Mary Korytkowski, MD

Dr. Korytkowski’s research interests focus on improving inpatient and outpatient care and outcomes of people with diabetes. In the inpatient setting, much of Dr. Korytkowski’s work has focused on initiatives that investigate the safety and efficacy of specific glycemic management strategies in hospitalized patients with diabetes or hyperglycemia. She has completed a study investigating risk factors for the high rates of hospital readmission in patients with diabetes. Together with Daniel Rubin, MD (Study PI) at Temple University, she is working as part of a multi-center effort funded by the NIDDK to improve the predictability of the Diabetes Early Readmission Risk Indicator (DERRITM) in identifying patients at high risk for hospital readmission. Dr. Korytkowski serves as co-investigator for the NIH-sponsored Look AHEAD Study, which is examining long term cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes who were randomly assigned to intensive versus conventional lifestyle intervention. She was a co-investigator the Diabetes Sleep Treatment Trial (DSTT)funded by the NIH, investigating CPAP therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)in people with type 2 diabetes. She collaborates with Dr. Helgeson at CMU on studies exploring relationship dynamics in couples affected by diabetes.

Dr. Korytkowski is a general endocrinologist with particular expertise in the care and management of people with all forms of diabetes, as well as of women with polycystic ovary syndrome and other disorders of androgen excess. Currently, she sees patients with difficult to manage diabetes, as well as patients who elect to use evolving technologies such as smart pumps alone or in combination with continuous glucose sensors as a way of achieving and maintaining glycemic control. She serves as the Chair of the Endocrine Society Writing Group to update the 2012 Clinical Guideline for Management of Hyperglycemia in Hospitalized Patients in Non-critical Care Setting. This group recently published a guidance for managing hospitalized patients with COVID-19 who also have diabetes, addressing many of the issues related specifically to the management of patients at high risk for adverse outcomes. She served as Chair of the American Diabetes Association Clinical Centers and Programs Interest Group that works with physicians on a national and international level to develop and optimize approaches to the care of patients with diabetes in the outpatient and inpatient settings.

Dr. Korytkowski is actively involved in the education of medical students, residents, and endocrine fellows. As a member of the School of Medicine Admissions Committee, she conducts candidate interviews and actively participates in ranking activities each year. She served as co-director for the first course taken by newly enrolled medical students at the University of Pittsburgh – Introduction to Being a Physician – from 2006-2010. During this time, she developed the course syllabus, which continues to be used by current course directors. As part of this course, she introduced a clinical segment on diabetes, which provided medical students with the opportunity to interact with patient volunteers and learn the daily tasks that are required on the part of patients in order to achieve desired metabolic targets (2009-2015). She co-directs the Endocrine Disorders Course for second year medical students (2016-2021). She has mentored medical students and residents for their scholarly projects, many of which have been published. She is a member of the Fellowship Curriculum Committee in the Division of Endocrinology, which meets on a regular basis to oversee candidate interviews, guide and revise the curriculum, and provide feedback to fellows regarding their progress. She has mentored multiple fellows and junior faculty through their research and quality improvement projects, providing guidance in the methodologies for these processes that they can carry into their own careers as clinical or academic endocrinologists. Dr. Korytkowski is a frequently invited speaker within and outside the University of Pittsburgh including national organizations such as the ADA and Endocrine Society.