Renata Belfort De Aguiar, MD, PhD

Renata Belfort De Aguiar, MD, PhD, treats diabetes and transplant patients and has a special focus on the relationship between obesity and diabetes.

“Obesity is one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States and one of the major risk factors for type 2 diabetes,” says Dr. Belfort De Aguiar, who is an assistant professor of medicine (endocrinology) at Yale School of Medicine. She points out that the reasons why people eat poorly is still largely misunderstood. “My research looks into the influence of changes in circulating blood glucose on the activation of brain regions associated with the desire for and intake of high-calorie foods in obese patients with type 2 diabetes.”

Research is driving treatment, and Dr. Belfort De Aguiar likes to reassure patients by telling them about the ever-expanding array of clinical and technical support for diabetes, including new medications and devices.