Aaron S. Kelly
,
Credentials
PhD

Professor, Department of Pediatrics
Co-Director, Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine
Minnesota American Legion and Auxiliary Chair in Children's Health
Biography

Bio

Dr. Kelly is a Professor of Pediatrics, the Minnesota American Legion and Auxiliary Chair in Children’s Health, and the Co-Director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He has more than 20 years of experience conducting clinical trials for the treatment of pediatric obesity and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers on this and related topics. Dr. Kelly’s NIH-funded research program focuses primarily on treatments targeting the underlying biology of obesity, such as pharmacotherapy and metabolic/bariatric surgery, with the goal of enhancing clinical outcomes in youth struggling with this chronic, refractory, and relapsing disease. Other areas of focus include identifying predictors of treatment response and strategies to improve weight loss maintenance. He is actively involved in spearheading numerous initiatives related to pediatric obesity treatment in the United States and internationally and serves in various leadership positions within The Obesity Society.

Education

PhD in Exercise/Applied Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
MS in Exercise Physiology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT

Fellowships, Residencies, and Visiting Engagements

Postdoctoral Training in Vascular Medicine - Clinical Cardiovascular Research,
St. Paul Heart Clinic
St. Paul, Minnesota, United States

Honors and Recognition

Physical Education/Exercise Science Major of the Year Award, *Seattle Pacific University (*I firmly reject the bigoted practices of this institution) (1998)
Fellow (2013), American Heart Association (FAHA)
Outstanding Masters Level Research Award, Annual Conference of the Northwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine, Salem, Oregon (2001)
Signatory Author and International Principal Investigator , Novo Nordisk Saxenda Adolescent Obesity Clinical Trial (for FDA and EMA approval) (2015-2020)
Fellow (2013), The Obesity Society (FTOS)
Team Science Award, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota (2017)
Co-Chair and Planning Committee, National Institutes of Health Workshop on Developing Precision Medicine Approaches to the Treatment of Severe Obesity in Adolescents (2017)
Minnesota American Legion and Auxiliary Chair in Children’s Health, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School (2018-present)
Oded Bar-Or Award for Excellence in Pediatric Obesity Research, The Obesity Society (2021)
Outstanding Mentor Award, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota (2021)
Clinical and Translational Paper of the Year Award, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota (2021)
Signatory Author and National Principal Investigator, Vivus Qsymia Adolescent Obesity Clinical Trial (for FDA approval) (2020-2022)
Contact

Contact

Address

717 Delaware Street S.E.
Room 370E
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Administrative Contact

Juanita Jensen
Administrative Phone: 612-626-2349
Administrative Email: cpom@umn.edu
Administrative Fax Number: 612-301-6645