Board & Advisors

Lianna Levine Reisner

President

Lianna Levine Reisner, MSOD, is building a multicultural movement for health as President and Network Director of Plant Powered Metro New York. Lianna has served in management, fundraising, and grantmaking roles in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Working as an independent consultant through her practice Partner for Change, she most recently served as a member of UJA-Federation of New York’s Community LAB Coaching Network (formerly the SYNERGY Coaching Network), providing organizational change support to Jewish nonprofit organizations in the New York metropolitan area. She also serves on the Board of Trustees of Manhattan’s historic Congregation Shaare Zedek which is on the path to merger with Kehilat Hadar.

Lianna has a Master’s degree from Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management in Positive Organization Development and Change, as well as certificates in Emotional Intelligence, Appreciative Inquiry, and Building Sustainable Enterprises. She also holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. Hunter College NYC Food Policy Center honored Lianna as a 40 Under 40 Rising Star in Food Policy in 2022. She lives in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Lynn Diamond

Secretary

Lynn contributes to the big-picture thinking and design of our volunteer network while also developing and curating resources and tools for our work on the ground. She read Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book Eat to Live in 2012, went whole-food plant-based “cold turkey,” and within weeks reversed her high blood pressure. The WFPB lifestyle enabled her to easily lose 25 pounds and maintain a healthier weight. She teamed up with Lianna in 2018 to bring the message to the wider community that a whole-food, plant-based diet leads to better health. Lynn served as a Manhattan-based WFPB leader and is part of the founding team of PPMNY. Lynn is a PCRM-certified Food for Life instructor and is working toward her certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell. She recently retired after working as an attorney in private practice and previously had a career in marketing and journalism.

Anthony Masiello, NBC-HWC

Treasurer / Love.Life Telehealth

Anthony Masiello has been working in healthcare for more than 20 years. His career started working in bioinformatics on the Human Genome Project and later transitioned into pharmaceutical research & development, where he contributed to the development of new disease treatments. Years later, after learning about the promise of lifestyle medicine, he shifted careers again, to focus on the prevention and reversal of chronic disease. Anthony is a Nationally Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach and a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. He holds additional certifications in Lifestyle Medicine, Plant-Based Nutrition, and Positive Psychology. In 2019, Anthony launched Love.Life TeleHealth (formerly Plant Based TeleHealth), a national lifestyle telemedicine service, to make lifestyle medicine more accessible to everyone.

Daniel Lowen

Quantedge USA

Daniel Lowen is recently semi-retired from a senior position at Quantedge USA Inc., a New York support office for a Singapore-based hedge fund. He managed the office, with responsibility for HR, IT, compliance, and internal finance. Earlier in his career, he was a property/casualty actuary, and before that he taught middle and high school mathematics. He found his way to plant-based nutrition in 2012 and is interested in bringing its benefits to as many other people as possible.

Michelle H. Loy, MD, DipABLM, DipABOIM, DABMA, FAAP

Weill Cornell Medicine / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Dr. Michelle Loy is a nationally recognized physician who received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College, her doctorate in medicine from Weill Cornell Medical College, her pediatrics residency training from NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell, and her integrative medicine fellowship training from Columbia University/Stamford Hospital. Dr. Loy is board certified in Integrative Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, Medical Acupuncture, and Pediatrics. She utilizes evidence-based interventions from both modern medicine and time-tested traditional modalities including nutrition, movement, acupuncture, botanicals, and mind-body medicine to prevent and manage chronic medical conditions across all age groups at Integrative Health and Well-Being-Weill Cornell Medicine. She frequently presents to physicians, patients, and the community on her clinical and research interests which include nutrition, culinary medicine, botanical medicine, cancer prevention, mental health, women’s health, and children’s health.

Wendy Sax

Wendy Sax is a documentary film producer with an avid interest in whole food, plant-based education, particularly applying it to healing from chronic diseases, strengthening the immune system, and consequent benefits to animals and the environment. In 2006 she reversed her autoimmune disease by changing to a WFPB lifestyle and has maintained good health since then. Wendy’s films include the award-winning documentary Particle Fever (Netflix) and award-winning Moving Stories (Amazon Prime). Prior, Wendy served as the Artistic Director of IFP.org, a non-profit for independent filmmakers. She was co-producer of Sundance-winner Songcatcher, and started her career as a creative development executive in Hollywood.

Corey Stern, JD

Levy Konigsberg LLP

Corey Stern is a trial lawyer at Levy Konigsberg LLP, where he manages the firm’s Lead Poisoning and Child Advocacy section. Corey represents individuals who have been catastrophically injured, with an emphasis on children that have suffered brain damage from lead poisoning or have been sexually abused. He currently represents more than 5,000 children who were lead poisoned during the Flint Water Crisis. In addition to his trial work, Corey has written, argued, and won important legal rulings in New York State related to lead exposure and sexual abuse. Corey and his wife Karen Stern’s health has thrived from living a WFPB lifestyle for the last 14 years. They raised their children on a vegan diet, and both of their sons are now amazing athletes and are taller and stronger than they are.

Jacquie Talbott

Jacquie Talbott recovered her health and lost 90 pounds by switching to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle, starting in 2009. Now in her late 70’s she takes no medications, exercises regularly, and has an ongoing yoga practice. Jacquie is a retired attorney and nonprofit executive and served on numerous nonprofit boards in Cleveland, Ohio, prior to retirement. She has a law degree from the law school at Case Western Reserve University.

Susan Vitka

Susan is an experienced early and growth stage investor, with a particular interest in life sciences and other transformational technologies. Earlier in her career, Susan was an economic and strategy consultant with expertise in competitive analysis and risk assessment. She has over 40 years of experience advising companies, large family offices, foundations, and social change organizations on a range of complex organizational, financial, and strategic matters. Her passion is helping change agents clarify and achieve their goals while leveraging resources as effectively as possible. She is committed to advancing health, human rights, and respect for the natural world and all its inhabitants.

Susan has served in leadership positions on numerous governing and advisory boards in the for-profit and social change sectors in the US and abroad, including those of Physicians for Human Rights (PHR); Women for Women International; Nest; the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy (now the Carr-Ryan Center) at Harvard’s Kennedy School; Akashinga; The Babson College Initiative on Human Trafficking and Modern Day Slavery; several family foundations; 10,000 Black Vegan Women; and the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation’s Capital.

