Elizabeth Lawson

Elizabeth A. Lawson, MD, MMSc is a clinician in the Neuroendocrine Clinical Center and a faculty member in the Neuroendocrine Unit at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is a clinical researcher and Director of the Interdisciplinary Oxytocin Research Program. In addition to her research on oxytocin, Dr. Lawson studies endocrine regulation of eating behavior and metabolism in eating disorders and obesity. Awards in recognition of her work have included the MGH Claflin Distinguished Scholar Award and Endocrine Society's Early Investigators Award. She is author of more than 85 peer-reviewed publications.

Research

Dr. Lawson is a clinical researcher who studies the role of the hormone oxytocin in a range of disorders, including hypopituitarism, eating disorders, obesity, and osteopenia/osteoporosis. Her research also focuses on endocrine regulation of eating behavior and metabolism in eating disorders and obesity.

Departments, Centers, & Programs:

• Neuroendocrinology

Clinical Interests:

• Acromegaly
• Amenorrhea
• Hyperprolactinemia
• Hypopituitarism
• Pituitary disease

Medical Education

• MD, Harvard Medical School
• Residency, Massachusetts General Hospital
• Fellowship, Massachusetts General Hospital

American Board Certifications

• Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, American Board of Internal Medicine

Publications

• Lawson EA, Marengi D, DeSanti R, Holmes T, Schoenfeld D, Tolley C. Oxytocin reduces caloric intake in men. Obesity. 2015 May;23(5):950-6. PMCID:PMC4414748.
• Baskaran C, Plessow F, Silva L, Asanza E, Marengi D, Eddy KT, Sluss P, Johnson M, Misra M, Lawson EA. Oxytocin Secretion is Pulsatile in Men and is Related to Social-Emotional Functioning. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2017. Jul 24;85:28-34. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.07.486. [Epub ahead of print]
• Aulinas A, Plessow F, Pulumo LR, Asanza E, Mancuso CJ, Slattery M, Tolley C, Thomas JJ, Eddy KT, Miller KK, Klibanski A, Misra M*, Lawson EA*. Disrupted oxytocin-appetite signaling in females with anorexia nervosa. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Aug 1;104(8):3181-3191. doi: 10.1210/jc.2018-02608.
• Aulinas A, Plessow F, Asanza E, Silva L, Marengi DA, Fan W, Abedi P, Verbalis J, Tritos N, Nachtigall L, Faje A, Miller KK, Lawson EA. Low Plasma Oxytocin Levels and Increased Psychopathology in Hypopituitary Men with Diabetes Insipidus. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2019 Aug 1;104(8):3181-3191. doi: 10.1210/jc.2018-02608.
• Aulinas A, Guarda FJ, Yu EW, Haines MS, Asanza E, Silva L, Tritos NA, Verbalis J, Miller KK, Lawson EA. Lower oxytocin levels are associated with lower bone mineral density and less favorable hip geometry in hypopituitary men. Neuroendocrinology. 2020 Feb 20 Online ahead of print