CynthiaChengMDPhD

Summary

• I am a board-certified family medicine physician, obesity management and hypertension specialist.
  My research interests lie in the pathophysiology, assessment, and treatment of weight loss and components of the metabolic syndrome, particularly, with a focus on prevention of diabetes and hypertension. I have a more specific research focus on the study of preclinical, early pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the development of diabetes and hypertension: insulin resistance and microvascular disease. My research work has been supported by a successfully completed NHLBI-funded K23 grant followed by an NHLBI funded R01.
  
  My research work has evolved towards the application of metabolic disease pathophysiology to clinical disease prevention. I recently served as the Thomas Jefferson University site PI on the NIA-funded Memories 2 study investigating the effect of CPAP adherence on progression of MCI patients aged 55-85, including many geriatric patients, with moderate-severe apnea. I am also currently conducting successful small grant funded clinical research on weight loss and glycemic control, and pilot investigations regarding the effect of melatonin on metabolic syndrome and prevention of MCI progression to Alzheimers.
  I am the director of the Clinical and Translational Research Track for Sidney Kimmel Medical College, and have worked with hundreds of talented SKMC and undergraduate students serving as trained research assistants in my clinical research projects.