Research

The section of Endocrine Surgery has strong teaching, research and clinical missions at its foundation. The faculty is composed of active clinical surgeons involved in a busy surgical practice who are dedicated to pursuing clinical, translational, basic science research, as well as to developing new teaching modalities in the field of endocrine surgery. The section has strong multidisciplinary clinical and research collaboration with the departments of Medical Endocrinology, Pathology, Radiology and Genetics within the Yale School of Medicine. The faculty also has multi-institutional research collaborations with many prominent institutions nationally (e.g. National Institute of Health) and internationally (e.g. Uppsala University, Sweden). The section runs a fully funded Yale Endocrine Neoplasia Laboratory.

The surgical clinical volume has risen significantly over the last few years, as referrals of patients with complex endocrine and oncologic problems have increased. This increase in the number and complexity of cases has placed our section on the world map in cutting-edge international clinical trials for advanced or metastatic thyroid cancer, thus offering new therapies and hope for patients who, until now, would have had no good options for treatment.

For more information about the ongoing research in our section, please go to

Grant Support

Tobias Carling, M.D., Ph.D 
Title: Endocrine Cancers - Characterization of Molecular Pathogenesis via Genome Wide Studies
Funding Agency: Gilead-Yale Collaboration
Role: PI
Date: 10/1/2011-9/30/2013
Status: Approved

Tobias Carling, M.D., Ph.D  
Title: Molecular Genetics of Endocrine Tumor Disease
Funding Agency: The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation; Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award
Role: PI
Date: 7/1/2010-6/30/2013
Status: Approved. Jointly funded with the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation

Tobias Carling, M.D., Ph.D 
Title: Systematic Analysis of Human Endocrine Tumors
Funding Agency: The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Clinical Scientist Development Award
Role: PI
Date: 7/1/2010-6/30/2013
Status: Approved. Jointly funded with the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

Robert Udelsman, M.D., M.B.A.
Title: Recurrent and superior laryngeal nerve assessment before and after minimally invasive para-thyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. (Yale HIC #25386)
Funding Agency: NIH
Date: 2003-Current

Robert Udelsman, M.D., M.B.A.
Title: Psychological and cognitive changes in primary hyperparathyroidism. (Yale HIC #25149)
Funding Agency: NIH
Date: 2003-Current

Robert Udelsman, M.D., M.B.A.
Title: Diagnosis, pathophysiology and molecular biology of pheochromocytoma. (Yale HIC 20837)
Funding Agency: NIH
Date: 2002-Current

Tobias Carling, M.D., Ph.D
Title: Molecular Pathogenesis of Benign and Malignant Adrenocortical Tumors
Funding Agency: OHSE Grant Foundation
Role: Supervisor to J. Kunstman, MD