SPEAKERS
Robert H. Lustig, MD, MSL
Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L. is Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, and Member of the Institute for Health Policy Studies at UCSF. Dr. Lustig is a neuroendocrinologist, with expertise in obesity, diabetes, metabolism, and nutrition. He is one of the leaders of the current “anti-sugar” movement that is changing the food industry. He has dedicated his retirement from clinical medicine to help to fix the food supply any way he can, to reduce human suffering and to salvage the environment, by interacting with all stakeholders to bring them together around a common vision of metabolic health: protect the liver, feed the gut, support the brain. Dr. Lustig graduated from MIT in 1976, and received his M.D. from Cornell University Medical College in 1980. He also received his Masters of Studies in Law (MSL) degree at University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 2013. He is the author of the popular books Fat Chance (2012), The Hacking of the American Mind (2017), and Metabolical (2021). He is the Chief Science Officer of the non-profit Eat REAL, he is on the Advisory Boards of the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health, the Center for Humane Technology, Simplex Health, Levels Health, Journeys Metabolic, and Myka Labs. He is also the Chief Medical Officer of BioLumen Technologies, Perfact, and Kalin Health.
Jess Apple
Jess Apple is a writer, editor, and passionate metabolic health advocate. As a founder of the Metabolic Revolution, Jess is dedicated to ensuring that people have access to accurate information about human metabolism and its profound impact on physical and mental health. Her health story is here.
For 12 years, Jess served as the editor of ASweetLife, a nonprofit low-carb diabetes magazine. Jess’s work has been widely recognized and featured in publications such as the New York Times and the Financial Times. Through her writing and advocacy, she hopes to inspire medical professionals and policy makers to learn about the metabolic origins of chronic diseases.
Nina Teicholz, Ph.D.
Nina Teicholz, Ph.D., is a science journalist and author of the New York Times bestseller The Big Fat Surprise, which upended the conventional wisdom on dietary fat–especially saturated fat and seed oils. Teicholz is also the founder of the Nutrition Coalition, a nonprofit working to ensure that nutrition policy reflects the best and most current science. Teicholz has appeared on most major TV networks, and her work has been published in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Economist, and in academic journals, including The BMJ and the journal of the National Academy of Sciences. She is a graduate of Stanford and Oxford Universities, has a Ph.D. in nutrition, and is now an author of the “Unsettled Science” column on Substack.
Mariela Glandt, MD
Dr. Mariela Glandt is an endocrinologist trained at Harvard and Columbia with more than 20 years experience in treating metabolic disease. She is the co-founder of OwnaHealth, a virtual diabetes clinic that combines optimal medicine, nutritional science, technology and behavioral therapy in order to reverse type 2 diabetes. She is the director of Glandt Center for Diabetes Care in Tel Aviv, a multidisciplinary clinic that uses ketogenic diets as the main tool for treatment of diabetes. As a need that arose from her practice, she co-founded Eatsane, a company that makes low-carb foods with no artificial sweeteners. She is also the co-founder of Metabolix, a non-profit organization in Israel that aims to educate people to help them achieve optimal metabolic health.
Tony Hampton, MD
Dr. Hampton is a board-certified family and obesity specialist with a master’s in nutrition and functional medicine who is passionate about removing barriers to health and equipping patients and his colleagues with the education and resources they need for success. As the medical director of the Advocate Operating System, he collaborated with clinicians and staff on programs to address social determinants of health among at-risk patient populations. Programs like the Healthy Living program, educating patients about lifestyle and helping them set realistic and attainable goals, the Food Farmacy at Advocate Trinity, and South Suburban Hospitals to increase access to fresh, healthy food for patients in partnership with the Chicago Food Depository and planning to support Advocate Health’s Smart Farm growing food to support the Food Fharmacy. He also works with patients in small groups enrolled in the diabetes prevention program (D.P.P.) and COPD programs and is currently leading the Medical Group Management Committee South Region Primary Care Lead, Chair-Elect of the Advocate Health Midwest Governing Council, Medical Director for Advocates Mobile Health Team and FoodSmart. He’s authored the book Fix Your Diet, Fix Your Diabetes, is an active blogger on social media, creates educational videos on YouTube, and has a podcast ranked in the top 1% entitled Protecting Your N.E.S.T. with Dr. Tony Hampton. Check out all of his resources here: https://linktr.ee/drtonyhampton
Vinnie Tortorich
Vinnie Tortorich, unapologetic disruptor of the weight loss industry, has been leading the charge against obesity and dietary misinformation for the past 40 years. Debuting in 2012, his podcast, Fitness Confidential, revolutionized the health and fitness world. His groundbreaking book “Fitness Confidential” transformed the eating habits of hundreds of thousands. In 2019, he released his first film “Fat: A Documentary,” quickly followed by “Fat 2,” “Beyond Impossible,” and, most recently, “Dirty Keto.”
Dr. Georgia Ede
Dr. Georgia Ede is an internationally recognized expert in nutritional and metabolic psychiatry. Her twenty-five years of clinical experience include twelve years at Smith College and Harvard University, where she was the first psychiatrist to offer students nutrition-based approaches to mental health conditions.
