Tamara Wexler, MD, PhD

My research interests focus on the neuroendocrine and reproductive endocrine systems, particularly on changes that may occur after brain injury including traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Although there is (at last) increasing attention paid to the health effects of brain injury, there is less awareness of the role that pituitary dysfunction may play in patients’ health after TBI. Pituitary deficiencies are seen at a higher rate in patients who have suffered TBI, with studies reporting chronic dysfunction in approximately 30 percent of TBI patients.

Examples of these pituitary deficiencies include growth hormone deficiency, reproductive hormone abnormalities, centrally mediated thyroid deficiency, and adrenal insufficiency. Hypopituitarism adversely affects health and quality of life, and is associated with increased morbidity and risk of death if untreated. Diagnosis and appropriate hormone replacement can improve health and quality of life.

I established the Endocrine Patient Registry to support clinical research, as well as multidisciplinary and interinstitute research collaborations, to further investigate the importance of pituitary dysfunction and its treatment. I serve as the principal investigator of the TBI/Pituitary Registry and the lead site investigator for a multisite neuroendocrine-tumor study, and am currently looking at the potential role of pituitary hormone deficiencies in persistent symptoms after COVID.

I particularly enjoy teaching about pituitary hormones, their function in the body, and how too much or too little of any hormone can affect health.