Theodore C. Friedman
| Theodore C. Friedman | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🏫 Education | Stanford University; City University of New York; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai |
| 💼 Occupation | Endocrinologist, researcher |
| 👔 Employer | Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science |
| Known for | Studies on Cushing's syndrome, nicotine metabolism, thyroid disease |
Theodore C. Friedman is an American endocrinologist and professor of medicine. His published research includes studies on hormone processing enzymes, the metabolic effects of nicotine and electronic cigarettes, and diagnostic approaches to Cushing's syndrome. He is Professor and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science and also serves as Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.[1][2]
Early life and education
Friedman was born in Denver, Colorado.[3] He earned a B.S. in Chemistry and Biological Sciences from Stanford University in 1980.[4] He completed an M.Phil. (1984) and Ph.D. (1986) in Pharmacology at the City University of New York, where he studied thyrotropin-releasing hormone degradation under Sherwin Wilk.[5] He received his M.D. through the M.D.–Ph.D. program at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 1987.[6]
He completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan Hospitals from 1987 to 1989[7] and an endocrinology fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (1989–1992), followed by a senior staff fellowship (1992–1995).[8] While at NIH, Friedman co-authored studies reporting that glucocorticoid replacement is required for REM sleep in Addison’s disease,[9] that inferior petrosal sinus sampling had diagnostic limitations in Cushing’s syndrome,[10] and that patients treated for Cushing’s disease may experience temporary psychiatric symptoms.[11]
Academic career
Friedman is Professor and Chair of Internal Medicine at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, where he also holds an endowed professorship in Cardiometabolic Diseases.[12] He is also Professor of Medicine at UCLA and on the staff of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.[13] He serves as Lead Physician of Endocrinology at the Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center within the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, where he chairs the DHS Diabetes/Endocrinology Work Group.[14]
During his tenure, CDU launched its independent four-year M.D. program, receiving preliminary LCME accreditation in 2022 and matriculating its first class in 2023.[15][16] He also helped start CDU’s Internal Medicine residency in 2022 and its Addiction Medicine fellowship in 2024.[17]
Research
Prohormone processing
Friedman co-authored studies on pro-thyrotropin-releasing hormone (pro-TRH) and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) processing by convertases PC1/3 and PC2.[18] He also studied proglucagon processing in diabetic rats.[19]
Metabolic effects of nicotine and e-cigarettes
Friedman has published research on the metabolic and cardiovascular effects of nicotine and electronic cigarettes, including studies in Hepatology on hepatic disease risk[20] and in the American Journal of Physiology on cardiac dysfunction in mice exposed to e-cigarettes.[21] He has also contributed to studies of human cardiovascular physiology.[22]
Cushing's syndrome
A 2010 study co-authored by Friedman in Hormone and Metabolic Research reported that patients with mild or episodic Cushing’s syndrome often had normal results on single diagnostic tests and recommended multiple testing methods.[23] Earlier work with colleagues at NIH described psychiatric changes in patients following treatment.[24]
Thyroid disease
Friedman co-authored publications on treating Graves’ disease in primary care[25] and on the role of reverse T3 in patients with hypothyroidism.[26]
Obesity and lifestyle medicine
He directed obesity interventions in underserved settings, including the P.O.W.E.R. (Preventing Obesity With Eating Right) group program and a lifestyle medicine clinic at Martin Luther King Jr. Outpatient Center.[27]
Funding and mentorship
Since 2023, Friedman has been funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) for training early-stage researchers in substance use disorder research.[28] He is principal investigator of NIH-funded training programs including NGSART-CU and SummerSART. He has also received Department of Defense funding for studies on cardiovascular effects of e-cigarettes.[29]
Selected publications