A strong believer in the power of film to inspire change, Susan has served as an executive producer and adviser to numerous films, including The Game Changers, Eating Our Way to Extinction, Food for Profit, and several works in progress.

Susan has undergraduate degrees in economics and biochemistry, graduate degrees in economics and math, and has done additional graduate coursework in nutrition, immunology, and public health. She currently is a graduate student at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University.

Gwyn Whittaker

GreenFare

Gwyn Whittaker is a senior executive leader with a broad base of experience over 40 years, instituting transformative change to enterprise environments in the Intelligence Community with high performance technologies as competitive assets. She founded the educational restaurant, the GreenFare Organic Café in 2015, and the non-profit, GreenFare Health and Wellness, both focused on enabling health through lifestyle changes with a successful 21-Day Kickstart program, attended by over 2,000 senior leaders and medical professionals.

With her inspiration from the documentary Forks Over Knives, she has in turn supported the making of documentaries as an Executive Producer in The Game Changers (Amazon Prime) and Eating Our Way to Extinction, and as Co-Producer (and featured in) Diet Fiction. She has a BS in Electrical Engineering, is certified in Plant-Based Nutrition through eCornell, is a Food for Life Instructor with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and is in the MS Nutrition Studies program at American University. Gwyn started and ran the Fairfax Veg Fest for 5 years and is an 8-year Certified Master Gardener. She serves on ten boards, both in the technology arena as well as in health, environment, and animal welfare arenas, with five in leadership positions.

Sumeet Bahl, MD

Koning Health & Real Radiology

Dr. Sumeet Bahl is an interventional radiologist who performs minimally invasive image-guided procedures. He is a diagnostic radiologist for Koning Health which offers the first and only FDA-approved, no-compression breast CT scan for detecting breast cancer. Dr. Bahl has been vegan since 2017, has dedicated his life to meditation and sharing its benefits, and is an avid fitness enthusiast with a focus on strength training and a whole food, plant-based diet. As an avid hip hop fan, he serves as the physician representative for Hip Hop is Green, which promotes a plant-based lifestyle in the hip hop community.

Rani Banik, MD

EnVision Health NYC, Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary

Dr. Rudrani (Rani) Banik is a board-certified neuro-ophthalmologist. She completed her MD at Brown University, residency at UC Irvine, and fellowship at Wilmer Eye Institute. Dr. Banik runs a private practice, Envision Health NYC, and is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine. She also serves as Co-Director of the Neuro-Ophthalmology Division, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai. Dr. Banik is also certified in Integrative and Functional Medicine. She focuses on the root cause of eye diseases, and uses strategies based on nutrition, botanicals, lifestyle modification, and supplements.

Dr. Banik is often featured as an expert in the media. She has been voted Castle Connolly Top Doctor and NY Magazine’s Best Doctor in Ophthalmology annually since 2017. She is the author of two best-selling books, Beyond Carrots – Best Foods For Eye Health A to Z and Dr. Rani’s Plant-Based Visionary Kitchen.

Eugenia Black, MPH, MSN, FNP

Kaiser Permanente

Eugenia Black currently works for Kaiser Permanente as a lead of technical assistance for the Population Health Management Initiative (PHMI) which aims to improve equitable health outcomes in 32 federally-qualified health centers across California. She oversees practice transformation coaching, subject matter expert work, peer learning and webinar content, and more. As part of the initiative, she also oversees the Food is Medicine (FIM) intervention within PHMI which aims to address food insecurity, community partnerships, and clinic workflows around FIM.

Rob Caldwell, MD, FACP

Dr. Rob Caldwell is a board-certified general internal medicine physician with 20 years of experience practicing primary care for adults in New York City. He earned his MD degree at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and completed his residency at NYU/Bellevue Hospital. After a career helping patients prevent, treat, and reverse chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease with both lifestyle and medication, Dr. Caldwell retired from clinical practice at NYC Health + Hospitals in 2025. He is a graduate of PPMNY’s Jumpstart program and a lifelong advocate of healthy eating and other lifestyle interventions. As a child, he learned to cook from his mother who had studied home economics in college. Today he still enjoys shopping for and cooking with healthy ingredients.

Mirnova E. Ceïde, MD, MSc

Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Dr. Mirnova Ceïde is an Associate Professor of Geriatric Psychiatry and Geriatric Medicine at Montefiore Einstein, the Assistant Program Director of the Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship, and Associate Director of Psychiatry at the Center for the Aging Brain. She has presented at national and international meetings on behavioral risk factors for dementia and models of psychiatric integration in health care. Dr. Ceide has led several Montefiore Einstein initiatives to pilot nonpharmacological interventions for older adults with behavioral symptoms and cognitive disorders in partnership with community-based organizations.

Kirk Charles

Fit Beyond 40

Kirk Charles is a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, founder of Fit Beyond 40, and has promoted plant-based eating since 1989. He has been a columnist for Men’s Health and has written motivational/business articles for Black Enterprise. Kirk has also authored two books, Live in the Power Zone and The 1st Aisle: How to Eat for Maximum Health. In May 2024, Kirk founded Bike America 2024 to promote plant-based eating, and the work done by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, through a cycling trip from New York City to Chicago over more than 1,000 miles. For fun, Kirk is a jazz trumpeter and a commercial actor.

Adriana Cortés, MD, MIPH

Bien Plantado

Adriana Cortés, MD, received training from the University of Sydney, Australia; the T. Colin Campbell for Nutrition Studies and eCornell; and Dr. John McDougall’s Health and Medical Center. She is the founder of Bien Plantado, an initiative to educate the public about whole food, plant-based (WFPB) nutrition in Spanish. She also created the TEN System (Transforming Your Education about Nutrition), educating more than 2,000 people in Latin America and helping more than 350 patients reverse diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, fibromyalgia, certain cancers, and obesity among others. She is also a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

Judith A. Dattaro, MD, MS, FACEP, DipACLM

Premise Health

Dr. Judy Dattaro has been an emergency physician for over twenty years. She has always had an interest in food and has completed many cooking courses. Having seen how much of the illness presenting to the Emergency Department was preventable, she completed required coursework and became board certified in Lifestyle Medicine in the inaugural class to take the exam. She holds a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and is a member of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. She is deeply concerned about how our food choices affect the environment and animal well-being.

