Assistant Professor, Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics University of Colorado School of Medicine
- PhD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
- 2006-2009 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award
- 2007 Best in Show, Department of Medicine 5th Annual Research Day
- 2008-Present National Institutes of Health, Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) K12 Award
"During the summer after my sophomore year in college, I volunteered at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Center as both a patient/family care giver working in the hospital and a research lab studying genetic markers in cancer cells. I felt useless in my role as a care giver in trying to fix or understand the diseases that were killing my patients each day. It was heart-breaking to have no answers. It was the days (and nights) working in the lab that filled me with hope for these people. I knew that with the right training and dedication, I could find answers."
What is the Research Goal?
Dr. McCurdy’s research goal is to develop targeted interventions that may promote healthy babies even in the context of maternal obesity during pregnancy.
Understanding the Research
Pregnancy has always been a powerful motivator for women to change their behavior in benefit of their babies. Dr. McCurdy believes that, armed with the right information, women will do amazing things for their children and community. Her research focuses on understanding the impact that one generation has on the next, most specifically, on how maternal diet and nutrient flux across the placenta (whether too much or too little) to the baby may alter fetal skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity and metabolism. By understanding what constitutes a healthy fetal environment, we can close the gap on understanding how all women can have a healthy pregnancy, and at the same time maximize the immediate, as well as long-term health of their children.