Food for Life Summer Seminar: Presenters

Neal D. Barnard, M.D., PCRM President

Dr. Barnard is a nutrition researcher, author, and health advocate. As an adjunct associate professor of medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine, Dr. Barnard conducts studies on the role of nutrition in diabetes, obesity, and lipid management, among other health issues. His recent clinical trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health, established the value of a novel dietary program for type 2 diabetes and set a new standard for dietary approaches to this increasingly common condition.

Dr. Barnard’s articles have appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the American Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Scientific American, the American Journal of Cardiology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Lancet Oncology, Preventive Medicine, and many other scientific and medical journals. Dr. Barnard is the editor-in-chief of the Nutrition Guide for Clinicians and the author of more than a dozen books for lay audiences.

In 1985, Dr. Barnard established the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit organization advocating for preventive medicine and higher ethical standards in research. He later established The Cancer Project, a nonprofit organization providing nutritional services for cancer patients and survivors and public education geared toward prevention, and the Washington Center for Clinical Research, an organization dedicated to studies of diet and health.

Caroline Trapp, M.S.N., A.P.R.N., B.C.-ADM, C.D.E., PCRM Director of Diabetes Education and Care

Ms. Trapp is also a nurse practitioner specializing in the care of people with diabetes at Premier Internists, a Division of the Millennium Medical Group, P.C., in Southfield, Mich.  Ms. Trapp manages a variety of diabetes prevention and reversal initiatives, including the development and distribution of resources for consumers and health care providers. She creates continuing medical education programs and patient education materials for health care professionals. Ms. Trapp gives presentations and lectures on clinical practice and the effect of dietary changes on diabetes to universities, nursing conferences, and various health care associations. In honor of her outstanding work, Ms. Trapp was named Diabetes Advocate of the Year by the American Diabetes Association in 2001.

Susan Levin, M.S., R.D., PCRM Director of Nutrition Education

Ms. Levin specializes in nutrition for prevention and survival of disease. She has published papers in peer reviewed journals and has lectured at conferences on the subject of diet related diseases, prevention of those diseases, and survival.

Joseph Gonzales, R.D., L.D., PCRM Staff Dietitian

Mr. Gonzales is establishing validated dietary guidelines for cancer prevention and survival based on the latest research in nutrition and preventive medicine. He is also conducting a study on the effectiveness of The Cancer Project’s nutrition and cooking classes by observing lifestyle and dietary changes among class participants.

Jennifer Reilly, R.D., L.D.

Ms. Reilly is the original managing director of The Cancer Project, a PCRM program dedicated to advancing cancer prevention and survival through nutrition education and research. While at The Cancer Project, she developed the Food for Life Nutrition & Cooking Class Series for Cancer Prevention and Survival, which focuses on cancer-related nutrition topics and corresponding cooking demonstrations. The Food for Life series is now taught in over 30 states nationwide. Ms. Reilly co-authored The Cancer Survivor’s Guide: Foods that Help You Fight Back with Dr. Neal Barnard, and was on the expert panel for the Healthy Eating for Life book series focusing on nutrition for cancer, diabetes, children, and women’s health. Ms. Reilly has most recently been providing individual nutrition counseling, teaching group nutrition sessions and cooking classes, and organizing various educational activities at Discovery Communications, Inc. and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and she just finished writing a book for Trader Joe’s called Cooking with Trader Joe’s Cookbook: Skinny Dish!, which was released in October 2011.