Cecilia C. Low Wang, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine

Dr. Wang joined the faculty of the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine (UCDSOM) in 2003 after completing her fellowship in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism at UCDSOM. She graduated from Pomona College with a B.A. in Chemistry, and earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. She completed her residency training in internal medicine at the University of Utah Health Sciences Center, and also served there as Chief Medical Resident. She is dual board-certified in Internal Medicine and Endocrinology. She staffs the weekly General Endocrine and the Type 1 Diabetes Clinics at the Denver VA Medical Center (VAMC), attends on the inpatient Endocrine consult service at the University of Colorado Hospital and the VAMC, and also attends on the inpatient Internal Medicine service at the VAMC. Dr. Wang's research interests in metabolism started with a clinical study of a calorie-restricted low-carbohydrate high monounsaturated fatty acid diet vs. a calorie-restricted low-fat diet in Type 2 diabetes. In Colorado, she has been involved with vascular smooth muscle cell biology at a basic level, examining selective insulin signaling defects in an in vitro model of insulin resistance, the transcription factor early growth response-1, and mechanisms of vascular calcification. She has recently begun translational work examining the role of vitamin D in metabolism and vascular function. Dr. Wang is also actively involved with the fellowship program in Endocrinology and teaching at the medical school.

Selected Publications

• Wang CC, Grotzke M, Jones RE. 2009. Ch. 31: Adrenal insufficiency. In Endocrine Secrets , 5 th edition. (ed.) McDermott MT. Elsevier Mosby, Philadelphia. (in press)

• Wang CC . Insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. In Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome: Childhood Precursors and Adult Disease from the Contemporary Endocrinology series. Humana Press , New Jersey . 2008 (in press)

• Wang CC , Sorribas V, Sharma G, Levi M, Draznin B. 2007. Insulin attenuates vascular smooth muscle calcification but increases vascular smooth muscle cell phosphate transport. Atherosclerosis. 2007 Nov;195(1):e65-75. PUBMED

• Wang CC , Sharma G, Draznin B. 2006. Early growth response gene-1 expression in vascular smooth muscle cells effects of insulin and oxidant stress. Am J Hypertens 19(4):366-372. PUBMED

• Wang CC , Goalstone M, Draznin B. 2004. Molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance that impact cardiovascular biology. Diabetes 53:2735-2740. PUBMED

• Hirshman E, Merritt P, Wang CC , Wierman M, Budescu DV, Kohrt W, Templin JL, Bhasin S. 2004. Evidence that androgenic and estrogenic metabolites contribute to the effects of dehydroepiandrosterone on cognition in postmenopausal women. Horm Behav 45(2):144-55. PUBMED

• Wang CC , Gurevich I, Draznin B. 2003. Insulin affects vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype and migration via distinct signaling pathways. Diabetes 52:2562-2569. PUBMED

• Gumbiner B, Low CC , and Reaven PD. 1998. Effects of a monounsaturated fatty acid-enriched hypocaloric diet on cardiovascular risk factors in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care 21(1):9-15.

• Low CC , Grossman EB, and Gumbiner B. 1996. Potentiation of effects of weight loss by monounsaturated fatty acids in obese NIDDM patients. Diabetes 45:569-575.