Parul Kharod, MS, RDN, LDN is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Food & Nutrition and a Master of Science degree in Dietetics. She has earned the Certificate of Training in Food Allergies & Intolerances and a Certificate of Training in Vegetarian Nutrition from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She works as a Clinical Dietitian with Outpatient Nutrition Services at WakeMed Health & Hospitals, where she counsels the adult and pediatric population for a number of health issues including Heart disease, Diabetes, Kidney disease and Kidney stones, Celiac Disease and all other autoimmune diseases, Food Allergy and Intolerances, and GI issues including IBS & IBD. She writes articles for the local newspaper, regional magazines, blogs, and other publications. She currently serves as the Diversity Liaison for the Vegetarian Nutrition DPG, and has served as Chair and other roles on the DPG Board. She is currently also serving as the IDEA Chair for North Carolina Affiliate of the Academy, and is on the Diversity & Inclusion Council at WakeMed Hospital. Having had the opportunity to live in India, Kenya, France, and several states across America, she has a global perspective about ethnic cuisines and diverse eating habits. She is able to assist people in making appropriate changes to their diet and lifestyle while still conforming to their cultural preferences.

Lauri O Byerley, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND, is currently an Associate Professor at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in the School of Medicine’s Physiology Department, where she teaches nutrition wellness to allied health professionals and our next generation of doctors. She is also a Professor at the American Public University System (APUS), where she teaches sports nutrition and develops nutrition curriculum for the Sports and Health Sciences program. Dr. Byerley received her BS in Food and Nutrition, Related Science from Iowa State University, MS in Nutritional Science from Purdue University, and PhD in Nutritional Science/Public Health with a minor in Biological Science from UCLA. In addition, she completed two post-doctoral fellowships, one at Stanford University and the other at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center. Recently, Lauri was inducted into Purdue University, Department of Nutrition’s Hall of Fame. As well, she has received several top university teaching awards from APUS.

Lauri’s current research focuses on the interaction of diet with the gut microbiome and its impact on metabolic processes within the body. She has more than 35 peer-reviewed articles from her original scientific research. Also, she has several nutrition-related publications and books written for the lay press. In addition, she has presented at local, state, and national meetings appeared on television and radio talk shows, and chaired events at several national meetings.

Lauri was Secretary and Chair of the Research Dietetic Practice Group along with several other appointed positions. In 2019, she was Symposium Director for SCAN. She is a member of the American Society of Nutrition, American Physiology Society, and Cachexia Society.

Lauri is married with a son and daughter and enjoys spending time with her family. Her most recent adventure was a raft trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. When not engaged with her family, you can find her biking or running, cooking, or volunteering for some local community group, such as Special Olympics.

Dana Angelo White, MS, RDN, ATC is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified athletic trainer, journalist, nutrition and fitness consultant and author of 9 cookbooks, including the best-selling Healthy, Quick & Easy Smoothies, DASH Diet Meal Prep for Beginners and the Healthy Air Fryer Cookbook.

Dana is the sports dietitian and associate clinical professor of Athletic Training and Sports Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. She has been practicing as a dual credentialed clinician for nearly 20 years. She is an ambassador for F45 Training in Fairfield, Connecticut, a member of the USOC Sports Dietitian Registry and National Athletic Trainers’ Association liaison to the Sports and Human Performance Nutrition subgroup of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dana is involved in several research projects and professional publications, covering topics including eating disorders in sport, professional nutrition practice, culinary medicine and dietary supplement safety in sports medicine.

Dana is the nutrition expert for FoodNetwork.com and has served on advisory boards for Verywell, Greatist, Applegate, Chobani and the Egg Nutrition Center. She has worked as a spokesperson for Gatorade, NOW Sports, National Honey Board, National Mango Board and Cooking Light Magazine. She has made appearances on Good Day Street Talk, Food Network.com, Access Hollywood, ABC Nightly News, NBC Connecticut, CT Style, GMA Health, New York Live and Great Day Connecticut.

Dana’s work has been featured on Food Network.com, Verywell.com, Cooking Light.com, Today’s Dietitian, SHAPE, SEVENTEEN, Prevention, Muscle & Fitness, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maxim and Better Homes and Gardens.

Dana earned her master’s degree in nutrition education from Teachers’ College-Columbia University and bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine from Quinnipiac. You will often find her HIIT training or out on her paddleboard; she resides in Connecticut with her husband and 3 daughters.

