About

Introduction

Dr. Isabel Casimiro is an endocrinologist trained as a physician-scientist who is passionate about improving health education in order to reduce the burden of metabolic problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Dr. Casimiro is a first generation Latina from Southern California. She spent several years at the bench performing scientific research in the field of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. She went on to obtain a medical degree and became an endocrinologist physician scientist. She currently practices in Hawai’i and serves as Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Hawai’i John A. Burns School of Medicine. Her clinical expertise is in general endocrinology conditions, in particular metabolic disease such as diabetes and lipid disorders.

Education

• Undergraduate: California State University Chico (Bachelor’s Degree in Biology with a Minor in Chemistry)
• Master’s degree: San Francisco State University (Cell/Molecular Biology) under the mentorship of Dr. Leticia Márquez-Magaña
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine (PhD, Biomedical Research) under the mentorship of Dr. Nicholas Sibinga
• University of Washington (MD)

Training

• Internship: University of Chicago Medicine
• Residency: Internal Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine
• Fellowship: Endocrinology, University of Chicago Medicine
• Post-Doctoral Fellowship: Physician Scientist Development Program at the University of Chicago under the mentorship of Dr. Matthew Brady and Dr. Raghavendra Mirmira.

Board Certification

• Internal Medicine
• Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Research Focus

Dr. Casimiroʻs research focused on understanding the molecular pathways involved in adipose (fat) tissue dysfunction in the setting of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Her research findings have been published in several scientific and medical journals, including Cell Metabolism and Nature Communications.

Key Publications

• Increased adipose catecholamine levels and protection from obesity with loss of Allograft Inflammatory Factor-1. Nat Commun. 2023.
• Phenotypic sexual dimorphism in response to dietary fat manipulation in C57BL/6J mice. J Diabetes Complications. 2021.
• Reduction of IL-6 gene expression in human adipose tissue after sleeve gastrectomy surgery. Obes Sci Pract. 2020.
• Endocrine implications of bariatric surgery: a review on the intersection between incretins, bone, and sex hormones. Physiol Rep. 2019.
• Regulation of Tissue Inflammation by 12-Lipoxygenases. Biomolecules. 2021.
• Digestive Health in Sexual and Gender Minority Populations. Am J Gastroenterol. 2022.

Academic Leadership

Dr. Casimiro has been involved in academic leadership serving on graduate and medical school program committees including:

• Albert Einstein College of Medicine Graduate Student Council
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine Quality of Life Committee
• University of Washington School of Medicine Admissions Committee
• University of Chicago, House-Staff Diversity Committee
• Editorial Board of Frontiers Translational Endocrinology
• Editorial Board of Physiological Reports

Personal Background

Dr. Casimiro hails from Los Angeles and Compton, California. She currently resides in Hawaiʻi with her spouse, two children and cat. As a first generation Latina physician scientist Dr. Casimiro has been involved in efforts toward recruiting and retaining underrepresented minorities in medicine throughout her career as a student, trainee, and faculty. She continues to mentor medical students, residents and fellows.