gregg worked to address the inadequate attention paid to nutrition as a topic of health in the medical curriculum. She balances her focus on food as medicine with her certificate in Basic Pastry and Culinary Arts, from the California Culinary Academy.
Education and mentorship are serious commitments for Gregg. She served as the director for nutrition content for first-year medical students in the University of Michigan Medical School curriculum, and as co-chair of the Women’s Interprofessional Network of the American Diabetes Association. Her teaching has been recognized through teaching awards and through the success of her mentees.
Gregg is widely published, and her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), foundations, and other awards. Her current research project is an NIH R01 five-year project now in its fourth year. “The GROWTH Study, Glycemic Range and Offspring Weight and adiposity in response To Human milk,” examines the role of maternal metabolic disease on breast milk composition and neonatal programing, and other possible effects of differences in breast milk. Gregg will continue her project tasks for this study in her new lab here.
Get to know Gregg: read her online profile and read the Q&A below.
Your hometown?
I grew up in Toledo, Ohio, but have lived on the east coast and west coast as well. In the end the Midwest is my favorite!
Your previous position?
Associate Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Michigan
Why did you choose the field of pediatrics?
When I was in college, I was able to volunteer in children’s hospitals and really loved it. Then in medical school at Case Western Reserve University, our experience began with following a pregnant mother to her delivery and then following the care of the baby. That was it for me, and I still love taking care of babies and focusing on maternal and child health research.
What attracted you to UW–Madison?
My husband grew up here and can’t stop talking about it. I know when we are gathering with friends and anyone asks about Madison, I am going to have to settle in for a 20-minute hype conversation! So, it seemed like a natural place to gravitate back to.
What are you most excited to start working on as chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes?
I am excited to work with this excellent group and to consider ways to bring more research to the division. I am also looking forward to working in a division with a serious focus on prevention, metabolic health, prediabetes, and all forms of diabetes. This is a very forward-looking division working to protect long-term health for children.
Do you have ongoing research? If so, how will you continue your efforts?
Yes. My research focuses on nutritional and metabolic stressors during pregnancy and lactation and how these impact offspring long-term disease risk. I will continue to carry out translational studies in my laboratory and look forward to growing new collaborations here.
What’s something interesting about your areas of expertise you can share that will make us sound smarter during video chats and parties?
Did you know that human milk is personalized nutrition for infants and changes in its composition from day to day and hour to hour? It is a complex biofluid that is still poorly understood, yet it is incredibly important for infant health. We need to learn more about human milk and the things that make it beneficial!
What is the last book you read?
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, for my division book club in Michigan. And actually, it is set in Michigan, so that was fun.
What is your favorite food?
This is way too hard to decide. I love food, cooking, eating, and nutrition. We are very much looking forward to checking out all the restaurants in our new city!
Do you have a secret talent?
I attended culinary school prior to medical school.
What are some of your hobbies and other interests?
I like to travel, play board games, and learn about new wellness activities to try out.
Photo by Kate Feldt/Department of Pediatrics