About

Emma Edmondson, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics (General Pediatrics) at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. She is a faculty member with expertise in policy and clinical pediatrics, serving as a Faculty Member Expert at PolicyLab at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Additionally, she is a Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and a Core Faculty Member at Clinical Futures in the Department of Pediatrics. Her educational background includes a B.A. in Biology from Oberlin College (2010), an M.D. from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (2015), and an M.S.H.P. in Health Policy from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine (2021). Her research focuses on pediatric health issues, including youth obesity, diabetes, and public health policies, with numerous publications in reputable journals. She is actively involved in clinical research, policy development, and community outreach related to pediatric health and wellness.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Internal medicine
• Environmental health
• Cardiology
• Psychology

Selected publications

• Characteristics of Youth Treated With GLP-1RAs at an Integrated Weight Management Clinic

  PEDIATRICS · 2026-03-02

  articleSenior author

  OBJECTIVES: Youth use of GLP-1RAs is increasing. This study described GLP-1RA prescription patterns and barriers to treatment at a pediatric integrated weight management clinic. METHODS: This retrospective cohort included youth 12 to 17 years with BMI at least 95th% for age and sex, with at least 1 visit at an integrated weight management program from January 2023 to August 2025. We identified youth with at least 1 GLP-1RA prescription in the electronic health record. We assessed demographic factors (age, sex, race, ethnicity, insurance payer, preferred language) and health factors (BMI, Type 2 diabetes, results of ALT, cholesterol, and hemoglobin A1c testing). Logistic regression assessed for an association between GLP-1RA prescription and demographic and health factors. Manual medical record review of a subsample of 102 youth with GLP-1RA prescriptions described reasons for interruptions in use. RESULTS: Of 1647 youth, 325 (20%) had at least 1 GLP-1RA prescription. Odds of prescription increased with increasing age, increasing BMI, abnormal laboratory testing results, and non-Hispanic white or Hispanic race and ethnicity (compared with non-Hispanic Black). Odds of a prescription decreased with a preferred language other than English. In medical record review, 65 youth (64%) experienced GLP-1RA treatment interruptions, most commonly related to cost and insurance coverage. CONCLUSIONS: At one institution's integrated weight management program, 20% of potentially eligible youth were prescribed GLP-1RAs. Prescriptions were more likely for older patients and those with comorbid conditions, and less likely for Black or non-English speaking patients, reflecting known pediatric health disparities. Barriers to treatment were common after the prescription.

  PublisherDOI

• MAHA Commission Report and Diet-Related Diseases in Youth

  JAMA · 2025-11-13

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Pediatrician Perspectives on Incorporating Discussion of Police Encounters Into Anticipatory Guidance for Black Youth and Their Caregivers

  JAMA Pediatrics · 2025-01-13 · 2 citations

  letterOpen access

  This study explores the barriers and facilitators to pediatricians discussing safely navigating police interactions with Black youth and their caregivers.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Youth Obesity

  JAMA Pediatrics · 2025-07-21

  article1st authorCorresponding

  This Viewpoint discusses the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist treatments for weight management in youth.

  PublisherDOI

• Risk of Hypoglycemia Associated With Concomitant Use of Insulin Secretagogues and ACE Inhibitors in Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review

  Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics · 2024-12-13 · 1 citations

  reviewOpen access

  Insulin secretagogues and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) are commonly co-prescribed for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Case reports suggesting that co-administration of insulin secretagogues with ACEIs is associated with an increased risk of serious hypoglycemia have led to warnings regarding a drug-drug interaction in widely used drug compendia. However, subsequent studies have had inconsistent results. We performed a systematic review to evaluate the evidence that concomitant use of ACEIs and insulin secretagogues increases the risk of serious hypoglycemia. MEDLINE/PubMed and Embase were searched from inception to July 2023 for studies evaluating adults with T2D treated with insulin secretagogues, such as sulfonylureas or meglitinides, and exposed to an ACEI. The primary outcome was serious hypoglycemia. A literature search yielded 472 papers, of which five met the inclusion criteria. The heterogeneity of the studies precluded meta-analysis. Two studies using multiple methods to address bias found no association between hypoglycemia and concomitant use of ACEI and insulin secretagogues. Three studies found potential associations, but only one was statistically significant; these studies were at serious or critical risk of bias due to potential confounding from lack of adjustment for renal dysfunction. The higher quality studies found no association between the concomitant use of insulin secretagogues with ACEI and hypoglycemia. Drug compendia and electronic health records should consider updating and removing alerts warning of a drug-drug interaction between insulin secretagogues as a class and ACEIs.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Narrative Review of Public Health Interventions for Childhood Obesity

  Current Obesity Reports · 2024-01-03 · 22 citations

  review
  PublisherDOI

• Both Sides Now

  JAMA · 2024-08-08

  article1st authorCorresponding

  In this narrative medicine essay, a pediatric and internal medicine physician and her husband reach a difficult crossroads upon learning that their unborn daughter has a severe heart defect.