- Friedman TC, Wilk S. "Delineation of a particulate thyrotropin-releasing hormone degrading enzyme in rat brain." Journal of Neurochemistry 46(4):1231–1239 (1986). PMID: [3081622](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3081622/)
- Friedman TC et al. "Processing of pro-TRH by bovine PC1 and PC2 enzymes." Endocrinology 136(10):4462–4472 (1995). PMID: [7664666](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7664666/)
- Bouzas EA, Mastorakos G, Friedman TC, et al. "Posterior Subscapsular Cataracts in Endogenous Cushing Syndrome." Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 34:3497–3500 (1993). PMID: [8258505](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8258505/)
- Friedman TC et al. "High prevalence of normal tests in episodic Cushing’s syndrome." Hormone and Metabolic Research 42(12):874–881 (2010). PMID: [20803415](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20803415/) PMC: [2978784](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2978784/)
- Hasan MK, Friedman TC, et al. "E-cigarettes and Western diet as metabolic risk factors for hepatic diseases." Hepatology 69(6):2442–2454 (2019). PMID: [30664268](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30664268/) PMC: [6636679](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6636679/)
- Espinoza-Derout J, Hasan MK, Friedman TC, et al. "Chronic intermittent e-cigarette exposure induces cardiac dysfunction." Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 317(2):H445–H459 (2019). PMID: [31172811](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31172811/) PMC: [6732484](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6732484/)
- Wilson JB, Hoang TD, Epstein M, Lee ML, Friedman TC. "Reverse T3 in patients with hypothyroidism." PLoS One 20(5):e0325046 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325046
Recognition
In 2020, Endocrine News reported that Friedman contributed to understanding of cyclical Cushing’s syndrome.[30] He has also been quoted in coverage by the Los Angeles Times,[31] The Washington Post,[32] and Cushing’s Disease News.[33]
External links
References
- ↑ https://www.cdrewu.edu/faculty/theodore-friedman
- ↑ "Theodore Friedman | UCLA Profiles".
- ↑ "Theodore Friedman | UCLA Profiles".
- ↑ Stanford Medicine
- ↑ Friedman, T. C.; Wilk, S. (1986). "Delineation of a particulate thyrotropin-releasing hormone-degrading enzyme in rat brain by the use of specific inhibitors of prolyl endopeptidase and pyroglutamyl peptide hydrolase". Journal of Neurochemistry. 46 (4): 1231–1239. doi:10.1111/j.1471-4159.1986.tb00643.x. PMID 2869108.
- ↑ https://icahn.mssm.edu/
- ↑ Cedars-Sinai Physician Profile
- ↑ "Theodore Friedman | UCLA Profiles".
- ↑ García-Borreguero, D.; Wehr, T. A.; Larrosa, O.; Granizo, J. J.; Hardwick, D.; Chrousos, G. P.; Friedman, T. C. (2000). "Glucocorticoid replacement is permissive for rapid eye movement sleep and sleep consolidation in patients with adrenal insufficiency". The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. 85 (11): 4201–4206. doi:10.1210/jcem.85.11.6965. PMID 11095454.
- ↑ Kalogeras, K. T.; Nieman, L. K.; Friedman, T. C.; Doppman, J. L.; Cutler Jr, G. B.; Chrousos, G. P.; Wilder, R. L.; Gold, P. W.; Yanovski, J. A. (1996). "Inferior petrosal sinus sampling in healthy subjects reveals a unilateral corticotropin-releasing hormone-induced arginine vasopressin release associated with ipsilateral adrenocorticotropin secretion". The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 97 (9): 2045–2050. doi:10.1172/JCI118640. PMC 507278. PMID 8621793.
- ↑ Dorn, L. D.; Burgess, E. S.; Dubbert, B.; Simpson, S. E.; Friedman, T.; Kling, M.; Gold, P. W.; Chrousos, G. P. (1995). "Psychopathology in patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome: 'atypical' or melancholic features". Clinical Endocrinology. 43 (4): 433–442. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1995.tb02614.x. PMID 7586617.
- ↑ https://www.cdrewu.edu/faculty/theodore-friedman
- ↑ "Theodore Friedman | UCLA Profiles".
- ↑ Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
- ↑ https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-10-11/charles-drew-university-medical-school-accreditation
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/13/charles-drew-university-black-doctors-los-angeles
- ↑ https://www.cdrewu.edu/medicine
- ↑ Friedman, T. C.; Loh, Y. P.; Cawley, N. X.; Birch, N. P.; Huang, S. S.; Jackson, I. M.; Nillni, E. A. (1995). "Processing of prothyrotropin-releasing hormone (Pro-TRH) by bovine intermediate lobe secretory vesicle membrane PC1 and PC2 enzymes". Endocrinology. 136 (10): 4462–4472. doi:10.1210/endo.136.10.7664666. PMID 7664666.
