Central Arkansas endocrinologist gets national attention
Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System is blessed with some incredible physicians, educators, and researchers, many of whom are often recognized on a national scale.
Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., M.S., is one of those incredible CAVHS professionals who are making a name for themselves nationally. Dr. Maraka is a practicing endocrinologist and health services researcher at CAVHS and is an expert on thyroid disorders.
One of only three women in the nation to receive the 2020 Women Advancing Thyroid Research Award from the American Thyroid Association, recognizing her as a leader in outstanding thyroid research, Dr. Maraka tirelessly promotes the idea of a level environment that helps people of all backgrounds and ethnicities access needed medical care.
This has led to a recent invitation from the Endocrine Society – the largest professional medical organization in the field of endocrinology and metabolism – to be a part of a group preparing a consensus statement on the appropriate use of telehealth in endocrinology.
She is also currently serving on the society’s Patient Engagement Committee, made up of society members, clinicians, researchers, and educators with expertise in endocrinology’s major therapeutic areas. The committee’s role is to identify educational needs, oversee the impact and outcomes of the program, and provide translational knowledge on specific hormone-related conditions.
Dr. Maraka has also been invited to join a task force for preparing the 2023 Guidelines of the American Thyroid Association for the Diagnosis and Management of Thyroid Disease During Preconception, Pregnancy, and the Postpartum Period. She also serves on the editorial board for Thyroid, the official journal of the American Thyroid Association.
Dr. Maraka received her medical degree with summa cum laude honors from the University of Athens School of Medicine in Athens, Greece. She then completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut as well as a clinical fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes, metabolism and nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.