Suzanne Gerdes Fultz, MS, RD, CSOWM, CDN is passionate about improving food environments and creating educational content for employees and patients. Suzanne uses her expertise to guide and support adults in her insurance-based private practice. She previously worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center for 8 years as the Employee Wellness Dietitian, where she led the development of educational nutrition, exercise and resilience videos and podcasts for a new digital well-being platform for MSK employees. Suzanne also tirelessly worked to promote healthy hospital food environments by increasing the variety of foods lower in sodium, saturated fat and added sugars for hospital cafeterias, vending machines and catering. She previously worked in the outpatient setting at MSK, where she counseled patients, families, and caregivers on how to maintain adequate nutrition during and after cancer treatment as well as deliver educational presentations to inform the community and health care professionals about nutrition and cancer.

Suzanne received her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Vassar College and a Master of Science degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Teachers College, Columbia University. She is mama to three energetic kids aged 4 years - 4 months old!

Jen Nguyen, RDN, CDN, NASM-CPT, is currently Director of Nutrition at Sweet Pea Plant-Based Kitchen where she is a founding member of the nutrition programs and services. She is also an Associate with Dr. Wendy Bazilian, assisting with media and professional presentations, interviews, book publications, and other large-scale projects. Years prior to becoming a dietitian, she became a certified personal trainer and taught private, group, and virtual exercise classes and was a sports nutrition intern with collegiate and professional athletes. Currently, she works with individuals in disease prevention, community wellness, and ultra-endurance sports. Jen received her Bachelor of Science in Food Administration and Dietetics with an option in Nutrition and Dietetics, minor in Hospitality Management at California State University, Long Beach, and completed her dietetic internship at Cornell University.

Jen held leadership positions with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at the local and national level. More recently, serving as the 30 and Under Director for the AND Foundation. Jen is the recipient of the 2022 Young Dietitian of the Year Award for the NYSAND and 2016 Outstanding Didactic Student for the CAND.

Jen is a Southern California native, and now resides in Upstate New York with her partner, Rob and boxer, Kiwi. For fun, she loves cooking, gardening, trail running, hiking the Adirondack mountains, and attending live music events.

Lynn Cialdella Kam is a Research Dietitian at the Naval Health Research Center, where she leads the Food Utilization and Energy Laboratory (FUEL) team in the Warfighter Performance Department. Her research is focused on nutritional strategies to prevent injuries and illnesses, accelerate recovery from injuries and illnesses, and enhancing performance in warfighters under stress (i.e., sleep deprivation, cold stress, and energy deprivation). Lynn served as treasurer for SCAN from 2018-2020 and House of Delegate representative from 2020-2021. She received her PhD in Nutrition with minors in Exercise Physiology and Statistics from Oregon State University and has a Master’s in Exercise Physiology from the University of Texas at Austin and Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She has counseled athletes of all ages from the recreational to the professional level and experience in strategic planning for multinational companies. In her spare time, she enjoys modern dance, swimming, cooking, and spending time with her husband and their fur babies.

Kristi Crowe-White, PhD, RD is an associate professor in the Department of Human Nutrition at the University of Alabama. She received her PhD at the University of Maine where she held a doctoral fellowship with the National Science Foundation. Her dietetic training was completed at the University of Alabama-Birmingham. Dr. Crowe-White’s research focuses on understanding the influence of bioactive food compounds and functional foods on clinical outcomes of cardiometabolic disease. Further, her lab examines the role of bioactive food compounds and dietary patterns on gut microbial composition and gut-derived metabolites on cardiometabolic disease and aging. Dr. Crowe-White has funding from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute and the Office of Dietary Supplements, the American Heart Association, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics among others. As a result of this body of research, she co-authored the first ever dietary guideline on bioactive food compounds (flavan-3-ols) and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Position Paper on Functional Foods. Additionally, she serves as a media spokesperson for the Institute of Food Technologists to advance the scientific understanding of nutrition in the prevention of chronic disease.

Taylor Bloedon is an Associate Professor in the Kinesiology and Recreation Administration Department at Humboldt State University in Arcata, CA where she teaches general nutrition, sports nutrition, nutrition and health and holistic health and well-being. She received her BS in Psychology with an honors emphasis in social psychology from the University of Oregon, her M.S. in Nutrition and Food Management/Dietetics with an emphasis in Exercise Physiology at Oregon State University and her Ph.D. in Food and Nutrition Sciences with an emphasis in Exercise Science from the University of Maine. Her research interests include examining the integration of nutrition and movement strategies for improving and maintaining health, improving sports performance, as well as preventing and reducing chronic disease. Her current research focuses on a variety of dietary strategies and lifestyle-related behaviors that impact mental and physical health. Taylor enjoys collaborating with other educators and professionals and sharing information and resources to learn from each other as well as broaden the perspectives she brings to her students and to create a sense of community. When not in the classroom, Taylor loves being outside playing, exploring the ocean and the Redwoods, rock climbing, running, or having a spontaneous dance party with her husband and two kiddos.