Rachel Dolhun, MD, DipABLM

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

Dr. Rachel Dolhun is a board-certified neurologist, lifestyle medicine physician, fellowship-trained movement disorder specialist, and senior vice president of medical communications at The Michael J. Fox Foundation. In this role, she creates resources to help people and families navigate life with Parkinson’s and understand their critical role in research. She also serves as an expert spokesperson and thought leader, distilling complex medical topics for press interviews, global conferences, and community events. And she engages the next generation of Parkinson’s doctors through programs designed to stimulate interest and fund training in movement disorders.

Motivated to understand and deliver additional tools that empower people to take control of their brain health, Rachel achieved a second board-certification in lifestyle medicine, which leverages diet, exercise, sleep, and other aspects of daily life as primary treatment and disease management tools. When she’s not traveling, you can find Rachel planning her next trip; spending time with her dog, Raleigh; reading a book; or running, with the goal of completing another race soon.

Sheikh Musa Drammeh

National Center For Health Equity

Sheikh Musa Drammeh is a social entrepreneur and a lifelong community organizer. He founded Muslim Media Corporation which publishes three newspapers in New York. In September 2001, together with his wife and colleagues, he founded Islamic Leadership School, the first full-time accredited K-12 Muslim school in the Bronx. He founded Lifestyle Lifespan in 2019 to promote a healthy lifestyle. Sheikh Musa is a co-founder of New York Political Coalition and African Democratic Club, both of which are New York-based political organizations. He also founded National Community Peacebuilding Commission to promote public safety and peaceful coexistence.

David M. Dunaief, MD

Medical Compass MD

Dr. David Dunaief is an internist specializing in integrative medicine. He focuses on reversing, treating, and preventing chronic diseases with a nutrient-dense diet, fitness, and stress management. Practicing for over 10 years, with offices in Brooklyn Heights and Setauket, NY, he has guided over 2,000 patients to optimal health. Dr. Dunaief has published several peer-reviewed journal studies and 250 research articles in two newspaper chains. A graduate of Stony Brook University Medical School, Dr. Dunaief completed his residency at University of Maryland’s Mercy Medical Center and a three-year fellowship with Joel Fuhrman, MD, the New York Times bestselling author of Eat to Live.

LA Dunn

Black Girls Eat, LLC

LA Dunn is the owner of Black Girls Eat, a company she founded after her own health scare which led to the discovery of the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle. The Bronx native is a plant-based advocate with a focus on helping Black women and families make healthier food choices. Understanding that food and knowledge are great weapons in the war against a variety of diseases, Black Girls Eat was created to build a community for those who want to go from plant-curious to plant-focused. A former classroom educator and middle school assistant principal, LA believes that you can enjoy plant-based meals without breaking the budget or tormenting your tastebuds. Her daily mission is to help others explore more fruits, grains, and vegetables in order to eat well, feel well, and live well. LA lives at home with her husband, daughter, and fur baby. Not everyone is plant-based but they appreciate that Mom is doing a great job of putting more plants on their plates.

Robyn Engman, RD

Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine

Robyn Engman is a Registered Dietitian and a trained chef who has studied culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She completed her dietetic internship at Stony Brook University Hospital in Stony Brook, NY. Robyn has a strong background helping people who suffer from metabolic syndrome. For three years, she provided nutrition services for a popular supermarket chain in New York. Currently, Robyn resides in Reston, VA, and works on the nutrition team at PCRM, where she is actively involved in evidence-based nutrition campaigns centered around a whole food, plant-based lifestyle. Robyn trains and competes in marathons and ultra-distance marathons, using a plant-based diet as her secret weapon for performance and a speedy recovery.

Leigh Ettinger, MD, MS, ABOM, FAAP

The Children’s Medical Group

Dr. Leigh Ettinger is a triple-board certified pediatrician currently practicing in Kingston, New York, at The Children’s Medical Group. There, he shares his expertise in general pediatrics, pediatric nephrology, and obesity medicine with the community. He first learned about plant-based eating in 2014. Changes in his own eating yielded great results. He earned a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies (CNS) and eCornell in 2016. Dr. Ettinger enjoys being a moderator of the Whole Communities online plant-based forum for CNS. He also gets immense satisfaction from helping families change course to a healthier path in his practice.

Livia Foo

Livia Foo is passionate about shaping work culture, professional development and deepening employee engagement. She has worked in strategy, human resources and finance at non-profits, start-ups and Fortune 100 companies. Livia has been eating and happily cooking whole food, plant-based since 2020. She completed the Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate through T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell. She also completed the 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training. She enjoys hiking and traveling, using her passport as much as possible. Livia holds an MBA from the University of Rochester and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan.

Chef Robert Graham, MD, MPH

FRESH Medicine

Chef Dr. Rob Graham is the co-founder of FRESH Medicine, an integrative health and wellness center in NYC. Dr. Graham is a Harvard-trained physician, board certified in both Internal and Integrative Medicine. He received his medical degree from the School of Medicine at Stony Brook and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital. He earned a Masters of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health while completing fellowships in General Internal Medicine, Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, and Medical Education at Harvard Medical School. He obtained his culinary degree from the Natural Gourmet Institute.

Anupama Gupta, MD, DipABLM

AG Wellness

Dr. Anu Gupta is a certified Lifestyle Medicine physician with expertise in gastrointestinal and gynecological health. She completed her residency in anatomic and clinical pathology followed by a fellowship in cytopathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and a gastrointestinal pathology fellowship at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York. In her over two decades of practice, Dr. Gupta specialized in gut diseases like Barrett’s esophagus, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, preneoplastic/neoplastic conditions of the GI tract. Her expertise in gynecological health includes menstrual/hormonal disorders, uterine/cervical pathology including preneoplastic/neoplastic conditions among others. Dr. Gupta is a diplomate of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and a member of the Institute of Functional Medicine. Her understanding of the body’s reaction at a cellular level to the lifestyle choices we make gives her a unique perspective on the health-to-disease spectrum. Her role as a lifestyle/health coach focuses on prevention and possible reversal of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, and others by addressing the six pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.

