Ihuoma Eneli, MD, MS, will begin her tenure as the new Section Head of Nutrition on October 1. Dr. Eneli is currently a Professor of Pediatrics at the Ohio State University and Director of the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
She has been at Ohio State and Nationwide since joining their faculty as Associate Professor in 2006. From 1997 to 2006, Dr. Eneli was on the faculty of the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development at Michigan State University. Ihuoma received her medical degree (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS)) from the University of Nigeria in 1989. She completed a residency in pediatrics at Michigan State University and Sparrow Regional Hospital where she served as Chief Resident from 1996 to 1997. While at Michigan State, she completed a National Institute of Health sponsored (K30) research fellowship and received her master’s degree in epidemiology. She has been a dedicated educator and has successfully mentored pediatric medical students, residents, fellows, and early career faculty.
Dr. Eneli is an internationally recognized expert on pediatric obesity. Her current National Institute of Health (NIH) supported research focuses pathophysiology for type 2 diabetes in youth and attrition in weight management programs. She is active in leadership and advisory roles for several organizations including NIH Study Sections and DSMB, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), The Obesity Society (TOS), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Currently, she is the Vice Chair of the National Academy of Medicine Roundtable on Obesity Solutions and the Associate Director of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight. Her accomplishments include selection as a 2021 fellow in the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) program, the Ray Helfer Faculty Teaching Award from Michigan State University and the 2021 Academic Pediatric Association (APA) Healthcare Delivery Award.
Dr. Eneli has an ambitious agenda for leading the Section of Nutrition with a focus on continuing to advance the Section’s international reputation in pediatric nutrition across clinical care, research, education and prevention/population health. As the new Section Head, Dr. Eneli is entrusted with a support package that will enable targeted growth and further development of the Section’s clinical, research and academic programs.
We are grateful for the outstanding service of Dr. Nancy Krebs who has skillfully led the growth and development of the Section since 1998. We are fortunate to have Dr. Krebs remaining as key member of the Section and the Department’s leadership team as Associate Vice Chair for Academic Affairs.
