Dr. Fazeli is a clinical/translational researcher with a primary interest in understanding both the benefits and negative consequences of undernutrition. Her research program has focused primarily on studying women with anorexia nervosa and the hormonal adaptations that lead to profound bone loss in this population. She has performed clinical studies investigating therapies for the treatment of bone loss in women with anorexia nervosa and is currently investigating the effects of transdermal estrogen through an NIH-funded protocol. Dr. Fazeli’s research has also focused on understanding the pathophysiology of bone loss in chronic undernutrition and the potential role and function of bone marrow adipose tissue, a fat depot which is paradoxically increased in states of starvation. Dr. Fazeli has a clinical interest in understanding the hormonal determinants of amenorrhea and infertility and has used large database methods to answer clinically relevant questions in this field.
Dr. Fazeli has mentored students, residents and fellows interested in neuroendocrinology/endocrinology. She previously served as an Associate Program Director for the Endocrine Division Fellowship Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital and also served as a Director for the Reintroduction to Clinical Medicine course for MD/PhD students at Harvard Medical School.
- AB, Harvard University, 1998
- MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2002
- MPH, Harvard School of Public Health, 2012
- Residency, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 2005
- Chief Residency, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, 2006
- Endocrinology Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2010
Education & Training
Sebo, Z. L., Rendina-Ruedy, E., Ables, G. P., Lindskog, D. M., Rodeheffer, M. S., Fazeli, P. K., Horowitz, M. C. Bone marrow adiposity: basic and clinical implications. Endocr Rev. 2019; 40(5): 1187-1206.
Fazeli, P. K., Klibanski, A. The paradox of marrow adipose tissue in anorexia nervosa. Bone. 2019; 118: 47-52.
Steinhauser, M. L., Olenchock, B. A., O'Keefe, J., Lun, M., Pierce, K. A., Lee, H., Pantano, L., Klibanski, A., Shulman, G. I., Clish, C. B., Fazeli, P. K. The circulating metabolome of human starvation. JCI Insight. 2018; 3(16): pii.121434.
Orouji Jokar, T., Fourman, L. T., Lee, H., Mentzinger, K., Fazeli, P. K. Higher TSH levels within the normal range are associated with unexplained infertility. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018; 103(2): 632-639.
Fazeli, P. K., Faje, A. T., Bredella, M. A., Polineni, S., Russell, S., Resulaj, M., Rosen, C. J., Klibanski, A. Changes in marrow adipose tissue with short-term changes in weight in premenopausal women with anorexia nervosa. Eur J Endocrinol. 2018; pii.EJE-18-0824.R1.
Fazeli, P. K., Klibanski, A. Effects of anorexia nervosa on bone metabolism. Endocr Rev. 2018; 39(6): 895-910.
Fourman, L., Fazeli, P. K. Neuroendocrine causes of amenorrhea – An update. J Clin Encodrinol Metab. 2015; 100(3): 812-824.
Fazeli, P. K., Lun, M., Kim, S. M., Bredella, M. A., Wright, S., Zhang, Y., Lee, H., Catana, C., Klibanski, A., Patwari, P., Steinhauser, M. L. FGF21 and the late adaptive response to starvation in humans. J Clin Invest. 2015; 125(12): 4601-4611.
- Dr. Morris Ginsburg Prize, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2002
- Lillie M. Erk Prize, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 2002
- Young Investigator Award, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2009
- Janet W. McArthur Award for Excellence in Clinical Research, Women in Endocrinology, 2009
- Lawrence G. Raisz Endocrine Scholars Lecturer, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 2019
- Gilbert H. Daniels Award for Excellence in Teaching, Massachusetts General Hospital, 2019
- Frederick DeRubertis Golden Apple Teaching Award, University of Pittsburgh, 2020