Caryn Hartglass

Responsible Eating And Living

Caryn is co-founder of Responsible Eating And Living (REAL) and host of the It’s All About Food podcast since 2009. Caryn is a contributing author to 25 Women Who Survived Cancer: Notable Women Share Inspiring Stories of Hope. She has co-directed nutrition programs at the Food Revolution Network and edited the Food Revolution Family Cookbook. With degrees in Chemical Engineering from Bucknell University, she worked in the semiconductor industry for 20 years. A classically-trained singer, she performs in opera and musicals in the United States and abroad and has won two international voice competitions in France and South Africa.

Facebook: @chartglass
Instagram: @carynhartglass

Elizabeth P. Helzner, PhD, MS

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, School of Public Health

Dr. Elizabeth Helzner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at SUNY Downstate’s School of Public Health. Dr. Helzner is an experienced epidemiologist with expertise in population-based studies of chronic disease outcomes. She is one of the founders and Vice-Chair of SUNY Downstate’s Committee on Plant-Based Health & Nutrition and has spearheaded both academic and public-facing educational programming regarding the role of nutrition in disease prevention and treatment. Dr. Helzner also leads public health education efforts for multidisciplinary interventions targeting older adults in Central Brooklyn, and she has developed and implemented community education conferences targeting diabetes prevention and treatment.

Allen Hsu, DO

VNS Health

Dr. Allen Hsu is board certified in Family Medicine and Hospice/Palliative Care Medicine. He has a special interest in health and wellness rooted in lifelong lifestyle changes that use evidence-based practices aligning with deep contemplative practices. Dr. Hsu believes that a healthy lifestyle is more about who you are, not just what you do.

Rev. Marilyn Jackson

Unity of Brooklyn / Unity Worldwide Ministries

Rev. Marilyn Jackson is an Ordained New Thought Minister, serving the Unity Worldwide Movement as Senior Minister/Spiritual Leader of Unity of Brooklyn, a positive path for spiritual living. Throughout 26 years of ministry, she has served as President and Vice President of the Eastern Region of Unity Worldwide Ministries (supporting approximately 100 ministries), Affiliate Minister, Hospital Chaplain, and Itinerant Minister. Rev. Marilyn is a Transformational Coach, Keynote Speaker and creator of “A Women’s Worth” workshops. Her studies span Brooklyn College, Union Theological Seminary, Unity Institute, Universal Foundation for Better Living, Science of Mind, Princeton University, and Howard University. Her plant-based journey began in 2014, and in 2018 she became a member of Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams’ Clergy Healthy Lifestyle Challenge. She enjoys supporting congregants in healthy lifestyle choices, particularly clean plant based eating. Rev. Marilyn believes that we co-create the quality of our life’s journey, in accordance with what we feed our mind and what we feed our body.

Cathy Katin-Grazzi

Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription

Cathy Katin-Grazzini is a sustainable chef and author of Love the Foods that Love the Planet: Recipes to Cool the Climate and Excite the Senses (HCI Books, 2024) and Love the Foods that Love You Back: Clean, Healthy, Vegan Recipes for Everyone (Rizzoli, 2022), both photographed by Giordano Katin-Grazzini.

In addition to developing healthy, climate friendly recipes from around the world, Cathy is a culinary instructor, teaches about the environmental and nutritional impacts of our food choices, and helps people take steps towards a greener, healthier lifestyle. Cathy manages her food blog, cathyskitchenprescription.com, and since 2015, has offered cooking classes, lifestyle counseling, and run corporate employee wellness programs. From 2017-2022 Cathy was Food Editor for VEGWORLD Magazine.

In 2024 Cathy attended Climate Reality Leadership Corp’s NYC Training program. She and her husband live in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Jessica J. Krant, MD, MPH

SUNY Downstate Medical Center

Dr. Jessica Krant is a board-certified medical and cosmetic dermatologist as well as a Lifestyle Medicine physician certified by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Having graduated with high honors from Harvard and Columbia, where she also obtained her Master’s Degree in Public Health, she currently sees patients in private practice in Manhattan and teaches dermatology residents at SUNY Downstate Medical Center as an Assistant Clinical Professor. Dr. Krant loves to talk about and teach all of the ways that our lifestyle choices affect our health from the inside out and the outside in, and how living healthy keeps us resilient and not only looking young, but feeling young too.

Jonathan S. Leibowitz, MD, DipABLM

Rendr Doctors

After completing his internal medicine and nephrology training at Mt. Sinai Hospital in 1998, Dr. Jonathan Leibowitz embarked on a career dedicated to caring for patients with end-stage renal disease. However, he soon recognized a disheartening truth: the vast majority of ESRD cases could have been prevented through lifestyle changes. Frustrated by the prevailing focus on treating the advanced stage of the disease and the perpetuation of new cases, Dr. Leibowitz decided to step away from the dialysis world. He embraced a new mission: one that involved not only educating patients about the real consequences of their condition but also guiding them towards a path of improvement through lifestyle changes. Currently, Dr. Leibowitz holds triple board certification in Internal Medicine, Nephrology, and Lifestyle Medicine. His practice is located in Brooklyn, where he skillfully incorporates a unique and multidimensional blend of his expertise and personal experiences. In addition to his clinical practice, he assumes the role of Regional Medical Director at Rendr, a prominent multi-specialty practice that specializes in serving the underserved Asian community in NYC. Furthermore, Dr. Leibowitz contributes his expertise as a board member of Everbeat, a pioneering medical device company committed to detecting and preventing heart disease.

Lauren Budd Levy, MS, RDN, CSR

Happy Health Nutrition

Lauren Budd Levy is the Owner and Founder of Happy Health Nutrition, a virtual insurance-based nutrition private practice specializing in plant-based eating patterns to treat chronic disease. Lauren specializes in kidney health and enjoys helping her clients understand how a plant-based diet helps manage their health and is delicious! Lauren has her Masters Degree in Nutritional Biology and is a Certified Specialist in Renal Nutrition.

Constance Li, DO

Just My Doc

Dr. Constance Li is a board-certified physician of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, licensed in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. She completed her residency training at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and received her medical degree from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Li has been a speaker on the topic of plant-based nutrition and has a particular interest in medical cannabis. In her personal time, she enjoys gardening and caring for her two cats.

