Professor Dr. Karla Leavens

Biography

Karla Leavens is an Assistant Professor in Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. She specializes in pediatric endocrinology with a focus on beta cell disease. Dr. Leavens conducts research using human stem cell-derived pancreatic beta cells to investigate monogenic beta cell diseases such as diabetes and hyperinsulinism. Her work aims to expand the understanding of these diseases and contribute to the development of therapeutics that may treat or cure millions living with diabetes. She has a strong background in molecular biology, having earned her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2010 and an MD from the same institution in 2012, following her BA in Biological Sciences from Dartmouth College in 2003. As a physician-scientist, Dr. Leavens is actively involved in clinical trials and pre-clinical studies focusing on the implications of stem cell-derived beta cell transplants for pediatric patients.

Research Interests