Sophie Ravanbakht
Duke University, NC·Public Health & Epidemiology·Early-career
One in five U.S. young people has obesity, which raises the risk of diabetes, heart disease and other conditions that last into adulthood.
- Fields
Public Health & Epidemiology
Medicine & Clinical Research
Psychology
- Topics
adolescent obesity
pediatric obesity
obesity medications
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jun 2031
What they work on
- Characterize lifestyle behaviors, medication adherence barriers and support needs of adolescents on obesity medications through surveys and semi-structured interviews with teens, caregivers and clinicians.
- Adapt the PiCASO peer coaching intervention for adolescents using obesity medications, following the ADAPT-ITT adaptation framework with stakeholder input.
- Pilot the adapted intervention in a randomized study of 40 adolescents starting obesity medication, measuring feasibility, acceptability, goal follow-through, knowledge, motivation and social support.
More about the research
Adolescents can now be prescribed obesity medications such as liraglutide, semaglutide, phentermine/topiramate and orlistat. Medication alone, without support for eating and lifestyle habits, may not produce lasting benefits. It may also raise risks such as nutrient deficiencies, loss of lean (muscle) mass and disordered eating. Peer support, in which trained peers coach patients, could help teens manage their own health and stay motivated.
Why it matters
Adolescents prescribed obesity medications may face nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, disordered eating or quitting treatment. A peer-supported lifestyle program could make these drugs safer and their benefits more lasting. Over time, it could offer clinics a scalable model that improves teen health and reduces disparities.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Rebecca Krukowski
University of Virginia, VA·Public Health & Epidemiology
Test the effect of five lifestyle components on 12-month weight loss in 608 adults taking second-generation anti-obesity medications, using a 2x2x2x2x2 factorial trial. The components are an education session, phone coaching, and digital diet, activity and weight self-monitoring.
Melanie Weltman
University of Pittsburgh, PA·Medicine & Clinical Research·Early-career
Identify what would help nephrology clinics prescribe guideline-recommended heart- and kidney-protective drugs, such as SGLT2 inhibitors and statins, by interviewing clinic stakeholders using qualitative methods.
Kristin Beima-Sofie
University of Washington, WA·Public Health & Epidemiology
Assess the needs, preferences, facilitators and barriers that youth living with HIV in Kenya face when moving to adult care, and use these findings to build a first iTake Charge digital prototype.
The school
Duke University: 61 labs on PI Pages, $1.6B a year on research, 417 research doctorates a year.
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