Andrea Haqq, MD, MHS, FRCP(C), FAAP

About

Andrea Haqq is a clinician-scientist and Pediatric Endocrinologist at the Stollery Children’s Hospital. She is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Alberta. Dr. Haqq earned her MD from the University of Calgary and completed pediatric residencies at BC Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. She then completed a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at Oregon Health & Science University, followed by a clinical and academic appointment at Duke University. In July 2009, Dr. Haqq relocated to Edmonton, where she continues her clinical and research work.

Dr. Haqq has a clinical and research focus on the neuroendocrinology of energy balance in childhood obesity. She established a genetic obesity and endocrine clinic serving Western Canada and is an advocate for optimizing health care for children with severe obesity. The Haqq Lab emphasizes precision therapy approaches, including the development and implementation of novel medical nutrition and obesity medications. Her research program has two main streams: Industry-funded clinical trials and Investigator-initiated research.

Research

My early research focused on the pathogenesis of Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), a genetic syndrome characterized by hyperphagia, excess weight gain, and sexual immaturity. We elucidated that ghrelin levels are markedly increased in PWS, explored the use of growth hormone (GH) in PWS which facilitated FDA approval for GH in PWS, and found a link between hyperphagia and gut microbiome dysbiosis in children with PWS. In our gut microbiota study, we identified a link between persistent hunger hunger and altered gut bacteria composition in children with PWS, suggesting a gut dysbiosis as a potential therapeutic target. To test this, we conducted a dietary fiber intervention to determine if prebiotic fibers could support the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and reduce hyperphagia and weight gain in children with PWS. Together, these studies have greatly enhanced our understanding of hormonal control of appetite, and biological processes associated with hyperphagia in PWS.

Our group now continues to explore novel obesity medications in children and adolescents with obesity (e.g. Setmelanotide, Carbetocin, Semaglutide, Tirzepatide) in collaboration with industry sponsors (Rhythm Pharmaceuticals, Acadia, Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly Pharmaceuticals, respectively). We led the ground-breaking investigation on the efficacy and safety of Setmelanotide (new melanocortin 4 agonist) in Bardet-Beidl syndrome (BBS). This contributed to the Health Canada and FDA approval of Setmelanotide for chronic weight management in BBS and other genetic obesity conditions. Commercial availability of Setmelanotide has led to dramatic improvements in quality of life for these children. Current investigation of Tirzepatide and Semaglutide as precision medical therapies in adolescents with obesity are underway.  

In a collaboration with Dr. Carla Prado (University of Alberta), we recently evaluated the metabolic load-capacity model in children with non-syndromic obesity. This model has been proposed to explain the relative contribution of adiposity and muscularity to physiological function in adults. Our studies revealed that children with 'metabolically unhealthy obesity' had greater load-capacity index than those with 'metabolically healthy obesity'. Our preliminary findings indicate that presence of ectopic fat also helps to distinguish 'healthy' from 'unhealthy obesity' phenotypes.

Our group is also working to understand how Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy®), used in the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes, influences energy metabolism in adults. While Semaglutide is effective for reducing appetite and promoting weight loss, its effects on energy expenditure and the body’s adaptive metabolic responses remain unclear, particularly at higher doses used for obesity management. In this study, we are evaluating individuals with obesity and type 2 diabetes to assess how Semaglutide affects energy balance and body composition during weight loss using gold-standard metabolic measurements. We aim to improve the understanding of the metabolic effects of Semaglutide and help guide more precise and effective treatment strategies for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

We are also invested in future research investigating the effects of Semaglutide on body composition in adolescents. Understanding how best to provide obesity medications that promote rapid and extensive weight loss while supporting healthy growth trajectories are of the utmost importance. We will be performing a randomised controlled trial with a multimodal intervention to determine how nutrition and physical activity support can aid in maintaining healthy muscles and bones during semaglutide treatment in adolescents.

We are currently evaluating the performance of a three-dimensional optical (3DO) body scanner for assessing body composition in pediatrics. Body composition, including fat, muscle, and bone, plays a critical role in overall health, yet current gold-standard methods such as the 4-compartment model are costly and burdensome for routine clinical use. In this study, we are comparing 3DO estimates obtained from both a platform device (Styku®) and a smartphone application (Me360®) against the 4-compartment model to determine their validity and precision. Ultimately, this work aims to support the integration of 3DO technologies into clinical practice, including remote and low-resource settings, and to inform future development of non-invasive, digital tools for early identification of cardiometabolic risk in pediatric populations.

Facilities

The Haqq Lab utilizes several state-of-the-art research and clinical facilities at the University of Alberta and affiliated hospitals to support its clinical and translational research. This includes the Human Nutrition Research Unit, located on the second floor of the Alberta Diabetes Institute, which provides infrastructure for body composition analysis, energy metabolism testing, nutrient analysis, and dedicated research spaces such as a metabolic kitchen, laboratory, clinic rooms, and offices. Research is also supported by access to a whole-body indirect calorimeter, a specialized chamber that enables precise measurement of energy expenditure and metabolic rates over extended periods by monitoring oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production. In addition, the lab uses the Clinical Investigation Unit at the Stollery Children’s Hospital for clinical research testing in pediatric populations.

For Dr. Haqq’s most recent publications, team members, collaborators, and ongoing research studies, please refer to the Haqq Lab website.

• The Haqq Laboratory