Dr. Brigitte I. Frohnert, MD, PhD.

Expert Publications

• The fatty acid transport protein (FATP1) is a very long chain acyl-CoA synthetase.
• Regulation of fatty acid transporters in mammalian cells.
• No relation between cystic fibrosis-related diabetes and type 1 diabetes autoimmunity.
• Protein carbonylation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and insulin resistance.
• Glutathionylated lipid aldehydes are products of adipocyte oxidative stress and activators of macrophage inflammation.
• Glutathionylated products of lipid peroxidation: A novel mechanism of adipocyte to macrophage signaling.
• Challenges in Delivering Smaller Doses of Insulin.
• Metabolomics in childhood diabetes.
• Reduced Bone Mineral Density Is Associated with Celiac Disease Autoimmunity in Children with Type 1 Diabetes.
• Predictors of slow progression to diabetes in children with multiple islet autoantibodies.
• High Incidence of Celiac Disease in a Long-term Study of Adolescents With Susceptibility Genotypes.
• Increased inflammation is associated with islet autoimmunity and type 1 diabetes in the Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young (DAISY).

Media Releases

Get to know Pediatric Endocrinologist / Assistant Professor of Pediatrics Dr. Brigitte I. Frohnert, who serves patients in Aurora, Colorado.

Dr. Frohnert is a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist. She is currently serving as an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes (BDC) in Aurora, Colorado. The BDC, a part of the University of Colorado School of Medicine, specializes in type 1 diabetes research and care for children and adults. It is one of the largest diabetes institutes in the world. The mission of the BDC is to provide state-of the-art care to children and adults with type 1 diabetes and to teach patients how to prevent or delay complications.

Dr. Frohnert is affiliated with several hospitals in the area, including the University of Colorado Hospital and the Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. Frohnert’s research interest is in the understanding of environmental factors which contribute to the onset and progression of type 1 diabetes, with the ultimate goal of preventing type 1 diabetes in the future. 

In 2014, Dr. Frohnert joined investigators on two large epidemiologic studies: DAISY (Diabetes Autoimmunity Study in the Young) – a cohort study based in Colorado which includes over 2,500 high-risk children and young adults identified during infancy and followed for up to seventeen years; and TEDDY (The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young) – a multi-center consortium with centers in Colorado, Washington, Georgia, Florida, Finland, Germany and Sweden, following over 8,500 children and collecting a wide array of data on diet, infection, and other exposures. 

Dr. Frohnert earned her PhD from the University of Minnesota in 2000, followed by her medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 2002. She then went on to complete her residency, chief residency, and fellowship training, all at the University of Minnesota Medical School. 

Dr. Frohnert is board-certified in pediatric endocrinology by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). The ABP is an independent, nonprofit organization whose certificate is recognized throughout the world as a credential signifying a high level of physician competence. It is one of the 24 certifying boards of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS).

Pediatric endocrinology is a medical subspecialty dealing with disorders of the endocrine glands, such as variations of physical growth and sexual development in childhood, diabetes, and many more. A pediatric endocrinologist, like Dr. Frohnert, is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of children with diseases of the endocrine system, such as diabetes and growth disorders. The glands of the endocrine system produce hormones, which are chemical substances that regulate many important body functions. In addition to English, Dr. Frohnert speaks Spanish and German.

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