Elizabeth N. Pearce, MD, MSc

Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Pearce is a renowned clinical investigator, endocrinologist and epidemiologist who has made significant contributions in iodine nutrition, thyroid disease in pregnancy, environmental thyroid disruptors and the association of thyroid function with cardiovascular risk. Her internationally cited publications have changed recommendations in the US for iodine supplementation and iodine use in pregnancy. A past President of the American Thyroid Association (ATA), Dr. Pearce is the recipient of the prestigious Van Meter Award. She has co-chaired the ATA’s Thyroid in Pregnancy Guidelines Task Force. She has been part of the leadership of the Iodine Global Network, a nongovernmental agency devoted to the elimination of iodine deficiency disorders, since 2009.

Publications

  • Published 9/21/2026

    Jin Z, Li P, Zhu Y, Ji M, Zheng M, Fu X, Jin Q, Pan Z, Pearce EN, Guo W, Zhang W. Biofluid iodine concentrations are associated with mild cognitive impairment: The potential mediating role of thyroid hormones. Clin Chim Acta. 2026 Sep 21; 594:121353. PMID: 42767295.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/21/2026

    Dao J, Lalu T, Leung B, Wang B, Bodanapu G, Annesi CA, Pearce EN, Farwell AP, McAneny D, Drake FT. Limited English Proficiency and Definitive Management for Graves' Disease. J Surg Res. 2026 Oct; 326:963-968. PMID: 42628249.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 8/12/2026

    Kaplan ZB, Pearce EN, Miller M, Tancredi D, Hertz-Picciotto I, Shin HM, Schmidt RJ. Maternal Thyroid Dysfunction During Pregnancy and Childhood Autism or Other Developmental Outcomes. Autism Res. 2026 Oct; 19(10):e70346. PMID: 42590824.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 6/26/2026

    Jang H, Bennett DH, Hoofnagle AN, Pearce EN, Schmidt RJ, Shin HM. Associations of maternal urinary perchlorate, thiocyanate, and nitrate with maternal thyroid function during pregnancy: Modification by iodine status in the MARBLES study. Environ Res. 2026 Sep 15; 306(Pt 1):125122. PMID: 42361878.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 5/31/2026

    Korevaar TIM, Leung AM, Alexander EK, Bliddal S, Boelaert K, Brenta G, Chou R, Dhillon-Smith R, Dosiou C, Eaton JL, Guan H, Kilpatrick SJ, Lasserre BJ, Lee SY, Maraka S, Meister KD, Morris-Wiseman LF, Nguyen CT, Pearce EN, Shan Z. American Thyroid Association 2026 Guidelines for Thyroid Disease in Preconception, Pregnancy, and Postpartum. Thyroid. 2026 May; 36(5):481-544. PMID: 42219800.

    Read at: PubMed

Other Positions

  • Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research
    Boston University
  • Graduate Medical Sciences Educator and Mentor (Primary Mentor of Graduate Students)
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences

Education

  • Harvard Medical School, MD
  • Boston University School of Public Health, MS
  • Harvard College, BA