Meredith Liss, MA, RD, CDN, CDCES

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Meredith Liss is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist with a master’s degree in applied physiology and over 25 years nutrition counseling experience, inspiring and guiding clients to live the healthiest version of themselves. As an advocate of a whole food, plant-based lifestyle, Meredith helps clients not only manage but prevent chronic disease. Meredith is a senior level dietitian at New York Presbyterian Hospital, received a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Penn State University, and received her master’s degree from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Meredith is an exercise enthusiast, committed to healthy living and proudly completed five half-marathons.

Caroline Lucille Le Roux, DO

Dr. Hartridge General Practitioner PLLC

Dr. Hartridge is a doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, licensed as a general practitioner in New York and Georgia. She completed her internship in a Family Medicine program at Brookhaven Memorial Hospital in Patchogue, NY, and studied Osteopathic Medicine and Public Health at Touro University California and Environmental Education at Davidson College in North Carolina. She focuses on osteopathic manipulative medicine, plant-based nutrition counseling, and medical cannabis recommendations. Dr. Hartridge participates on the board of several non-profits: You Can Thrive, which provides supportive services for breast cancer patients, and Veteran’s Ananda, a hemp farm and homestead for PTSD.

Melinda Sue Mann, MD, FACOG, DipABLM

Maimonides Medical Center

Dr. Melinda Mann is an obstetrician/gynecologist. In December 2018, she became plant-based (overnight) after reading Dr. Garth Davis’ book Proteinaholic. She lost 50 pounds without trying and for the first time in her life kept the weight off. She remains inspired and is taking steps to bring this lifestyle to her patients, many of whom eat kosher food. (Even plant-based foods must be certified as kosher.) Dr. Mann is beginning a program to educate her patients about the human microbiome to motivate them to try whole food, plant-based nutrition. She is specifically helping newly-pregnant women to understand how their food choices will affect the next generation.

Veronica McLymont, PhD, RDN, CDN

Nutrition and Wellness Consultant

Dr. Veronica McLymont holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership, MS in Nutrition, and BA in Foods and Nutrition. She is an RDN, CDN, Certified Professional Life Coach, Certified Wellness Counseling Coach, President of Possibilities and Potential Coaching Consulting, former Nutrition Adjunct Professor at Hunter College, board member and Past President of Association for Healthcare Foodservice NY. She formerly served as the Director of Food and Nutrition at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and is the author of Embrace Your Best Self…Fabulous and Healthy After 50.

Dr. McLymont’s awards include:
25 Most Influential Black Women in Business
Top Women in Metro New York Foodservice and Hospitality
Isabelle Hallahan Award, Excellence Foodservice Management
Excellence Management Practice
Exemplary Leadership

Gia Merlo, MD, MBA, MEd, DipABLM, FACLM

New York University, NYU Grossman School of Medicine

Dr. Gia Merlo is a clinical professor of psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, associate editor of the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, founding chair of the Lifestyle Psychiatry Caucus of the American Psychiatric Association, and a fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. She sees patients at the Psychiatry Faculty Group Practice at NYU Langone Health. Before joining NYU, Dr. Merlo was associate dean of health professions at Rice University. She has served on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Rice University, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles, multiple book chapters, and four academic books for healthcare professionals with Oxford University Press and Taylor & Francis. In May 2024, she released Restack, a book geared for a general audience that combines scientific lifestyle interventions with personal insights, offering practical strategies and self-help prescriptions to enhance both mental and physical health. Dr. Merlo serves on PPMNY’s Medical Advisory Board. She has been involved in clinician care and medical education for nearly 30 years in professional development and mental health, particularly of healthcare professionals.

Louise Merriman, MS, RD, CDN

Nutrition Consultant

Louise Merriman, MS, RD, CDN, is a Registered Dietitian with over 40 years of administrative healthcare experience. She currently serves as a consultant in the healthcare industry. Prior to this, Louise served as the Administrative Director of Clinical Nutrition at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. Louise has also held clinical and administrative positions at Geisinger Medical Center, University of Michigan Hospitals and the management company Hospital Dietary Services, Inc. She also serves as a member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and New York University Dietetic Internship Advisory Boards. Louise is a professional member of the New York State Board for Dietetics and Nutrition and formerly served on the Board of Directors for Plant Powered Metro New York. A passionate advocate for the best and safest care of patients and the profession of dietetics, Louise has advanced interprofessional patient-centered programs in many arenas including the use of the whole food, plant-based diet in the treatment and prevention of disease and the early identification, documentation, and treatment of malnourished patients. Louise completed a BS at the University of Michigan; Dietetic Internship and Nutrition Fellowship at St. Mary’s Hospital and The Mayo Clinic; and MS at the University of Minnesota.

Victoria Moran

Main Street Vegan and the Compassion Consortium

Fully plant-based since 1983, Victoria Moran was listed among VegNews magazine’s “Top 10 Living Vegetarian Authors,” voted PETA’s “Sexiest Vegan Over 50” in 2016, and featured twice on Oprah. A certified Holistic Health Coach (AADP) and graduate of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies certificate program, Victoria is an obesity survivor and has written thirteen books, including the iconic Main Street Vegan and the weight loss classic The Love-Powered Diet. She hosts the award-winning Main Street Vegan podcast; produced the 2019 documentary, A Prayer for Compassion; and is director of Main Street Vegan Academy, training and certifying Vegan Lifestyle Coaches and Educators.

Angel Moreno

Caravan of Dreams

Angel Moreno, an East Village pioneer, opened Caravan of Dreams more than three decades ago as the first organic vegan restaurant, when few knew about organic or vegan food. His passion is to bring healing through food and music. He turned the back room of the restaurant into a space for educational programs for health, healing, and happiness. Through the years, all the leaders of the healthy food world have passed through Caravan, from David Wolfe to Robert Young, David Jubb, Brian Clement, Gabriel Cousens or Victoria Boutenko, to name a few. A native of Spain, Angel started his career in health and nutrition in Madrid but also founded some of the most iconic cultural spaces of the so-called “Movida Madrileña,” like “Libertad 8” o “La Vaquería.” This last one was recognized in 2019 at the Queen Sofia Museum of Madrid, where the façade was reproduced as part of an exhibition on the transition to democracy.