Liz Kiertscher is passionate about health and wellness and has worked in this space for over 12 years. She currently works as an Assistant Vice President of Health Risk Solutions for Lockton Dunning Benefits acting as a subject matter expert in population health strategies for companies. Liz previously worked onsite managing an employee wellness program for a large school district with over 8,000 employees. Liz has a bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Exercise and Sports Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University. Liz is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian as well as a Certified Personal Trainer and Certified Wellness Program Manager with experience in the gym setting and as a clinical inpatient and outpatient hospital dietitian. She likes to share her passion for nutrition and wellness with others and has been an adjunct professor teaching nutrition at Dallas College for over ten years. Liz volunteers her time in leadership roles with many dietetic associations including the Social Media Director for CV-Well DPG, Seminar Chair for the Northeast Region of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and previously as Director of the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation.

As President/Owner of Storlietelling LLC, Jean designs and facilitates processes to enable creative collaboration in solving business challenges. She incorporates storytelling and story-based techniques to create highly engaging strategic planning, innovation, and team building sessions. She also offers virtual and live workshops that teach professionals how to create meaningful stories for their business communications and leadership. Jean was a founding member of SCAN and served in several leadership roles in the 1980s, including as Chair in 1987-88. After a long hiatus when she was raising her three kids and working at the General Mills Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, she got involved in SCAN again in 2011 to work on the SCAN 30-year history project. Jean subsequently served on the Nominating Committee and then two terms as the SCAN Delegate to the Academy HOD from 2014-20. Jean will support the CV-Well DDG as the Leadership Cultivation Coordinator, helping to identify volunteers to execute key functions/projects and to develop the leadership pipeline. She lives in Minneapolis and loves hiking, biking, kayaking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, gardening, and camping.

Jen Messer is new to the field of dietetics with a career change in 2020. She is dedicated and passionate about promoting cardiovascular health through both nutrition and physical activity. By combining her two areas of expertise with her clients' needs and preferences, she creates personalized nutrition and lifestyle recommendations that are both effective and sustainable. Jen currently works in private practice and as a school dietitian with Brock & Company, Inc. at Cushing Academy in Massachusetts. She holds a B.S. in Psychology and Public Health Nutrition, as well as an MS in Exercise and Sports Science. She is an active member of the New Hampshire Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, serving on the Board of Directors as the Public Relations and Media Chair and Current President-Elect. Jen also served as the Social Media Chair for the New Hampshire Academy of Nutrition. Her professional interests include lactation, nutrition counseling, and nutrition for sports and active individuals. Her personal interests involve spending time with her family, running, hiking the White Mountains, and strength training. Jen resides in Southern NH with her husband and has three adult daughters.

Dr. Karen Reznik Dolins has worked in private practice for over 30 years helping individuals and groups achieve their nutrition goals. She is guided by her commitment to integrating nutrition and physical activity for optimal performance and well-being. Specialty areas include:

• Nutrition strategies to improve athletic performance
• Body weight and composition
• Disordered eating/eating disorders
• Picky eating
• Medical nutrition therapy for those with medical needs

In addition to her private practice, Karen teaches graduate level sports nutrition at Teachers College Columbia University and New York University. Her extensive experience includes serving as the sports nutritionist for Iona College, Columbia University, and the NY Knicks. She has provided workshops for the Women’s NBA, NBA Player's Association and Cirque du Soleil as well as schools and numerous coaches’ clinics. She has authored numerous publications in professional and lay journals and presents at conferences nationwide.

Karen earned a BA in Biology from Washington University in St. Louis, an MA in Nutrition and Dietetics from NYU and a doctoral degree from Teachers College Columbia University in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology.

Karen was among the first to earn the credential of Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She is a past Chair, Treasurer, and Membership Director of the Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness (SCAN) Dietetic Practice Group and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine. She sits on the board of the MSUD Family Support Group and directs research efforts for this rare Inborn Error of Metabolism. She is also a board member of Meals on Wheels White Plains. Athletic pursuits include swimming, cycling, hiking, and scuba diving.

