Alaina Phillips Vidmar

Alaina Phillips Vidmar, MD, is an Associate Professor in Pediatric Endocrinology and Medical Director of the Obesity Medicine and Bariatric Surgery Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She specializes in pediatric obesity pharmacotherapy, chrononutrition, and integrating wearable technologies like continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) into obesity management. Her research focuses on four core areas: chrononutrition’s impact on cardiometabolic health, obesity pharmacotherapy efficacy, CGM-driven lifestyle interventions, and optimizing post-bariatric surgery outcomes through pharmacotherapy.

• Education: MD from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Pediatrics residency at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and Pediatric Endocrinology fellowship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Her lab investigates chronobiological mechanisms in obesity treatment, including time-restricted eating’s effects on glucose profiles and beta-cell dysfunction. She explores how obesity pharmacotherapies interact with eating phenotypes and how CGMs can enhance patient engagement with lifestyle modifications. Current projects include analyzing pharmacotherapy integration into bariatric surgery pathways to improve long-term outcomes and studying the role of wearable devices in pediatric weight management.

Publications highlight her work on time-restricted eating, post-surgical pharmacotherapy, and the intersection of obesity and endocrine disorders. Her research emphasizes translational applications of digital health tools and personalized treatment strategies for youth with obesity and diabetes.

Dr. Vidmar advocates for standardized assessment of adverse childhood experiences in weight management programs and has contributed to understanding pandemic impacts on diabetes incidence. Her efforts bridge clinical practice, research, and innovative technologies to address pediatric obesity’s multifactorial challenges.