Karin Ouchida, MD

Weill Cornell Medicine

Dr. Karin Ouchida is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in Human Biology and the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, she completed her internal medicine and geriatrics fellowship training at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. She is a practicing geriatrician providing both primary and consultative care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. She is committed to helping patients and their caregivers learn more about plant-based nutrition as part of a holistic, person-centered approach to treating chronic conditions, reducing polypharmacy, and enhancing well-being.

Aisha Parillon, LMSW

JASA

Aisha Parillon is the Senior Director of Older Adult Centers, formerly known as Senior Centers, at JASA which is a private not-for-profit that offers a range of services to older New Yorkers from Centers to Elder Abuse, Housing, and Homecare. Aisha has been a social worker in the field of aging for 20 years and has seen a range of health in her clients, from the chronically ill and frail to energetic and actively-engaged older adults, which has led her to investigate different methods of aging gracefully. After reading “Heal Thyself” by Queen Afua over 20 years ago, she began eating a vegetarian diet and continued to seek information about natural ways to improve one’s health and wellness. Her continued thirst for knowledge on the body’s ability to heal itself led her to whole food, plant-based nutrition. Aisha is a major advocate for the lifestyle and continues to educate others as she improves her own knowledge base and health.

Krisann Polito-Moller

NYC Health + Hospitals

Krisann Polito-Moller is a board-certified Health and Wellness Coach working for NYC Health + Hospitals. She guides patients using plant-based nutrition, exercise, stress management, and sleep hygiene as lifestyle modifications to decrease chronic diseases within many different populations. Krisann has a passion for fitness as a certified Yoga Therapist, Fitness Trainer, and Group Fitness Instructor. She has completed a Plant-Based Nutrition certificate from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and Rouxbe’s Forks Over Knives cooking course. Krisann has helped many transition to a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle through hands-on demonstrations and cooking, meal prep and planning, fitness, yoga, and more. She is continually in awe of the human spirit and patients’ self-efficacy and empowerment in search of better health and wellness.

Diego Ponieman, MD, MPH

Metropolis Medical PC

Dr. Diego Ponieman was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he completed medical school at the University of Buenos Aires. He completed his internship and residency at Albert Einstein/Montefiore Medical Center in NYC. He later completed an academic fellowship in General Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Ponieman continues to use nutrition and lifestyle changes as a strong therapeutic intervention. He previously served as the Chief Medical Officer of SOMOS Community Care, working with underserved communities through local clinics in order to create a food oasis with the hope of transforming these food deserts into healthier neighborhoods. Dr. Ponieman also worked for the VA Health System in El Paso, TX.

Evan Queler, MD

Tru Whole Care

Dr. Evan Queler is a fellowship-trained medical doctor and double board-certified Physiatrist, with expertise in Regenerative Pain & Lifestyle Medicine. He infuses his prescriptions with whole plant food nutrition. Additionally, Dr. Queler is certified in medical acupuncture and is a certified instructor of Power Yoga. He is passionate about helping his patients eliminate pain and optimize their mobility, function, health, and overall quality of life. He has collaborated with Plant Powered Metro New York on their 21-Day Jumpstart programs.

Shilpa Ravella, MD

Columbia University Medical Center

Dr. Shilpa Ravella is a gastroenterologist and author with expertise in nutrition. A Silent Fire: The Story of Inflammation, Diet & Disease (October 11, 2022, W.W. Norton) is her first book. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, New York Magazine, Slate, Discover and USA Today, among other publications, and she has appeared as an expert on ABC’s Good Morning America and in print media outlets including Forbes, Cosmopolitan, Food and Wine, Glamour and Women’s Health. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center.

Suzanne Reuter, RPAC, DipACLM

Premise Health

Suzanne Reuter is a physician assistant who is board certified in Lifestyle Medicine and works in corporate medicine for Premise Health. She has built and runs multiple eight-week lifestyle change programs with her corporate clientele.

Karla Rodriguez, DNP, RN, CNE, DipACLM

New York University

Karla Rodriguez is a Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing. She has been a Registered Nurse since 1999, with experience in the medical-surgical specialty for adults and children. Karla thoroughly enjoys working with both demographics and their transition back into the community after hospitalization. Her nursing doctorate was focused on population health. She has always been interested in nutrition and the negative impacts of the food industry’s influence on how we eat. Karla has been a vegan for over eight years. She became more interested in whole food, plant-based nutrition because it just makes sense to consume foods in its most natural form. Karla received a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies in March 2020.

Richard M. Rosenfeld, MD, MPH, MBA, DipABLM

American College of Lifestyle Medicine and SUNY Downstate Medical Center

Dr. Richard Rosenfeld is a Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, and Throat) at SUNY Downstate, where he founded the Committee for Plant-based Health and Nutrition and is faculty advisor to medical students for the Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group and the Downstate Initiative for Nutrition Empowerment. He is the Director of Guidelines and Quality for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and is a Board Member of the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Rosenfeld follows a whole food, plant-based diet, runs marathons, and enjoys regular weight training. He has been listed as one of America’s Top Doctors for more than 20 years by Castle Connolly.

Lillie Rosenthal, DO

An expert in personalized lifestyle management with a focus on injury prevention, pain management, health optimization, peak performance, and healthy aging, Dr. Lillie Rosenthal is a physician in private practice in New York City. She is a board certified specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Rosenthal sees a variety of patients in her Manhattan practice, including world-renowned musicians, dancers, choreographers, and writers, as well as marathon runners and other athletes, and treats such conditions as back pain, tendonitis, and repetitive stress disorders. She is also a consulting physician for the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Metropolitan Opera, MTV Video Music Awards, and several Broadway productions and is, herself, a dancer and a marathon runner.

Dr. Rosenthal’s media experience includes national television appearances on “The Dr. Oz Show”, and she has been featured as an author and expert source in a number of publications, including U.S. News & World Report, the New York Times, The Huffington Post, and Consumer Reports. Dr. Rosenthal is an author, educator, and media spokesperson for the American Osteopathic Association. She is a member of the medical advisory boards of MedShadow, Plant Powered Metro New York, the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, as well a Council of Directors member of True Health Initiative.

