Dessi Zaharieva

Dessi P. Zaharieva, PhD, CEP, CDCES, Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Stanford University, School of Medicine

Research Description: Dr. Zaharieva is an Instructor, Certified Exercise Physiologist (CEP), and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist (CDCES) currently working in Pediatric Endocrinology at Stanford University – School of Medicine. Her research focuses on strategies to manage blood glucose concentrations around exercise in youth and adults with type 1 diabetes. Dessi was the Principal Investigator (PI) of the 4T Exercise Study where she developed and implemented a novel, structured exercise education program to reduce barriers by increasing knowledge and confidence around safe exercise in newly diagnosed youth with type 1 diabetes. She has since scaled and integrated the program into Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) clinical care as a billable service. The ‘Sports, Play, and Exercise Education for Diabetes’ (SPEED) class is now held over telehealth once per month and led by Dr. Zaharieva or other CDCES staff at LPCH. In addition to this work, Dr. Zaharieva is involved in various exercise-related projects in youth and adults with type 1 diabetes. She is currently working on a whey protein and exercise study, as well as studies focusing on glucose dynamics and prediction modeling in type 1 diabetes.

Selected relevant publications (Stanford DRC members are in BOLD)

  1. Zaharieva D.P., Ritter V., Bishop F.K., Desai, M., Addala A., Prahalad P., Riddell M.C., Maahs D.M. Structured Exercise Education and Physical Activity Improve Glycemic Outcomes in Youth with Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes: 4T Exercise Program, Diabetes Care, June 2025 [in press]. 

  2. Moser O. and Zaharieva D.P.* (co-first author), Adolfsson P., Battelino T., Bracken R.M., Buckingham B.B., Danne T., David E.A., Dovc K., Forlenza G.P., Gillard P., Hofer S.E., Hovorka R., Jacobs P.G., Mader J.K., Mathieu C., Norgaard K., Oliver N.S., O’Neal D.N., Pemberton J., Rabasa-Lhoret R., Sherr J.L., Sourij H., Tauschmann M., Yardley J.E., Riddell M.C., The Use of Automated Insulin Delivery Around Physical Activity and Exercise in Type 1 Diabetes: A Position Statement of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD). Diabetologia, 2025; 68(2): 255-280. 

  3. Hughes M.S., Kingman R.S., Hsu L., Lal R.A., Buckingham B.B., and Zaharieva D.P. Swimming with the Omnipod 5 automated insulin delivery system: Connectivity in the water. Diabetes Care. 2023 Aug; 46(8): e148-e150. 

  4. Figg L, Addala A, Jain I, Anez C, Midney P, DeChirico C, Symanski C, Fitzgerald BC, Colbert K, Raymer T, Stockton-Joreteg C, Murphy E, Collins L, Bernstein C, Hechavarria M, Sheehan EP, Bernier A, Westen SC, Hood KK, Zaharieva DP, Basina M, Cuttriss N, Filipp SL, Gurka MJ, Walker AF, Maahs DM, Haller MJ, Lal RA. The Promising Success of Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Diabetes: Case Series. JMIR Diabetes. 2023 Aug 3;8:e46050. doi: 10.2196/46050. PMID: 37535407; PMCID: PMC10436109. 

  5. Corbin KD, Igudesman D, Addala A, Casu A, Crandell J, Kosorok MR, Maahs DM, Pokaprakarn T, Pratley RE, Souris KJ, Thomas JM, Zaharieva DP, Mayer-Davis EJ; ACT1ON Consortium. Design of the Advancing Care for Type 1 Diabetes and Obesity Network energy metabolism and sequential multiple assignment randomized trial nutrition pilot studies: An integrated approach to develop weight management solutions for individuals with type 1 diabetes. Contemp Clin Trials. 2022 Jun;117:106765. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2022.106765. Epub 2022 Apr 20. PMID: 35460915; PMCID: PMC9164141. 

  6. Zaharieva DP, Addala A, Prahalad P, Leverenz B, Arrizon-Ruiz N, Ding VY, Desai M, Karger AB, Maahs DM. An Evaluation of Point-of-Care HbA1c, HbA1c Home Kits, and Glucose Management Indicator: Potential Solutions for Telehealth Glycemic Assessments. Diabetology (Basel). 2022 Sep;3(3):494-501. doi: 10.3390/diabetology3030037. Epub 2022 Sep 13. PMID: 37163187; PMCID: PMC10166120. 

  7. Prahalad P, Ding VY, Zaharieva DP, Addala A, Johari R, Scheinker D, Desai M, Hood K, Maahs DM. Teamwork, Targets, Technology, and Tight Control in Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes: Pilot 4T Study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Nov 28:dgab859. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab859. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34850024. 

  8. Addala A, Zaharieva DP, Gu AJ, Prahalad P, Scheinker D, Buckingham B, Hood KK, Maahs DM. Clinically Serious Hypoglycemia Is Rare and Not Associated With Time-in-range in Youth With New-onset Type 1 Diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Oct 21;106(11):3239-3247. doi: 10.1210/clinem/dgab522. PMID: 34265059; PMCID: PMC8530719. 

  9. Tanenbaum ML, Zaharieva DP, Addala A, Ngo J, Prahalad P, Leverenz B, New C, Maahs DM, Hood KK. 'I was ready for it at the beginning': Parent experiences with early introduction of continuous glucose monitoring following their child's Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Diabet Med. 2021 Aug;38(8):e14567. PMID: 33772862. 

