Profile Details

Create Project

★★★★★

☆☆☆☆☆

USD 40 /hr

★★★★★

☆☆☆☆☆

Hire {0}. {1}

United States

USD 40 /hr

Metabolic Physiologist | Human Research in Obesity, Diabetes & Metabolism | Translational Academic Scientist

Profile Summary

I am a Metabolic Physiologist and Postdoctoral Associate at the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute specializing in human clinical and translational research in obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease. My work focuses on the hormonal regulation of glucose homeostasis, including insulin and glucagon signaling, α-cell and β-cell interactions, and hepatic insulin sensitivity across metabolic health and early type 2 diabetes. My research integrates mechanistic physiology with clinically relevant outcomes to better understand disease progression and inform therapeutic strategies in diabetes care. I have extensive experience designing and conducting human metabolic studies, including advanced glucose clamp methodologies and in vivo physiological assessments. I earned my Ph.D. in Molecular Physiology and Biophysics from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where I completed dissertation research in the laboratory of Alan Cherrington focused on the physiologic and cellular mechanisms underlying the second-meal phenomenon using large animal models and metabolic clamp techniques. During my doctoral training at Vanderbilt, I was awarded the 2025 Dean’s Award for Exceptional Achievement in Graduate Studies and completed the Intermediate ASPIRE Path in Molecular Medicine, gaining clinical exposure through mentorship with clinician-scientists, including Justin Gregory, MD. This training strengthened my ability to bridge basic physiological mechanisms with clinically relevant research questions. In addition to my research background, I have extensive experience in scientific teaching, mentorship, and curriculum development across K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels. I have designed and directed structured physiology and biomedical science courses through Vanderbilt University’s Programs for Talented Youth and served as a teaching assistant and discussion facilitator in graduate biomedical programs, supporting students in scientific literature interpretation, data analysis, and translational research concepts. I am also the founder of The Metabolism Lab, a science communication platform dedicated to translating complex metabolic research into clear, accessible, and engaging insights for both scientific and general audiences. I am available for collaborative and consulting work in human metabolic study design, glucose clamp methodology, diabetes research, data analysis, scientific writing, and science communication or educational content development.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Comparative Physiology
• ☆ Data Analysis
• ☆ Clinical Trials
• ☆ Clinical Trial Design
• ☆ Clinical Trials Data Analysis
• ☆ Endocrinology
• ☆ Diabetes
• ☆ Obesity
• ☆ Metabolism & Metabolic Disease
• ☆ Medical Writing
• ☆ Medical Content Writing
• ☆ Patient Education Materials
• ☆ Research Summaries & Abstracts
• ☆ Technical & Scientific Writing
• ☆ Experimental Protocols

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI

Writing Technical Writing, Audio Transcription, General Proofreading & Editing, Translation

Research Fact Checking, Gap Analysis, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review

Consulting Digital Strategy Consulting, Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Statistical Analysis, Data Visualization, Data Cleaning, Data Processing

Work Experience

Postdoctoral Associate

Duke University

February 2026 - Present

Postdoctoral Associate

Duke University Medical Center

January 2026 - Present

STEM tutor

Thrive Tutoring LLC

July 2024 - Present

PhD Candidate and Research Fellow

Vanderbilt University

August 2021 - January 2026

Course Director

Vanderbilt University

January 2024 - July 2025

Graduate Student Research

Vanderbilt University

2021 - 2025

Laboratory Assistant and Specimen Processing Specialist

Precision Analytical Inc.

December 2019 - June 2021

Undergraduate Research Assistant

Linfield University

January 2018 - December 2020

Education

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D)

Vanderbilt University

August 2021 - December 2026

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (Molecular Physiology and Biophysics)

Vanderbilt University

2021 - 2025

Bachelor’s in Biological sciences

Linfield University

August 2017 - May 2021

Bachelor's of Science (BS) (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Mathematics)

Linfield College

2017 - 2021

Certifications

• ASPIRE Path in Molecular Medicine: Intermediate

  Vanderbilt University

  https://badges.parchment.com/public/assertions/FhaUpnizSAe1fTqZls7c3A?identity__email=hannah.l.waterman@Vanderbilt.Edu

  June 2025 - Present

• Certificate in College Teaching

  Vanderbilt University

  October 2024 - Present

Publications

PREPRINT

Hannah Lynn Waterman, Marta Smith, Ben Farmer, Kalisha Yankey, Tristan Howard, Guillaume Kraft, Alan Cherrington, Dale Edgerton (2025). Morning Elevation in Insulin Enhances Afternoon Hepatic Glucose Disposal in Dogs by Increasing Both Insulin Signaling and Glucose Action .

Hannah Lynn Waterman, Marta Smith, Ben Farmer, Kalisha Yankey, Karin Bosma, Richard O'Brien, Derek P Claxton, Tristan Howard, Guillaume Kraft, Dale Edgerton, et al. (2025). Morning Glucagon Disrupts Insulin Induced Hepatic Metabolic Memory and Subsequent Afternoon Glucose Metabolism in Canines .

Hannah L. Waterman, Mary Courtney Moore, Marta S. Smith, Ben Farmer, Kalisha Yankey, Melanie Scott, Dale S. Edgerton, Alan D. Cherrington (2024). Morning Engagement of Hepatic Insulin Receptors Improves Afternoon Hepatic Glucose Disposal and Storage .

Hannah L. Waterman, Mary Courtney Moore, Marta S. Smith, Ben Farmer, Melanie Scott, Dale S. Edgerton, Alan D. Cherrington (2024). Duration of Morning Hyperinsulinemia Determines Hepatic Glucose Uptake and Glycogen Storage Later in the Day .

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Hannah L. Waterman, Mary Courtney Moore, Marta S. Smith, Ben Farmer, Kalisha Yankey, Melanie Scott, Dale S. Edgerton, Alan D. Cherrington (2025). Improved Afternoon Hepatic Glucose Disposal and Storage Requires Morning Engagement of Hepatic Insulin Receptors . Diabetes.

Hannah L. Waterman, Mary Courtney Moore, Marta S. Smith, Ben Farmer, Melanie Scott, Dale S. Edgerton, Alan D. Cherrington (2024). Duration of morning hyperinsulinemia determines hepatic glucose uptake and glycogen storage later in the day . American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism.