Experts

Neal D. Barnard, M.D.

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PCRM president and founder. Nutrition researcher. Author of 14 books and many scientific articles on nutrition and health. Directs numerous innovative campaigns to promote healthy eating. Rigorous opponent of unethical research practices. Spearheaded PCRM's lawsuit against the U.S. government's unethical experiments giving healthy short children a genetically engineered growth hormone. Advocate for higher standards in human research and for alternatives to animal research.

Thomas J. Barnard, M.D.
Nutrition researcher and adjunct professor of Human Biology and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph, Canada. Practices family medicine, emergency medicine, and geriatrics in Ontario. Lectures on nutrition, healthy lifestyles, and complementary and alternative medicine. Co-author of The Manual of Nutritional Therapy, a training resource for healthcare professionals.

Aysha Akhtar, M.D., M.P.H.

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Director of the Washington Center for Clinical Research, a subsidiary of PCRM. Designs clinical trials related to neurological and chronic diseases and how they may be improved by dietary intervention. Double board certified in neurology and preventive Medicine. Also serves as medical and research adviser to PCRM’s research department to promote alternatives to the use of animals in medical research, especially in spinal cord injury and other neurological research. 

Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
Board-certified family physician and author in private practice in Flemington, N.J. Specializes in preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods. Author of several best-selling books, including Eat To Live, The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss 2003. A frequent guest on radio and TV, including the Discovery Channel, CNN, and Good Morning America. Offers an array of supportive services, including a newsletter, menu planning, and an Ask the Doctor forum at DrFuhrman.com.

Amy J. Lanou, Ph.D.

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Senior nutrition scientist. Oversees projects and campaigns to help health care professionals and laypeople transition to a low-fat vegetarian diet. Researches and writes about reducing the risk of chronic diseases through plant-based diets. Authored Healthy Eating for Life for Children. Lead author of a landmark review in Pediatrics showing that dairy products do not promote bone health. Formerly served as PCRM’s Nutrition Director for five years and as an instructor at Cornell University and Ithaca College.

Susan Levin, M.S., R.D.

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Staff nutritionist. Researches and writes about plant-based diets and reduced risk of chronic diseases. Also addresses the need for nutrition guidelines that reflect PCRM’s New Four Food Groups. Assists in teaching nutrition and health classes to participants in a clinical study exploring links between diet and diabetes.

John McDougall, M.D.
Board-certified internist, educator, and author who promotes the value of healthy living through good nutrition. Founder and medical director of the 12-Day McDougall Lifestyle/Nutrition Program in Napa Valley, Calif., which encourages improved dietary habits for lasting health benefits. Serves on PCRM’s Advisory Board. Lectures across the country; author of several bestsellers.

Milton Mills, M.D.
Practices outpatient and critical care medicine in Northern Virginia, devoting special attention to general adult medicine, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS. Lectures extensively on nutrition and health, HIV treatment, and the relationship between nutrition and immunity. Co-authored a paper on the racial bias of the U.S. Dietary Guidelines (Journal of the National Medical Association, 1999).

Tim Radak, DrPH, R.D.

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Senior nutrition scientist. Conducts research projects on the connection between plant-based diets and a reduced risk of chronic diseases. Attends health and nutrition conferences, lecturing on plant-based diets for both medical and lay audiences. Registered Dietician with a strong interest in the use of diet for disease reduction and prevention. Published his research in Nutrition Reviews and co-authored a chapter in The Handbook of Nutraceuticals and Functional Foods on Cardiovascular Disease Modification.

Caroline Trapp, M.S.N., A.P.R.N., B.C.-ADM, C.D.E.

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Director of diabetes education and care. Manages a variety of diabetes prevention and reversal initiatives, including the development and distribution of resources for consumers and health care providers. Creates continuing medical education programs and patient education materials for health care professionals. A nurse practitioner specializing in the care of people with diabetes at Premier Internists in Southfield, Mich.

Dulcie Ward, R.D.

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Staff nutritionist. Assists with nutrition outreach and promoting plant-based diets. Currently researches and promotes the health of all children through the Healthy School Lunch Program. Also coordinates the Golden Carrot Awards, which are given to foodservice professionals who have an exceptional impact on the health of children in schools.