Babette S. Zemel, PhD

Research Professor of Pediatrics (Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition)
Director, Nutrition and Growth Laboratory, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Co-Director, Clinical Grant Proposal Success program, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Department: Pediatrics
Graduate Group Affiliations
Contact information
Division of GI, Hepatology and Nutrition
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Roberts Center for Pediatric Research
2716 South Street, 14th Floor/Room 14471
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Roberts Center for Pediatric Research
2716 South Street, 14th Floor/Room 14471
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399
Office: 215-590-1669
Lab: 215-313-4299
Lab: 215-313-4299
Email:
ZEMEL@EMAIL.CHOP.EDU
ZEMEL@EMAIL.CHOP.EDU
Publications
Links
Search PubMed for articles
Metabolism, Nutrition and Physical Development Research Affinity Group, The Research Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Pediatric Z-Score Calculator
Growth charts for children with Down syndrome
Search PubMed for articles
Metabolism, Nutrition and Physical Development Research Affinity Group, The Research Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Pediatric Z-Score Calculator
Growth charts for children with Down syndrome
Education:
B.A. (Anthropology)
University of Pennsylvania, 1979.
M.A. (Anthropology)
University of Pennsylvania, 1985.
Ph.D. (Anthropology)
University of Pennsylvania, 1989.
Permanent linkB.A. (Anthropology)
University of Pennsylvania, 1979.
M.A. (Anthropology)
University of Pennsylvania, 1985.
Ph.D. (Anthropology)
University of Pennsylvania, 1989.
Description of Research Expertise
Dr. Zemel is a Biological Anthropologist by training, and Professor of Pediatrics at The University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Her overall research program aims to improve understanding of lifelong health and how it relates to childhood antecedents of physical growth and maturation, body composition, population ancestry/genetics, and lifestyle factors including diet and physical activity. Such understanding has public health implications for disease prevention and lifelong wellness, and addresses concerns for children across a wide spectrum of chronic diseases who experience impaired growth, altered body composition and limitations in nutrition and physical activity.Her research program has advanced understanding of bone mineral accretion from early childhood through adulthood, and the effects of growth, muscle development, physical activity, diet and genetics on bone health during this critical life phase. She also conducts research in childhood body composition and health outcomes in the general population and in children with chronic diseases, including Down syndrome, sickle cell disease, children with kidney disease, cardiac malformations, cancer survivors, inflammatory bowel disease and type 2 diabetes.
Selected Publications
Alexander, E., Stein, R., Rudra, S., Albenberg, L., Zemel, B.: Clinical risk factors for body composition deficits in children with inflammatory bowel disease. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr May 2025.Benitez AJ, Tanes C, Friedman ES, Zackular JP, Ford E, Gerber JS, DeRusso PA, Kelly A, Li H, Elovitz MA, Wu GD, Zemel B, Bittinger K.: Antibiotic exposure is associated with minimal gut microbiome perturbations in healthy term infants. Microbiome 13: 21, Jan 2025.
Winer KK, Zemel BS, Kelly A, Reynolds JC, Pechacek J, Webb T, Hans D, Lionakis MS, Kalkwarf HJ.: Bone Health and Linear Growth in Children with Familial Hypoparathyroidism Treated with Human Parathyroid Hormone 1-34. J Clin Endocrinol Metab Jan 2025.
Adesina OO, Jenkins IC, Galvão F, de Moura AC, Fertrin KY, Zemel BS, Saad STO.: Alendronate preserves bone mineral density in adults with sickle cell disease and osteoporosis. Osteoporos Int 2025.
Freedman DS, Zemel BS, Weber DR, Dietz WH.: The Cross-Sectional Relation of Body Mass Index to Adiposity among 8- to 19-Year-Olds within Several Races and Ethnicities. J Pediatr 2025.
Soto Ocaña J, Friedman ES, Keenan O, Bayard NU, Ford E, Tanes C, Munneke MJ, Beavers WN, Skaar EP, Bittinger K, Zemel BS, Wu GD, Zackular JP.: Metal availability shapes early life microbial ecology and community succession. mBio 15: e0153424, Nov 2024.
Ren X, Clark RM, Bansah DA, Varner EN, Tiffany CR, Jaswal K, Geary JH, Todd OA, Winkelman JD, Friedman ES, Zemel BS, Wu GD, Zackular JP, DePas WH, Behnsen J, Palmer LD.: Amino acid competition shapes Acinetobacter baumannii gut carriage. bioRxiv Oct 2024.
Avitabile CM, O'Brien C, Dureja D, Albizem D, Mota J, Xanthopoulos M, Zemel BS, Cronholm PF.: Barriers to and facilitators of physical activity in pediatric pulmonary hypertension. Pulm Circ 14: e70000, Oct 2024.
Trang KB, Chesi A, Toikumo S, Pippin JA, Pahl MC, O'Brien JM, Amundadottir LT, Brown KM, Yang W, Welles J, Santoleri D, Titchenell PM, Seale P, Zemel BS, Wagley Y, Hankenson KD, Kaestner KH, Anderson SA, Kayser MS, Wells AD, Kranzler HR, Kember RL, Grant SFA.: Shared and unique 3D genomic features of substance use disorders across multiple cell types. medRxiv Jul 2024.
Avitabile CM, Mota JP, Yeaman KM, Andrieux SJ, Lechtenberg L, Escobar E, Chuo J, Xanthopoulos MS, Faig W, O'Malley SM, Ford E, McBride MG, Paridon SM, Mitchell JA, Zemel BS.: Creating a digital approach for promoting physical activity in pediatric pulmonary hypertension: A framework for future interventions. Pulm Circ 14: e12402, Jul 2024.