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An endocrinologist’s journey in iodine nutrition

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 76, pages 1–4 (2022)Cite this article

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My background and training are in endocrinology. Although I likely had a genetic predisposition to an endocrine career, I took a somewhat circuitous route to get there. My parents are both academic physicians, and my mother is an endocrinologist. From the time she started medical school, when I was 5 years old, I recall being asked over and over if I planned to be a doctor like my parents—the answer was always a resounding “no.” As an undergraduate at Harvard I majored in archeology, which I found quite absorbing. However, while I enjoyed the subject area and data analysis, the actual digging was tedious. Unsure of what to do with myself after college graduation, I applied to law school. I opted to defer law school admission for a year while I worked as a paralegal. In that role, working on a medicolegal case related to contaminated dietary supplements, I found the legal ramifications dull but the science and medicine fascinating. After an expensive detour to go back and take all of the premedical science I had avoided as an undergraduate, l returned to Harvard for my medical degree. My parents did have profound influence on my career decisions—I found my mother’s field of endocrinology to be tremendously interesting, and I followed my father into a career in clinical research.

In 2000 I came to Boston University to pursue fellowship training and a masters’ degree in epidemiology following a residency in internal medicine. There, I connected with Lewis Braverman. He was a giant in the field of thyroidology, and an extraordinarily generous mentor. With his guidance, I became interested in the areas of iodine nutrition and metabolism, thyroid physiology in pregnancy, and the effects of environmental disruptors on thyroid function.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Nutrition, Boston University School of Medicine, 720 Harrison Avenue, Suite 8100, Boston, MA, 02118, USA

    Elizabeth N. Pearce

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  1. Elizabeth N. Pearce
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Correspondence to Elizabeth N. Pearce.

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ENP is the Regional Coordinator for North America and a member of the Management Council for the Iodine Global Network.

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Pearce, E.N. An endocrinologist’s journey in iodine nutrition. Eur J Clin Nutr 76, 1–4 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-020-00807-z

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