She is a corporate health consultant and medical expert. Dr. Rosenthal is the host and co-founder of the podcast “Power to the Patient” and is proficient in Spanish.

Karla Salinari

Community Advisor

Karla Salinari is a Certified Holistic Health Coach who specializes in a plant-based lifestyle. Karla uses a highly individualized approach that yields transformative, long-lasting habits through one-on-one private coaching and as a member of Next Level Urgent Care Houston’s telehealth team. Her popular Instagram account @TheLatinaHealthCoach inspires others to reconnect with their favorite cultural dishes with plant-based ingredients. Author of Abuela’s Plant-Based Kitchen (Simon & Schuster, April 2023), Karla is also a frequent TV guest expert on Telemundo and NBC. Karla earned a certification in Holistic Nutrition from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City. Raised in Miami & Puerto Rico, she now lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.

Tanyka Sam, MD, MPH

Tanyka Sam, MD, MPH, MACM is a primary care doctor in the Brooklyn area with over a decade of experience in the field. She trained in internal medicine at SUNY at Buffalo followed by fellowship training at Johns Hopkins and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has additional certification in the health-supportive culinary arts from the Natural Gourmet Institute. Her healthcare mission is threefold: to assist individuals in re-aligning their lifestyle with their life values; empower people to regain, optimize and sustain health and well-being; and co-labor with like-minded partners to create health-supportive, self-sufficient and thriving communities.

Jeffrey A. Schrager, MD

LabCorp Oncology

Dr. Jeff Schrager graduated from Dartmouth Medical School in 1990, conducted HIV research, and completed a residency in anatomic pathology and a fellowship in hematopathology at the National Cancer Institute. With his personal interest in keeping fit and eating healthfully, he discovered the growing movement of lifestyle medicine in 2012. As a member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, he has learned how behaviors greatly impact health and began teaching and inspiring co-workers, friends, and family to lead healthier lives, a role not typically enjoyed by pathologists. He believes the consequences of inaction are too dangerous and that changes in public policies and medical school curricula and demand from healthcare consumers will be needed to catapult lifestyle medicine to the foreground to decrease the burden of chronic diseases and improve quality of life.

Urvi A. Shah, MD

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Dr. Urvi Shah is a faculty in the division of hematologic malignancies at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Her research focuses on studying the role of nutrition and the microbiome in the development of cancer, as well as identifying interventions to improve outcomes for these patients. She conducts multiple dietary interventional trials in cancer and precancer.

Being a cancer (Hodgkin lymphoma) survivor herself, she is passionate about helping patients make wise nutritional and lifestyle choices as they face a cancer diagnosis as well as raising awareness about healthy choices to prevent cancer and chronic disease.

Claudine Smith, MD, MPH

CVS/Oak Street Health

Being exposed at an early age to how diet could treat illness in her family, Claudine Smith, MD, MPH, was interested in diet and lifestyle as a means to prevent and manage chronic disease. She is a family medicine physician who is championing lifestyle medicine as one of the most promising management tools to date to help ease the disease burdens of chronic illness on patients and society as a whole. She brings experience with faith-based health leadership in her local congregation with health promotions, health fairs, and wellness awareness walks. Dr. Smith has conducted direct health instruction on various aspects of behavior, diet, and exercise in managing health. She joined the Plant Powered Metro New York team to broaden her reach in helping communities and hence the nation in achieving better health.

Dr. Deborah Teplow

Institute for Wellness Education & Be Your Own Best Coach

Dr. Deborah Teplow’s expertise is in the art of caring conversation that fosters behavior change and the science of behavior design. Through the Institute for Wellness Education, she trains staff in public health and social service agencies to engage community members in lasting, positive behavior change. She earned her doctorate from Stanford University and is certified as a Tiny Habits® Coach by BJ Fogg, Director, Stanford Behavior Design Lab and currently is a member of the TIny Habits Research Lab. Deborah also has extensive training in solution-focused brief therapy and recently graduated from SAMHSA’s Faith Leadership Academy to help faith communities address substance use disorder. Dr. Teplow has eaten a whole food, plant-based diet for over 40 years and has a hard time not eating an entire pound of sautéed Brussels sprouts in one sitting.

Naa-Solo Tettey, EdD, MPH, MCHES

HeartSmarts/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Dr. Naa-Solo Tettey is a distinguished public health professional, educator, and advocate with over two decades of expertise in community health education. She is a Professor of Public Health and the Founder and Director of HeartSmarts, a faith-based cardiovascular health education program at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. HeartSmarts is dedicated to reducing cardiovascular health disparities by empowering participants to adopt healthier lifestyles, including a plant-based diet.

A recognized leader in faith-based health education, lifestyle medicine, and food justice, Dr. Tettey has been featured in The New York Times, ABC News, and The Harlem Times. She holds a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Health Education from Columbia University, as well as a Master of Public Health (MPH), a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and a Master’s in Clinical Psychology. She is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES®), Certified in Public Health (CPH), and an American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Certified Wellness Coach.

Dr. Tettey is also a Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Food for Life Instructor and a graduate of the Plant-Based Nutrition Certification program through the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and eCornell. Her innovative research and public health initiatives focus on eliminating health disparities through community engagement, social media, and culturally adapted wellness programs.

Her contributions to public health have earned her prestigious awards, including a Diversity Fellowship from the State University of New York and a Minority Scholar Award from Teachers College, Columbia University. Based in New York City, she is a sought-after speaker nationwide, addressing topics such as cardiovascular health, health disparities, lifestyle medicine, food justice, and faith-based health interventions.

Keyur Thakar, MD, MPH

Northwell Health Cancer Institute

Dr. Keyur Thakar is a board-certified Medical Oncologist and Hematologist practicing in Westchester County, NY. He developed a keen interest in plant-based nutrition since he started his own dietary journey in 2020 and had firsthand experience of its benefits. Dr. Thakar believes a significant number of illnesses are linked to what we eat, and he seeks to share the knowledge and offer advice to his patients, his community, and hopefully our nation and the world. He recognizes that food is having a similar impact on human health as smoking once did, if not worse, as it is affecting even young children; it is addicting and potentially responsible for many health problems including cancers. Dr. Thakar believes it is imperative for healthcare professionals to spread information about healthy food habits and tackle this problem for the betterment of humanity, other species, and the planet.

