Joan C. Han, MD

Joan Han

Contact Information

Biography

Joan Han, MD is Professor of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Endocrinology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. She earned her undergraduate and medical degrees from Harvard University. She completed her residency in the Boston Combined Residency Program in Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and Boston Medical Center. She pursued further advanced training in a clinical research fellowship at Nemours Children’s Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Prior to becoming a proud Buckeye, Dr. Han has served as Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Founding Director of the Pediatric Obesity Program at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, and Professor of Pediatrics and Division Chief of Pediatric Endocrinology at Mount Sinai Hospital and the Icahn School of Medicine. She is board certified in Pediatric Endocrinology and Obesity Medicine and has published broadly in these fields. She has served as Pediatric Associate Editor for the International Journal Obesity and as an appointed study section member for NIH grant reviews. She is a member of the American Pediatric Society, the Society for Pediatric Research, the American Pediatric Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the Endocrine Society, and The Obesity Society, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Academic and Clinical Areas
Awards, Honors & Organizations
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2025
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2024
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2023
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2022
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2021
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2020
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2019
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2018
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2017
  • Top Doctors in Pediatric Endocrinology, Castle Connolly, 2016
  • Merit Award, National Institutes of Health, 2010
  • Rare Disease Day Research Hall of Fame, National Organization for Rare Disorders, 2009
  • Ethan Sims Young Investigator Award, The Obesity Society, 2007
  • Member, American Pediatric Society, 2021 - Present
  • Member, Society for Pediatric Research, 2012 - Present
  • Member, The Obesity Society, 2006 - Present
  • Member, Pediatric Endocrine Society, 2005 - Present
  • Member, Endocrine Society, 2004 - Present
  • Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics, 1999 - Present
  • Member, Phi Beta Kappa, 1994 - 1994
Education

Date of Appointment at Nationwide Children’s Hospital: 01/05/2026

Board Certifications
  • Obesity Medicine
  • Pediatric Endocrinology
Fellowship National Institutes of Health Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program Date Completed: 06/30/2007
Residency Boston Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center Date Completed: 06/30/2002
Medical School HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL Date Completed: 06/10/1999
Clinical Interests
  • Endocrinology
  • Genetic Syndromes Associated with Obesity (e.g., Alström, Bardet-Biedl, Prader-Willi, Smith-Magenis, WAGR/11p Deletion, 16p11.2/SH2B1 Deletion, 1p36 Deletion)
  • Leptin Pathway Disorders (e.g., LEP, LEPR, POMC, PCSK1, MC4R, BDNF, TRKB)
  • Obesity
  • Type 2 Diabetes
Professional Experience

2021 - 2025 Mount Sinai Hospital/Icahn School of Medicine, Professor

2014 - 2020 Le Bonheur Children's Hospital/University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Associate Professor

2007 - 2014 National Institutes of Health, Assistant Clinic Investigator

2002 - 2003 Nemours Children's Clinic - Jacksonville, Clinic Research Fellow

Research Funding

NIDDK, 1R01DK142434: Targeting BDNF Using Atomoxetine for the Treatment of Obesity Caused by MC4R Insufficiency, Principal Investigator

Department of Defense / Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences / Center for Deployment Psychology, Impact of Eating Disorder Screening in Children and Adolescent on Weight-Based Stigma:, Co-Investigator