Overview
Dr. Armstrong's clinical and research interests include pediatric nutrition and the treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity, along with related health problems. As director of the Duke Children's Healthy Lifestyles Program, Dr. Armstrong oversees a cohort of over 3000 overweight children and teenagers. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity. Dr. Armstrong's research focuses on leveraging innovative strategies to improve children's nutrition and activity, including mobile health interventions, community partnerships, and medication or surgical approaches.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Professor of Pediatrics
·
2021 - Present
Pediatrics, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health,
Pediatrics
Chief, Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health
·
2021 - Present
Pediatrics, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health,
Pediatrics
Professor in Population Health Sciences
·
2020 - Present
Population Health Sciences,
Basic Science Departments
Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health
·
2020 - Present
Family Medicine and Community Health, Community Health,
Family Medicine and Community Health
Affiliate, Duke Global Health Institute
·
2016 - Present
Duke Global Health Institute,
University Institutes and Centers
Member in the Duke Clinical Research Institute
·
2017 - Present
Duke Clinical Research Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Member of the Duke Cancer Institute
·
2025 - Present
Duke Cancer Institute,
Institutes and Centers
Recent Scholarly Works
Design and Rationale of the pERSonalized cardIovascuLar dIsease prEvention, treatmeNt, and CarE (RESILIENCE) study.
Journal article Contemp Clin Trials · August 2026 BACKGROUND: Obesity is a growing epidemic associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The RESILIENCE study aimed to understand the factors underlying heterogeneity in CVD development among individuals with obesity as well as the variability in response t ... Full text Link to item CiteBranched chain amino acid metabolism and microbiome in adolescents with obesity during weight loss therapy.
Journal article J Clin Invest · July 15, 2026 BACKGROUNDObesity and weight loss in adults have been associated with distinct metabolome and gut microbiome features, but the extent to which those associations apply to adolescent stages remain unclear.METHODSThe Pediatric Obesity Microbiome and Metaboli ... Full text Link to item CiteAssessing Implementation of Clinic-Community Partnerships Treating Pediatric Obesity.
Journal article Child Obes · July 2026 BACKGROUND: Although intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatment (IHBLT) is effective for treating youth obesity, it is not accessible to many. Our objective was to examine the implementation of Fit Together, an evidence-based IHBLT clinic-community ... Full text Link to item CiteRecent Grants
TEEN-Rx: Tailoring and Evaluating an Effective Nutrition & Lifestyle Intervention for Adolescents Using Obesity Medications
ResearchCo-Mentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2026 - 2031iPediHeart: Interdisciplinary Research Training Program for Pediatric Heart Disease
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2025 - 20302/3 CTSA K12 Program at Duke University
ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences · 2025 - 2030View All Grants
Education
University of Virginia ·
2000
M.D.