Aaron Kelly

PhD, Exercise/Applied Physiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

MS, Exercise Physiology, University of Montana, Missoula, MT

Postdoctoral Training in Vascular Medicine - Clinical Cardiovascular Research, St. Paul Heart Clinic, St. Paul, MN

Summary

Aaron S. Kelly, PhD, is a professor of pediatrics, holds the Minnesota American Legion and Auxiliary Chair in Children’s Health, and is co-director of the Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He has approximately 20 years of experience conducting clinical trials for the treatment of pediatric obesity and has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers on related topics. Dr. Kelly’s NIH-funded research program focuses on treatments targeting the underlying biology of obesity, such as pharmacotherapy and metabolic/bariatric surgery, as supplements to lifestyle modification therapy with the goal of enhancing clinical outcomes in youth struggling with the disease. A distinct yet closely aligned research priority in his portfolio involves identifying and characterizing predictors of treatment response aimed at advancing the discipline of precision obesity medicine to improve care delivery for children and adolescents with obesity. Dr. Kelly is actively involved in numerous initiatives related to pediatric obesity treatment in the United States and internationally, has held various leadership positions in the Obesity Society and American Heart Association, and is a Fellow of both organizations.