Clinical Corner: Meet Dr. Anna Zenno

Anna Zenno, MD, is a clinical fellow in NIH’s Inter-Institute Endocrinology Fellowship Program. Her research interests include adult and pediatric obesity, bariatric surgery, type 2 diabetes, and transition of care from childhood to adulthood in endocrinology. She received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, graduating with honors in biology and society. She received her medical degree from Stony Brook University School of Medicine and completed her residency in the Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate in Springfield, Massachusetts. She is board certified in internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine and in general pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics.

We asked Dr. Zenno a few questions about herself to get to know the person behind the degree. Introducing Dr. Zenno:

Where are you from, and what influenced you to go into medicine/research?

I currently consider Seattle, WA, to be home, but I grew up living in Brazil, Mexico, and various US cities. My interest in human health and disease and positive interactions with patients as a hospital volunteer influenced me to pursue a career in medicine.

Why did you choose this particular line of research/medicine?

I became interested in endocrinology during medical school after learning about the effect of hormones on multiple organ systems and the detective work that goes into appropriately diagnosing and managing various endocrine conditions. I also liked how endocrinologists take care of many patients with lifelong diseases, which appealed to me as a physician trained in both internal medicine and pediatrics. 

Why the NIH? What brought you here?

I wanted excellent clinical training in both adult and pediatric endocrinology with exposure to a wide breadth of cases. I also wanted to learn research skills from world-renowned experts in the field. 

What is your most memorable experience so far while at NICHD?

I’ve had many, but one that comes to mind is when I took care of a complex pediatric patient with hypercortisolemia, who presented as a diagnostic challenge based on his biochemical testing. However, our team was ultimately able to correctly diagnose him with Cushing’s disease using imaging and dynamic testing. He then had successful transsphenoidal surgery and went into remission. The experience was memorable because the patient and his family had traveled to NIH from across the globe, hoping to find an answer after seeing many physicians in their home country and were extremely grateful for our care.