Translating Nutrition Research into Community Education: A Workshop for Implementing Diet-Related Chronic Disease Curricula

Food for Life Training: 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.

Dawnyel Pryor, PCRM Director of Educational Programs and Marketing

Ms. Pryor manages the Food for Life Nutrition and Cooking Class program, supervising 85 instructors teaching 1,300 classes across the United States in 150 cities.  Ms. Pryor also manages the marketing of the organization’s continuing education events and The Cancer Project’s and diabetes initiative’s programs, products, and services.

Ms. Pryor’s previous work includes four years with the American Institute for Cancer Research where she was an education associate focused on managing and promoting the organization’s nutrition educational events. Before, she was the program associate of the Education and Youth Development Division at Children's Defense Fund focused on advocating for youth gun violence prevention and for juvenile justice. Ms. Pryor is the founder and chair of the District of Columbia Junior Advisory Committee of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance and the Ovarian & Gynecological Cancer Coalition/Rhonda’s Club. She also sits on the board of directors of the Ovarian & Gynecological Cancer Coalition/Rhonda’s Club. Ms. Pryor has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Howard University.

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.

Katherine Lawrence, Food for Life Instructor

Ms. Lawrence became a Food for Life instructor following a serious medical prognosis that prompted her to change her diet. Through studying nutrition and the effects of food on the body, she was able to heal herself within months and has been helping family and friends achieve greater health ever since. She has taught more than 3,000 Food for Life students in Texas.  Ms. Lawrence is also an instructor for the T. Colin Campbell Foundation's certificate program in Plant-Based Nutrition through Cornell University. 

Wendy Manfredi, Vitamix Marketing Programs Manager

Ms. Manfredi has been thoroughly trained on using Vitamix equipment to prepare healthful, whole-food meals quickly and easily.  She has been involved in recipe testing and training with Vitamix for more than 12 years and is comfortable and qualified to instruct others on how to use the equipment to prepare a variety of low-fat, vegan recipes including whole-fruit smoothies, vegetable soups, fresh-fruit sorbets, nut butters and nut milks.  Wendy has also provided content for cookbooks, brochures and recipe books for many years and has worked with several outside laboratories on nutrition research for Vitamix.

Ana Perez, Saladmaster Marketing Administrative Assistant

Ms. Perez has worked closely with PCRM as a part of Saladmaster’s sponsorship since 2010. She has been involved as a presenter in past training courses and helps to answer the How? of low-fat, plant-based cooking by teaching people how to prepare healthy and delicious meals, using the right equipment and techniques. Ms. Perez is also involved in the development of a new recipe website that will feature a section dedicated to nutritional cooking and healthy living without giving up on taste.

Ms. Perez holds a Bachelor of Science degree with a double concentration in marketing and finance from Boston College Carroll School of Management.

Jeanne Stuart McVey, PCRM Media Relations Manager

Ms. McVey has been teaching media skills to PCRM staff and consultants for 10 years. She deals directly with television, print, and radio in her everyday work and is familiar with what each is looking for in a story and/or interview.

Dania DePas, PCRM Communication Coordinator

Ms. DePas works in media relations at PCRM, making sure our nutrition and research initiatives are in the forefront of the media.

With a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, Ms. DePas is trained as an on-air talent. She has been in infomercials and provided voiceovers for projects with the History Channel and others. She also has experience in public speaking and taught public speaking and business communication courses as an adjunct professor at East Carolina University.

Ms. DePas is very interested in nutrition and completed the Food for Life instructor training in 2010. Plant-based nutrition has been important to her since she was about six years old and decided to become vegetarian and then vegan. She holds a Master of Arts in health communication. Her research surrounded the topic of promoting a plant-based diet using communication theories of persuasion.

Ms. DePas is happy to help promote your Food for Life courses to your local media. Please feel free to contact her at ddepas@pcrm.org or 202-527-7382.