- ↑ Nie, Y.; Nakashima, M.; Brubaker, P. L.; Li, Q. L.; Perfetti, R.; Jansen, E.; Zambre, Y.; Pipeleers, D.; Friedman, T. C. (2000). "Regulation of pancreatic PC1 and PC2 associated with increased glucagon-like peptide 1 in diabetic rats". The Journal of Clinical Investigation. 105 (7): 955–965. doi:10.1172/JCI7456. PMC 377475. PMID 10749575.
- ↑ Hasan, K. M.; Friedman, T. C.; Shao, X.; Parveen, M.; Sims, C.; Lee, D. L.; Espinoza-Derout, J.; Sinha-Hikim, I.; Sinha-Hikim, A. P. (2019). "E-cigarettes and Western Diet: Important Metabolic Risk Factors for Hepatic Diseases". Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.). 69 (6): 2442–2454. doi:10.1002/hep.30512. PMC 6636679 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 30664268. - ↑ Espinoza-Derout, J.; Hasan, K. M.; Shao, X. M.; Jordan, M. C.; Sims, C.; Lee, D. L.; Sinha, S.; Simmons, Z.; Mtume, N.; Liu, Y.; Roos, K. P.; Sinha-Hikim, A. P.; Friedman, T. C. (2019). "Chronic intermittent electronic cigarette exposure induces cardiac dysfunction and atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein-E knockout mice". American Journal of Physiology. Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 317 (2): H445–H459. doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00738.2018. PMC 6732484 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 31172811. - ↑ https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-29577-5
- ↑ Friedman, T. C.; Ghods, D. E.; Shahinian, H. K.; Zachery, L.; Shayesteh, N.; Seasholtz, S.; Zuckerbraun, E.; Lee, M. L.; McCutcheon, I. E. (2010). "High prevalence of normal tests assessing hypercortisolism in subjects with mild and episodic Cushing's syndrome suggests that the paradigm for diagnosis and exclusion of Cushing's syndrome requires multiple testing". Hormone and Metabolic Research = Hormon- und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones et Metabolisme. 42 (12): 874–881. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1263128. PMC 2978784. PMID 20803415.
- ↑ Dorn, L. D.; Burgess, E. S.; Dubbert, B.; Simpson, S. E.; Friedman, T.; Kling, M.; Gold, P. W.; Chrousos, G. P. (1995). "Psychopathology in patients with endogenous Cushing's syndrome: 'atypical' or melancholic features". Clinical Endocrinology. 43 (4): 433–442. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2265.1995.tb02614.x. PMID 7586617.
- ↑ Eugenio, F.; Raza, S. M.; Hasan, I.; Moldovan, C.; Zopey, M.; Davidson, M. B.; Friedman, T. C. (2023). "An Effective Straightforward Protocol for the Treatment of Graves' Hyperthyroidism for Primary Care Providers". Current Trends in Internal Medicine. 7 (3): 206. PMC 11878676 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 40041425 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ Wilson, Julian B.; Hoang, Thanh D.; Lee, Martin L.; Epstein, Ma'Ayan; Friedman, Theodore C. (2025). "Reverse T3 in patients with hypothyroidism on different thyroid hormone replacement". PLOS ONE. 20 (6): e0325046. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0325046.
- ↑ Saldivar, P.; Mira, V.; Duran, P.; Moldovan, C.; Ang, G.; Parikh, N.; Lee, M. L.; Friedman, T. C. (2021). "Implementing texting programs in the P.O.W.E.R. (Preventing obesity with eating right) medical group visit for weight loss". Obesity Science & Practice. 7 (5): 583–590. doi:10.1002/osp4.513. PMC 8488446 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMID 34631136 Check|pmid=value (help). - ↑ "RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
- ↑ "RePORT ⟩ RePORTER".
- ↑ https://endocrinenews.endocrine.org/doctor-advances-understanding-of-cyclical-cushings/
- ↑ https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-10-11/charles-drew-university-medical-school-accreditation
- ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/is-adrenal-fatigue-real-forget-the-label-and-treat-the-stress/2017/04/04/6952b2b6-1889-11e7-9887-1a5314b56a08_story.html
- ↑ https://cushingsdiseasenews.com/
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