Silva Arslanian

Silva Arslanian, MD, is Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, holding the Richard L. Day Endowed Chair in Pediatrics at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She directs the NIH-funded Pediatric Clinical and Translational Research Center and serves as Scientific Director and Principal Investigator of the Center for Pediatric Research in Obesity and Metabolism. Arslanian founded the Weight Management and Wellness Center and practices through the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism. She earned her MD from the American University of Beirut Faculty of Medicine, completed her pediatric residency at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, and her fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. Board-certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology by the American Board of Pediatrics, she specializes in pediatric endocrinology within the Medicine faculty.

Arslanian’s research examines insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function during childhood growth and development in health and disease states including obesity, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and polycystic ovary syndrome, with emphasis on racial contrasts in risk. Funded by NIH, foundations, and industry, her work pioneered in vivo methods revealing accelerated beta-cell failure in youth-onset type 2 diabetes and heightened insulin resistance in obese adolescents versus adults. She contributed to consensus panels for the Endocrine Society on PCOS and childhood obesity guidelines, ADA and ISPAD on type 2 diabetes in youth, and European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology on childhood insulin resistance. With over 250 peer-reviewed publications and 50 book chapters, notable works include "Increased Lipolysis, Diminished Adipose Tissue Insulin Sensitivity and Impaired β-cell Function Relative to Adipose Tissue Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Youth with Impaired Glucose Tolerance" (Diabetes, 2017), "Adipose Tissue Insulin Resistance in Youth on the Spectrum from Normal Weight to Obese" (Diabetes Care, 2019), and new guidelines for adolescent obesity treatment in the New England Journal of Medicine (2023). Her impact is recognized by the American Diabetes Association’s Outstanding Achievement in Clinical Diabetes Research Award, ISPAD Prize for Achievement, and University of Pittsburgh Distinguished Professor title. She has chaired sessions and delivered invited lectures at national and international congresses.

Professional Email: silva.arslanian@chp.edu