  PublisherDOI

• The Philadelphia Beverage Tax and Pediatric Weight Outcomes

  JAMA Pediatrics · 2024-11-25 · 6 citations

  letterOpen access

  Importance: Taxation of sweetened beverages is a proposed strategy to reduce excess sugar consumption. The association of such taxes with health outcomes is not well studied. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the largest US city with a beverage tax. Objective: To assess whether the 2017 Philadelphia beverage tax was associated with changes in pediatric weight outcomes. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study used difference-in-differences models weighted by inverse probability of treatment weights to adjust for differences between youth in Philadelphia (tax exposed) and in the surrounding counties (control) on age, sex, race, ethnicity, Medicaid insurance status, health care use, and census-tract socioeconomic index. Mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models estimated differences in posttax changes in standardized body mass index (zBMI) and prevalence of obesity (a BMI 95th percentile or higher for age and sex) between Philadelphia and control. Stratified analyses assessed differences by age, sex, race, Medicaid insurance status, and baseline weight. Data came from electronic health records of a primary care network operating in the Philadelphia region. A panel analysis included youth 2 to 18 years old with 1 or more BMI measurement pretax (2014 to 2016) and 1 or more BMI measurement posttax (2018 to 2019). A cross-sectional analysis included youth 2 to 18 years old with 1 or more BMI measurement at any time from 2014 to 2019. These data were analyzed from December 2020 through July 2024. Exposure: Living in Philadelphia after implementation of the beverage tax. Main outcomes and measures: zBMI and obesity prevalence. Results: In panel analysis of 136 078 youth, the tax was associated with a difference in zBMI change of -0.004 (95% CI, -0.009 to 0.001) between Philadelphia and the control and a 1.02 odds ratio (95% CI, 0.97-1.08) of BMIs in the 95th percentile or higher. In cross-sectional analysis of 258 584 youth, the difference in zBMI change was -0.004 (95% CI, -0.009 to 0.001) and the odds ratio of a BMI in the 95th percentile or higher was 1.01 (95% CI, 0.95-1.07). In subgroup analyses, some differences in zBMI change were evident by race, age, Medicaid insurance status, and baseline weight but these differences were small and inconsistent across samples. Conclusions and Relevance: These results show that 2 years after implementation, the Philadelphia beverage tax was not associated with changes in youth zBMI or obesity prevalence. Though certain subgroups demonstrated small statistically significant changes in zBMI, they are of low clinical significance.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Emerging Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: Understanding Illness Experience and Transition to Adult Care

  Journal of Adolescent Health · 2024-03-21 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Associations of the Philadelphia sweetened beverage tax with changes in adult body weight: an interrupted time series analysis

  The Lancet Regional Health - Americas · 2024-10-12 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  Background Sweetened beverage taxes are associated with large decreases in sugar-sweetened beverage sales, but their effects on weight outcomes are unclear.We examined associations of the 2017 Philadelphia beverage tax with changes in adult weight outcomes. MethodsWe obtained electronic health record data on adults 18-65 years old in Philadelphia (intervention) and other areas of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (control) from 2014 to 2019.Controlled interrupted time series models compared post-tax changes in trends of body mass index (BMI, primary outcome) and obesity prevalence (secondary outcome).A panel sample comprised 175,675 adults with at least one BMI measure in both the pre-tax (2014-2016) and post-tax (2017-2019) periods.A cross-sectional sample comprised 587,121 adults with at least one BMI measure from 2014 to 2019.Findings Before tax implementation, Philadelphia panel patients had a mean BMI of 30.4 kg/m 2 and an obesity prevalence of 44.5%.After implementation, in the panel sample, there was a -0.03 kg/m 2 (95% CI: -0.07, 0.02) per quarter decrease in BMI vs. control, implying a -0.32 kg/m 2 (-0.85, 0.20) change at the end of the 3-year study period.In the cross-sectional sample, there was a -0.05 kg/m 2 (95% CI: -0.09, -0.01) per quarter decrease in BMI vs. control, implying a -0.60 kg/m 2 (-1.04, -0.16) change at the end of the study period.Results for obesity prevalence were consistent with the BMI results.Interpretation There was some limited evidence of a decrease in BMI and obesity prevalence in Philadelphia 3 years after beverage tax implementation.Replication of these results is needed.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Senbagam Virudachalam

  Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

  14 shared

• Emily F. Gregory

  13 shared

• Jason P. Block

  Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

  10 shared

• Ryan M Close

  Indian Health Service

  8 shared

• Christina A. Roberto

  University of Pennsylvania

  7 shared

• Joshua Petimar

  Harvard University

  6 shared

• Nandita Mitra

  University of Pennsylvania

  5 shared

• Judy A. Shea

  5 shared

Labs

• Emma Edmondson LabPI