Gurka to Serve on Editorial Board of The Journal of Pediatrics

Gurka for WebMatthew Gurka, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Health Outcomes & Policy and associate director of the Institute for Child Health Policy, was invited to serve a three-year term on the editorial board of The Journal of Pediatrics beginning January 1, 2017. The peer-reviewed journal, ranked sixth out of 120 pediatric medical journals with an impact factor of 3.89, covers developments in pediatric research with a focus on clinical practice.

“I’m looking forward to contributing to the peer-review process by sharing my expertise in research design and statistical analysis. Pediatric research has been the primary focus of my career and I am excited to serve the pediatric research community in this capacity.” Gurka said.

Gurka is a biostatistician with extensive collaborative and independent research experience in both pediatrics and study design and data analysis.  His current pediatric research interest, funded with R21 and R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health, focuses on the role of metabolic syndrome in childhood and adult obesity. Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels that can substantially increase the risk of heart disease and other health problems, such as diabetes.

To learn more about Gurka’s research and the metabolic syndrome severity calculator he and his colleagues developed, click here.