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Dr. Daniel Maselli is a highly trained gastroenterologist who has spent more than 11 years training at some of the most premier medical institutions across the country—including Princeton University, UMass Chan Medical School, Duke University Hospital, The Mayo Clinic, and Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is also board certified in internal medicine and is currently studying to earn his board certification in obesity medicine.
Throughout his medical training and beyond, Dr. Maselli has worked with leaders in the field of gastroenterology to research obesity and the treatments, medications, and procedures that can fight the disease. He has dedicated his professional life to helping patients find safe, effective, and non-surgical ways to lose weight and achieve a healthier lifestyle.
His work has been published in many prestigious medical publications, including The Lancet, Gastroenterology, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Obesity Surgery, Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases, and Clinical Journal of Gastroenterology.
At True You Weight Loss, Dr. Maselli performs complex endobariatric weight loss procedures, supports his patients throughout their journey, and serves as the practice’s Associate Research Director, where he puts his passion for research to work searching for answers to pertinent questions about how we can understand, modify, and improve therapies to support patients in the fight against obesity.
Dr. Maselli’s expertise and training combined with his down-to-earth, approachable bedside manner is what patients love about him most. Here, we’ll get to know Dr. Maselli a little better with this personal Q&A.
Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
A: I grew up just outside of Boston, MA, went to high school in New Hampshire and medical school in Worcester, MA—so I consider myself a New Englander at heart. But my wife (a palliative care physician) and I have lived in North Carolina, Minnesota, and Tennessee for our medical training and have loved everywhere we’ve been. We are really excited to be here in the South with our son Miles (age 2) and to call Georgia home.
Q: How did you get interested in endobariatrics?
A: When I started my gastroenterology fellowship, I thought I was going to be a hepatologist (liver specialist) because of my interest in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is when there is excess fat storage in the liver, leading to liver dysfunction. Treatment for NAFLD is centered around weight loss—a big challenge for patients with or without liver disease. One of the physicians at my fellowship program was a pioneer in endobariatrics, so I started doing research with him. From there, I was hooked. It was amazing to see how weight loss from non-surgical endoscopic procedures could help patients not just lose weight but also cure their diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and their fatty liver disease.
What is the best part of endobariatrics for you?
A: The patient success stories. The goal of my job isn’t to get patients to lose a certain percent of their weight—it’s to help them be able to do the things they want to do by losing that weight. Sure, the scientist in me likes keeping track of pounds down, decrease in body mass index, or improvement in cholesterol labs, but the physician in me wants to hear about how this weight loss is helping you chase after your grandkids, feel more confident as you fit into old clothes, get off your diabetes medications, or sleep better at night without acid reflux or sleep apnea.
Q: Why did you choose to work at True You Weight Loss?
A: I interviewed across the map for jobs last year at both large academic centers and community practices, but at most places, endobariatrics was either not an option or, at best, could only be a small portion of my overall practice. Then I came across True You Weight Loss. The group and its leadership were passionate and focused on non-surgical weight loss procedures and anti-obesity medications. In addition to high volume and high-quality patient care, the vision of True You Weight Loss also valued conducting robust clinical research, setting itself on a trajectory to be a leader in advancing the field of endobariatrics. I wanted to be a part of that trajectory and help build an innovative, nimble, data-driven organization that could make a tremendous impact on the lives of the 42% of the adult population affected by obesity in the United States.
Q: What have you enjoyed about the True You Weight Loss practice in Atlanta?
A: The group in Atlanta is the absolute best! Our team members in anesthesia, nursing, endoscopy support, and office management make this a great place to take care of patients—in fact, numerous patients and their family members have asked us how we’re able to be so happy at work. It’s because we love what we do, and everyone helps each other do the best we can to take care of patients.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish in the next five years?
A: Serving as an educator has been one of my favorite aspects of medicine, so from a professional standpoint, I’m hoping to help develop a training curriculum for gastroenterologists interested in learning endobariatrics. From a personal standpoint, I’m hoping to return to the role of a student and start taking lessons again on the piano and banjo—and to start playing music with my son, Miles, if he’s interested!