Karen Collins is a registered dietitian nutritionist, consultant and writer who focuses on translating current nutrition science related to cardiovascular health, cancer prevention and cardio-oncology. Her trademarked tagline, “Taking Nutrition from Daunting to Doable”, highlights her aim of helping people see beyond headlines, and put complex information in perspective within the “big picture” of overall research.

A Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Karen has previously served as Chair of SCAN, and as co-director of its Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition subunit. Currently, she contributes to CV-Well as a member of the Expert Rapid Response Team, providing insights to the Academy on regulatory and public affairs matters.

Among her consultant activities, Karen has been serving as Nutrition Advisor to the American Institute for Cancer Research for over 30 years. She has authored multiple peer-reviewed book chapters and research summaries for health professionals, and over 2,000 nutrition-related articles for the public. Karen also writes reviews of cardiovascular and cancer nutrition research that run on her own website, Karen Collins Nutrition.com

Kristina Morales is a Traveling Senior Director Food & Nutrition Services for University of Maryland Medical System with Morrison Healthcare. She started her career as a clinical dietitian in Southern California where she grew up. She moved to the east coast in 2019 to pursue her goal in management/leadership and has not looked back since. She has worked for various organizations including Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. Kristina received her Bachelor's degree in Food & Nutrition from San Diego State University and a Master's in Dietetic Administration from Utah State University. She is also a board member for the Maryland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In her spare time, Kristina loves to travel, cook, eat good food, and spend time with family & friends.

Catherine M. Champagne is Professor/Chief, Nutritional Epidemiology/Dietary Assessment and Nutrition Counseling, Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC), Baton Rouge, LA. She received her MS and PhD degrees from Mississippi State University in Nutrition and is a Registered Dietitian and member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Diabetes Association, American Society for Nutrition, Obesity Society, and American Heart Association. Dr. Champagne is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Obesity Society, and American Heart Association. She is involved in studies which include menu design for metabolic feeding studies, dietary counseling, and dietary intake assessment. One of her significant achievements was the final design of the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) and DASH-Sodium diets. She has been involved in many NIH-funded trials and coordinates the Women’s Nutrition Research Program at Pennington, a research, education, and outreach program. Currently Dr. Champagne is funded by NIH (two trials- one investigating time-restricted feeding vs calorie restriction and is an investigator for the PBRC clinical center in the Nutrition for Precision Health trial); she maintains funding from the Louisiana Department of Education, Nutrition Support; and is an investigator in the PBRC Greaux Healthy Initiative funded by the state of Louisiana.

Carol Sloan is a registered dietitian/nutritionist and consultant with expertise in food and nutrition communications and food service management. Carol is the Health Research Director for the California Walnut Commission where she leads project implementation and oversees active research studies internationally and domestically. Carol also collaborates with the public relations and marketing departments to translate this scientific research for broader audiences, including consumers and health professionals. She is also a freelance journalist specializing in delivering scientifically sound, realistic information all about food, nutrition and health. Carol currently provides a nutrition column for School News Roll Call and was nutrition editor for LA Parent Magazine for 20 years. She is nutrition consultant to several healthcare facilities in southern California and is a member of the Bayer Crop Science Leaders Engaged in Advancing Dialogue (L.E.A.D.) Initiative. Carol served two terms as a delegate to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. She served on the Executive Board for the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and is a member of many Academy Dietetic Practice Groups including Healthy Aging, Diabetes in Care and Education, Oncology, Research, Vegetarian, Food and Culinary and Dietitians in Business and Communications. She is currently the editor of the Nutrition Education for the Public DPG newsletter. She is a member of the American Society of Nutrition, The Obesity Society, the American Heart Association, Institute of Food Technologists and American Association of Diabetes Educators and received both the Excellence in Private Practice, Business & Communications Award and the Distinguished Service Award from the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Carol serves as a preceptor to the Individualized Supervised-Practice Pathway Program at California State University, San Bernardino and the Master’s Dietetic Internship at California State University, Long Beach and she is a member of the Dean’s Council for the Department of Agriculture at Cal Poly Pomona.

Geeta Sikand is a national speaker, Director of Nutrition, Preventive Cardiology Program at University of California Irvine and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine (Cardiology Division). Geeta is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) and a Fellow of the National Lipid Association (NLA). Ms. Sikand is a registered dietitian and a clinical lipid specialist.