  10. Tanenbaum ML, Zaharieva DP, Addala A, Prahalad P, Hooper JA, Leverenz B, Cortes AL, Arrizon-Ruiz N, Pang E, Bishop F, Maahs DM. 'Much more convenient, just as effective': Experiences of starting continuous glucose monitoring remotely following Type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Diabet Med. 2022 Jul 28:e14923. PMID: 35899591. 

  11. Zaharieva DP, Bishop FK, Maahs DM; 4T study research team. Advancements and future directions in the teamwork, targets, technology, and tight control-the 4T study: improving clinical outcomes in newly diagnosed pediatric type 1 diabetes. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2022 Aug 1;34(4):423-429. PMID: 35836400; PMCID: PMC9298953. 

  12. Zaharieva DP, Morrison D, Paldus B, Lal RA, Buckingham BA, O'Neal DN. Practical Aspects and Exercise Safety Benefits of Automated Insulin Delivery Systems in Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Spectr. 2023 May;36(2):127-136. doi: 10.2337/dsi22-0018. Epub 2023 May 15. PMID: 37193203; PMCID: PMC10182962. 

  13. Addala A, Ding V, Zaharieva DP, Bishop FK, Adams AS, King AC, Johari R, Scheinker D, Hood KK, Desai M, Maahs DM, Prahalad P; Teamwork, Targets, Technology, and Tight Control (4T) Study Group. Disparities in Hemoglobin A1c Levels in the First Year After Diagnosis Among Youths With Type 1 Diabetes Offered Continuous Glucose Monitoring. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Apr 3;6(4):e238881. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.8881. PMID: 37074715; PMCID: PMC10116368. 

  14. Tanenbaum ML, Addala A, Hanes S, Ritter V, Bishop FK, Cortes AL, Pang E, Hood KK, Maahs DM, Zaharieva DP; 4T Study Group. "It changed everything we do": A mixed methods study of youth and parent experiences with a pilot exercise education intervention following new diagnosis of type 1 diabetes. J Diabetes Complications. 2024 Jan;38(1):108651. doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2023.108651. Epub 2023 Nov 24. PMID: 38043358; PMCID: PMC10843536. 

  15. Zaharieva DP, Ding VY, Addala A, Prahalad P, Bishop F, Hood KK, Desai M, Wilson DM, Buckingham BA, Maahs DM. Diabetic Ketoacidosis at Diagnosis in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes Is Associated with a Higher Hemoglobin A1c Even with Intensive Insulin Management. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2024 Mar;26(3):176-183. doi: 10.1089/dia.2023.0405. PMID: 37955644; PMCID: PMC10877392. 

  16. Prahalad P, Scheinker D, Desai M, Ding VY, Bishop FK, Lee MY, Ferstad J, Zaharieva DP, Addala A, Johari R, Hood K, Maahs DM. Equitable implementation of a precision digital health program for glucose management in individuals with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes. Nat Med. 2024 Jul;30(7):2067-2075. doi: 10.1038/s41591-024-02975-y. Epub 2024 May 3. PMID: 38702523; PMCID: PMC11847559. 

  17. Tanenbaum ML, Pang E, Tam R, Bishop FK, Prahalad P, Zaharieva DP, Addala A, Wong JJ, Naranjo D, Hood KK, Maahs DM. 'We're taught green is good': Perspectives on time in range and time in tight range from youth with type 1 diabetes, and parents of youth with type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med. 2024 Dec;41(12):e15423. doi: 10.1111/dme.15423. Epub 2024 Aug 8. PMID: 39118381; PMCID: PMC11560526. 

  18. Walker AF, Haller MJ, Addala A, Filipp SL, Lal R, Gurka MJ, Figg LE, Hechavarria M, Zaharieva DP, Malden KG, Hood KK, Westen SC, Wong JJ, Donahoo WT, Basina M, Bernier AV, Duncan P, Maahs DM. Not all healthcare inequities in diabetes are equal: a comparison of two medically underserved cohorts. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2024 Sep 5;12(4):e004229. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2024-004229. PMID: 39242122; PMCID: PMC11381725. 

  19. Addala A, Ritter V, Schneider-Utaka AK, Alamarie SA, Pang E, Balistreri I, Shaw B, Bishop FK, Zaharieva DP, Prahalad P, Desai M, Maahs DM, Hood KK; 4T Team. Psychosocial outcomes in a diverse sample of youth and their families who initiated continuous glucose monitoring within the first year of type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2025 Feb;27(2):933-943. doi: 10.1111/dom.16093. Epub 2024 Nov 27. PMID: 39604317; PMCID: PMC11700754. 

  20. Walker AF, Haller MJ, Addala A, Filipp SL, Lal RA, Gurka MJ, Figg LE, Hechavarria M, Zaharieva DP, Malden KG, Hood KK, Westen SC, Wong JJ, Donahoo WT, Basina M, Bernier AV, Maahs DM; ECHO Diabetes Study Team. Project ECHO Diabetes Trial Improves Outcomes for Medically Underserved People. Diabetes Care. 2025 Feb 1;48(2):243-250. doi: 10.2337/dc24-2100. PMID: 39688288; PMCID: PMC11770159.