The Endocrine Unit, part of the Endocrine Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of bone and mineral metabolism, thyroid disease, and general endocrine conditions. Our doctors provide patients with leading-edge care at Mass General Endocrine Associates and Mass General Thyroid Associates, both located in the Wang Ambulatory Care Center. Endocrine Unit physicians also administer testing and follow-up of osteoporosis and other bone diseases at the Bone Density Center at Emerson Place. These patient care programs within the Endocrine Unit are closely associated with our research laboratories, which are located on the 10th and 11th floor of the Thier building and engage in basic, translational, and clinical research for endocrine-related conditions. These laboratories have produced innovative treatments for osteoporosis and have expanded our understanding of bone disease and metabolic disorders. This integration of research with treatment, dedicated to the service of patients, has led the Endocrine Unit to become a national leader in endocrinology care.
In addition, many of our endocrinologists have held prominent roles in leading academic organizations, including the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, the American Thyroid Association, the International Bone & Mineral Society, and the Endocrine Society.
A Legacy of Research
In the 1930s, Fuller Albright, MD, a leader in the field of endocrinology, established what is now the Endocrine Unit at Mass General. John Potts established the modern form of the Unit in 1968. More recently, our clinicians played a major role in understanding parathyroid disease and developing parathyroid hormone as a therapy for osteoporosis, which gained Food and Drug Administration approval in 2002.
Radioactive iodine treatment for hyperthyroidism was first used at Mass General, and our unit continues to break new ground through research into parathyroid hormone, Vitamin D, a recently discovered hormone called FGF23, thyroid cancer and other areas. Our endocrinologists frequently run clinical trials of promising new drugs. As a result, patients may benefit from access to the latest therapies—and to doctors with experience administering these therapies.
Educating the Next Generation
Endocrine Unit faculty collaborates with faculty in the Mass General Endocrine Division to staff the Endocrine Fellowship Program. This program prepares physicians for careers in academic medicine and endocrinology. Our fellows receive clinical training at the Bone Density Center, Endocrine Associates and Thyroid Associates. Fellows can also learn about bone and mineral metabolism from investigators in our research laboratories. For more information, please contact one of our labs.