Dr Mary Ellen Vajravelu, MD, MSHP, is a paediatric endocrinologist and assistant professor of paediatrics and epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Her clinical and research work focuses on paediatric obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. A recipient of NIH NIDDK K23 and R01 awards, Dr Vajravelu studies mHealth interventions to improve outcomes in youth and young adults with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. She also brings expertise in health policy, quality improvement, and the use of large datasets in paediatric endocrinology.
In this Q&A, Dr Vajravelu reflects on the mentors and experiences that have guided her career, the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and the vital role that patients play in informing both her clinical and research approaches.
I’ve been fortunate to have incredible mentors, colleagues, and patients who have shaped my journey in paediatric endocrinology. My passion for paediatric endocrinology began in medical school, where I found myself drawn not only to the diversity of the field but also to the paediatric endocrinology team, both of which felt like perfect fits for my interests and personality. As a resident training at a different institution than where I attended medical school, I was happy to find that my experiences with the field and the team were very similar; it turns out that the people that go into paediatric endocrinology are just generally great people to work with! In addition to the physician and APP team members I’ve worked with, I have been continuously inspired by the full diabetes care team, including Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists, nurses and medical assistants, dietitians, social workers, and psychologists, as well as the administrative assistants and insurance specialists that keep the clinics and access to therapies and resources going.
What I love most about my work is the synergy between the clinical care that I provide and the research that I do on a daily basis. In the clinic, I have the honour of partnering with families facing life-changing diagnoses, such as youth-onset type 2 diabetes, which often occurs in the setting of other existing social stressors. These experiences have shaped my research questions and the overall goals of my research program. From a research perspective, my work could not be done without a multidisciplinary team of collaborators, including trainees at all different levels. I am energized by the work that I do with this team, and I am continually grateful for the different perspectives they provide that help to broaden the lens through which I view research questions.
Advice that might sound counter-intuitive but has served me well is to seek mentorship not only within paediatric endocrinology, but also outside of it. This could include mentorship from adult endocrinologists, obesity medicine specialists, or entirely different fields, such as psychology, epidemiology, computer science, etc. I believe that gathering mentors across disciplines is the best way to support truly innovative solutions to challenges in paediatric endocrinology. This advice applies to both clinical and research efforts and is particularly important for a relatively small field like paediatric endocrinology.
My primary clinical and research focus is paediatric obesity and type 2 diabetes. As I mentioned above, social stressors are common in youth facing these diagnoses, and this fact has played a major role in both my treatment approach and research program. For example, digital health technologies, such as continuous glucose monitoring, could have very powerful benefits for youth with type 2 diabetes, but whether, and how, patients use these tools are key considerations. Similarly, policy-level factors, including insurance access and coverage, influence whether a patient can use some of the newer type 2 diabetes medications, such as GLP1 receptor agonists. Relatedly, making decisions in the face of uncertainty about long-term effects, as we have to do with GLP1 receptor agonists for paediatric obesity, absolutely necessitates a shared decision-making approach. These are the patient interactions that leave me feeling energized and grateful to be able to provide guidance and partnership.
Disclosures: This short article was prepared by touchENDOCRINOLOGY in collaboration with Dr Vajravelu. No fees or funding were associated with its publication.
Cite: Q&A with Dr Mary Ellen Vajravelu: touchENDOCRINOLOGY Future Leader 2025. touchENDOCRINOLOGY. July 15, 2025.
touchENDOCRINOLOGY is celebrating the brightest rising stars in the endocrinology community, who are set to shape the future of the field.
SIGN UP to touchENDOCRINOLOGY!
Join our global community today for access to thousands of peer-reviewed articles, expert insights, and learn-on-the-go education across 150+ specialties, plus concise email updates and newsletters so you never miss out.
