27th Annual Nutrition Obesity Symposium

Developmental Origins of Metabolic Disease

Wednesday, June 6, 2026
This event was held virtually.

The topic for our 2026 symposium is “Developmental Origins of Metabolic Disease.” See below for the full list of speakers.

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Event Recordings

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Speaker List

Introduction

Steven Grinspoon, MD, Harvard Medical School

The George L. Blackburn Keynote Lecture:

Developmental Origins of Disease: Eight Key Pillars

Kent L. Thornburg, MS, PhD, FAPS, Oregon Health & Science University

 

 

 

Session 1: Epidemiology and Physiology of Fetal Programming of Metabolic Disease

Moderators: Courtney Peterson, PhD, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Rachel Whooten, MD, MPH, Massachusetts General Hospital

Maternal Obesity and Offspring Metabolic Health
Emily Oken, MD, MPH, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Diabetes During Pregnancy and Offspring Metabolic Health
Marie-France Hivert, MD, MMSc, Harvard Medical School

Environmental Exposures and Offspring Metabolic Outcomes
Jennifer Thompson, PhD, University of Calgary

Session 2: Mechanisms of Fetal Programming of Metabolic Disease

Moderators: Elvira Isganaitis, MD, MPH, Joslin Diabetes Center; Carmen Monthe-Dreze, MD, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

The Placenta in Fetal Programming of Disease
Lena Serghides, PhD, University Health Network

Paternal Transmission of Metabolic Disease Risk – A Modifiable Risk Factor for Disease Prevention?
Mary-Elizabeth Patti, MD, Joslin Diabetes Center

Maternal Immune Activation and Fetal Programming: Placenta-Brain Crosstalk
Andrea G. Edlow, MD, MSc, Massachusetts General Hospital

Human Milk Composition in the Developmental Programming of Metabolic Disease
Carmen Monthe-Dreze, MD, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Session 3: Applications to Clinical Care

Moderators: Sara J. Cromer, MD, MS, Massachusetts General Hospital; Margaret Lippincott, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Management of Obesity Before During and After Pregnancy?
Patrick M. Catalano, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes During Pregnancy
Camille E. Powe, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Prenatal Infection and Inflammation: Implications for Lifelong Offspring Health
Lindsay Fourman, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital

Preconception Opportunities to Improve Next Generation Health
Keith Godfrey, BM, PhD, FMedSci, University of Southampton