Ms. Sikand serves as the Cardiovascular Nutrition Content Expert for the Academy’s Cardiovascular Health and Well-being dietetic practice group. Ms. Sikand is Co-Chair of the NLA Nutrition Task Force and coauthor of the “2015 NLA Recommnendations for the Management of Dyslipidemia.” Ms. Sikand serves on the NLA Board of Governors. Ms. Sikand is Co-chair of the NLA South Asian Work Group. Ms. Sikand’s area of research is in the area of dietary strategies for cardiovascular risk reduction and outcomes of medical nutrition therapy in the management of dyslipidemia and cardiometabolic risk factors including improvements in cholesterol, triglycerides, hypertension, BMI and A1c.

Ms. Sikand has been honored with many national and state awards including the 2020 NLA’s 2020 President’s Service Award, Academy’s 2020 Excellence in Weight Management Outcomes Research Award and the Academy’s 2019 Medallion Award. She was honored for her leadership, public policy and community service and for her medical nutrition therapy outcomes research for patients with dyslipidemia and cardiometabolic risk factors. In 2019 Ms. Sikand received the Academy’s Excellence in Cardiovascular Practice Award, Academy’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indians in Nutrition and Dietetics Member Interest Group, 2013 Academy’s Distinguished Service Award, 2001 Mary Huddleson Award for making the highest research contribution to the dietetics profession At the state level, Ms. Sikand was the recipient of the California Academy’s 2019 Dolores Nyhus Outstanding Dietitian of the Year Award, and the 1997 California Academy’s Excellence in Outcomes Research Award.

Kavita Poddar worked as a dietitian in India, then came to the United States for higher education. She earned her PhD in nutrition from Virginia Tech and worked as a post-doc at Johns Hopkins before moving to Wisconsin. Kavita has lived in Wisconsin since 2011 and working at UW Health since 2013. She is trained in health promotion and disease prevention with emphasis on lifestyle changes that include dietary modifications in obese and type II diabetic individuals. She has strong skills sets in developing and designing, planning and implementing clinical trials in research setting. Additional skills include data management, analysis and manuscript development. She is experienced in providing advanced level care in clinical nutrition across different age group.

Erin Pover has been working as a Registered Dietitian since 2009, most recently at Highmark, Inc as a Wellness Coach. Erin received her B.S. and M.S. in Clinical Dietetics and Nutrition from the University of Pittsburgh. She has been active in the Pittsburgh Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, serving on the Board of Directors as the Past President, Membership Co-Chair, Nominating Chair, Mentoring Chair, and Career Guidance Co-Chair. She was also the Social Media Chair for the Pennsylvania Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Membership Recruitment and Retention Chair for the Weight Management DPG. Her professional interests include weight management and nutrition counseling and her personal interests include spending time with her family and running outdoors. Erin lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and two daughters.

Satya S. Jonnalagadda, PhD, MBA, RDN, is the Vice President of Scientific and Clinical Affairs at Medifast. Satya has more than 20 years of experience in nutrition, has held various roles in global research and development for Novartis Nutrition Corporation, General Mills, Kerry Ingredients, Abbott Nutrition, was an Associate Professor of Nutrition at Georgia State University and a Clinical Dietitian and is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Nutrition at the University of Minnesota. Satya has more than 50 peer reviewed publications in key scientific journals, has contributed to several book chapters and has presented at scientific and professional conferences. Satya has conducted pre-clinical, epidemiological and human intervention nutrition research studies to examine impact of different dietary components on key health and nutrition biomarkers and outcomes. Satya is an active member of several scientific organizations, such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Society for Nutrition, and American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

Katelyn E. Senkus, MS is a fourth-year doctoral candidate in Human Nutrition at The University of Alabama. Her research objectives support cardiometabolic health by elucidating the relationships among dietary bioactive compounds, oxidative stress, and inflammation, as well as vascular function. Furthermore, she investigates variables that may mediate the beneficial effects of nutrition interventions, such as obesity and the oral microbiome, on the aforementioned measures, permitting the differentiation between intervention responders and non-responders. Katelyn has received funding from agencies such as the Colgate-Palmolive Company, Mead Johnson Nutrition, and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation.

Shannon Herbert, MS, RD is a registered dietitian, yoga instructor, and second year doctoral student in the Nutrition and Dietetics program at New York University (New York, NY). Her research interests lie in understanding how lifestyle behaviors (diet, physical activity) may impact chronic disease, with the hope of developing lifestyle interventions that support and promote lifelong well-being. Her research is focused on exploring and developing lifestyle interventions for women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Shannon aims to explore the experiences of women with PCOS, with a focus on their relationship with food and their dietary intake patterns. Shannon received her bachelor of science degree in Global Public Health & Nutrition and Dietetics, as well as her master of science degree in Clinical Nutrition, from New York University. She completed her dietetic internship at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center in Bronx, NY.