Eloísa Trinidad

Chilis on Wheels

Eloísa Trinidad is an award-winning policy advocate, liberation activist, educator, and artist. She is the Executive Director at Chilis on Wheels and founder of Vegan Activist Alliance, where she works to make climate-friendly food accessible to communities in need and centers Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and campesino knowledge to guide multispecies justice and planetary well-being. Eloísa approaches liberation praxis and the triple planetary crisis with an anti-colonial and re-indigenizing framework to raise awareness of how Western colonization has affected and continues to impact the plight of humans and beyond-human persons, our relationship with each other and the natural world. Through this lens, she works with national and international coalitions and organizations as an advisor to develop community-centered strategies and policies to transcend poverty, mitigate climate breakdown, and transform our food system. Previously, she worked at The Economist Feeding the Future Campaign. Her favorite food is fruit, and her work has been featured on NBC, Civil Eats, Curbed, Salud America!, VegNews, and Common Dreams.

Tarun Wasil, MD

New York Cancer and Blood Specialists

Dr. Tarun Wasil is a practicing Medical Oncologist and Hematologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Hofstra with immense experience in many different diseases. He loves immunology, immunotherapy, biology of cancer, and the impact of lifestyle modifications on disease states. A native of India, Dr. Wasil began his medical career at Government Medical College and then completed residencies in surgery and emergency medicine, pathology, and microbiology, and served as Resident Medical Officer and Medical Officer. Before coming to the United States, Dr. Wasil continued his education in Canada, completing an observership in Neurology, Emergency, and Family Medicine. Dr. Wasil completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Flushing Hospital Medical Center, serving as Chief Resident, and his Hematology and Oncology Fellowship at North Shore University Hospital and NYU School of Medicine.

Dr. Wasil served as a clinical investigator for the Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Research Consortium and the Cancer & Leukemia Group B and Community for Clinical Oncology Program (CCOP) for clinical trials. He is trying to learn something new everyday and find a place where he can make a difference. He enjoys patient care, community outreach programs, speaking programs, and boards.

Natasha E. Wehrli, MD

Weill Cornell Medicine / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Dr. Natasha Wehrli is a board-certified radiologist specializing in Body Imaging. She is an Assistant Professor of Radiology at Weill Cornell Medical College and Assistant Attending Radiologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. She serves as the Director of the Body Imaging Fellowship and is a member of the Cornell Radiology Residency Education Committee. She was awarded her MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 2007. Her research interests include advanced MR imaging of the bowel, prostate, and liver, ultrasound elastography, and PET/MRI for evaluation of prostate cancer. Her non-radiology research interests include the role of dietary factors in the development of common disease processes and the benefits of plant-based nutrition in restoring a healthy gut microbiome and in treating and reversing chronic disease.

Ron Weiss, MD

Ethos Primary Care

Dr. Ron Weiss is board certified in Internal and Lifestyle Medicine and is Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He is the founder of Ethos Farm to Health and practices primary care in New Jersey and New York.

Hooman Yaghoobzadeh, MD, FACC

Weill Cornell Medicine / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Dr. Hooman Yaghoobzadeh is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. After graduating from Cornell University and then University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, he completed an Internal Medicine residency and Cardiology fellowship and was selected as Chief Medical Resident at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. He practices internal medicine and cardiology in Manhattan. His dedication to excellence has been highlighted by his peers through numerous awards including the “Voluntary Attending of the Year,“ a Teaching Excellence Award, Castle Connolly’s Top Doctors as well as New York Magazine’s Best Doctors several years running. He has been featured on the NBC Today Show, CBS Evening News, and multiple radio talk shows.

Craig H. Zalvan, MD, FACS

ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP

Dr. Craig Zalvan is the Medical Director at the Institute for Voice and Swallowing Disorders and Chief of Otolaryngology at Phelps Hospital, Northwell Health in Sleepy Hollow, New York. He is a Professor of Otolaryngology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and a partner at ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP in New York. Dr. Zalvan specializes in Adult and Pediatric Voice and Swallowing Disorders, Professional voice disorders, Vocal Fold Paralysis, Spasmodic Dysphonia, Neurolaryngology, Laryngopharyngeal Reflux, the Aging Voice, Zenker’s Diverticulum, Laryngeal Cancer, and Chronic Cough. Dr. Zalvan has published and lectured nationally and internationally on these topics. Dr. Zalvan has a special focus on treating reflux disease with a mostly plant-based, Mediterranean-style diet with publications in JAMA and Laryngoscope highlighting the improvement in results over medications with the additional health benefits of preventing and reversing many chronic diseases. His book, Laryngopharyngeal and Gastroesophageal Reflux: A Comprehensive Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Diet-Based Approaches, is the first to combine both fields and a diet-based approach to reflux treatment.

Jessica Zwerling, MD, MS, FAAN

Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Dr. Jessica Zwerling is Professor of Neurology Director, Montefiore Hudson Valley Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease (CEAD). She has a clinical focus on identifying risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia, as well as factors that promote successful aging, with particular attention on underserved, marginalized, and vulnerable populations. Her research focuses on optimizing healthcare delivery systems and promoting healthy equity. Dr. Zwerling’s work has been published in many peer-reviewed journals and has been shared at national and international invited conferences. She has developed the clinical and didactic programs used to enhance health professionals’ capacity to screen, diagnose, and develop personalized plans of care for patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias for the Montefiore Health System. She also is a nationally recognized expert in aging/dementia and serves as an adviser on multiple panels related to diversity in the workforce and recruitment of diverse populations in neurodegenerative disease clinical trials. In addition, Dr. Zwerling has pioneered the age-friendly initiatives at her health system and certified her Center of Excellence with the highest age-friendly recognition. She is part of the founding faculty for the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee in Montefiore Neurology. Dr. Zwerling is board-certified in neurology as well as the subspecialty of neuromuscular medicine by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is a member of the American Geriatrics Society and the American Academy of Neurology. Additionally, she has been named “2020 Health Care Hero” by the Westchester magazine, and was named one of the New York Super Doctors in The New York Times from 2016 to 2023. She has also been appointed to the Physician Leaders Program at Montefiore Health System.