Professional Bio
John Stafford, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine and a physician-scientist, internist and endocrinologist in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is also Associate Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and an investigator and clinician at the Veterans Administration Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.
The goal of his research career is to define and target the pathways by which obesity and diabetes increase risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and cardiovascular disease. One productive approach Dr. Stafford's lab has taken is to define the pathways that confer sex differences in dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis with obesity and exercise. They study VLDL production and HDL function and how these change with obesity as well as do pre-clinical, translational and clinical research.
He completed his MD/PhD training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where his graduate studies defined how metabolic signals are coordinated at the level of gene transcription. His medical residency and fellowship in Endocrinology were also performed at Vanderbilt. Since his appointment to the Vanderbilt faculty in 2008, he has directed an active research program in obesity and lipid metabolism that has been funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, NIH, American Diabetes Association, and the American Heart Association.
Dr. Stafford's additional career goal is to aid in the training and recruitment of physician-scientists. He is director of the NIDDK Medical Student Research Program (NIDDK-MSRP) and Student Research Training Program (SRTP). He is associate director of the Vanderbilt Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), and an associate director of the Vanderbilt Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC).
He is section chief of endocrinology and runs the lipid clinic at the Tennessee Valley VA hospital where he sees patients with genetic dyslipidemia, diabetic dyslipidemia, and high cardiovascular risk.
Publications
Education
PhD - Molecular Physiology & Biophysics - Vanderbilt University, 2001
MD - Vanderbilt University, 2003
Residency - Internal Medicine - Vanderbilt University, 2005
Fellowship - Endo/Diabetes - Vanderbilt University, 2008
Contact
Email
Kimryn.Rathmell@Vumc.Org
Address
777 Preston Research Building
2220 Pierce Ave
Nashville, TN 37232-6307