Dr. Ede co-authored the first inpatient study of the ketogenic diet for serious mental illness, developed the first medically accredited course in ketogenic diets for mental health, and is a recipient of the Baszucki Brain Research Fund’s Metabolic Mind Award. Her bestselling new book Change Your Diet, Change Your Mind was recommended by the New York Times Book Review as among the three best mental health books of 2024.
Eric C. Westman, MD MHS
Dr. Eric Westman is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University. He is Board Certified in Obesity Medicine and Internal Medicine, and founded the Duke Keto Medicine Clinic in 2006 after conducting clinical research regarding low carbohydrate ketogenic diets. He is Past-President and Master Fellow of the Obesity Medicine Association and Fellow of The Obesity Society. He is a board member of the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners, and the American Diabetes Society. He is an editor of the textbook: Obesity: Evaluation & Treatment Essentials, and author of the New York Times Bestseller The New Atkins for a New You, Cholesterol Clarity, and Keto Clarity, and End Your Carb Confusion. He is co-founder of Adapt Your Life www.adaptyourlifeacademy.com, a health education company.
Dr. Christopher M. Palmer
Dr. Christopher M. Palmer is a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher working at the interface of metabolism and mental health. He is the Founder and Director of the Metabolic and Mental Health Program and the Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. For almost 30 years, he has held administrative, educational, research, and clinical roles in psychiatry at McLean and Harvard. He has been pioneering the use of the medical ketogenic diet in the treatment of psychiatric disorders—conducting research in this area, treating patients, writing, and speaking around the world on this topic. Most recently, he has proposed that mental disorders can be understood as metabolic disorders affecting the brain, which has received widespread recognition in both national and international media outlets.
Dr. Mark Cucuzzella
Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Professor West Virginia University School of Medicine, Air Force Reserve Lieutenant Colonel (ret)
Dr. Mark Cucuzzella, Air Force Reserve Lieutenant Colonel (ret), practices at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia. As a Professor as West Virginia University School of Medicine , Mark developed and adopted an inpatient protocol for using a low-carb diet for patients with obesity, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes. Practicing what they preach, the hospital eliminated all sugar-sweetened beverages from the hospital. Mark was instrumental in bringing MEDCHEFS to the WVU School of Medicine in 2014 with a focus on understanding insulin resistance. An advocate for evidence based policy and education, Mark is a founding member of The Nutrition Coalition, a board member of The Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners and The Hypoglycemia Foundation and is a scientific advisor for Diet Doctor.
Mark’s current research interests are diabetes remission, the use of continuous glucose monitors, and carbohydrate reduction for severe pediatric obesity. He also leads a clinical group “International Multidisciplinary Diabetes Remission Working Group” who just completed a textbook chapter for Ketogenics on medication reduction in Type 2 diabetes adapted from the article Adapting Medication for Type 2 Diabetes to a Low Carbohydrate Diet.
Mark also experienced a health challenge and transformation when he was diagnosed with maturity onset diabetes of youth and became an early adopter of continuous glucose monitors and dietary modification for disease remission. He lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia where he also owns a small community running store and directs running races and camps for youth and adults. His book “Run For Your Life” summarizes the science and the soul of running, nutrition, and physical activity to help you maintain a vigorous life. Visit Mark’s site at www.DrMarksdesk.com
Matt Bernstein, MD
In addition to being a respected clinical psychiatrist for more than 20 years, Dr. Matt Bernstein is Accord’s chief executive officer and an important voice in the emerging field of metabolic psychiatry. After graduating summa cum laude from Columbia University in New York, N.Y., with a bachelor’s degree in English literature, he received his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA.
Dr. Bernstein then trained at the MGH McLean Psychiatry Residency Program in Belmont, Mass., where he served as chief resident. He remained at McLean Hospital after residency as a psychiatrist-in-charge and later served as assistant medical director of its schizophrenia and bipolar inpatient program. Dr. Bernstein has developed his passion for community-based care as the chief medical officer at Ellenhorn, a sister program of Accord, where he has pursued alternative ways (such as a focus on metabolism, nutrition, circadian-rhythm biology and exercise) to help individuals achieve their best levels of functioning without relying solely on traditional psychiatric approaches. In addition to serving on the clinical advisory board at Metabolic Mind, Dr. Bernstein is known for organizing the first-ever public conference on metabolic psychiatry in 2023.
Dr. Tro Kalayjian
Dr. Tro Kalayjian is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Obesity Medicine. As a founding member of the Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners, Dr. Tro lost 150 pounds by challenging conventional medical advice. Now, he is dedicated to helping patients achieve health, prevent disease, and reduce medication dependence.
Dr. Tro’s practice focuses on combating Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Their published 6-month medical weight loss program has yielded impressive results, with an average weight loss of 38 pounds per person. Patients have experienced significant reductions in cardiac risk, a1C levels, blood pressure, and medication costs per year. The practice’s evidence-based approach is supported by seven publications, showcasing the effectiveness of their emphasis on metabolic health.
With a focus on remote patient tracking through smart devices, Dr. Tro stays connected to his patients’ progress. Having personally faced similar challenges, he deeply empathizes with his patients and provides guidance from a relatable perspective. Dr. Tro’s ultimate objective is to reduce medication reliance and improve disease management by implementing lifestyle modifications, emphasizing the importance of diet and exercise.
Ajalah Efem
Ajalah Efem is a single mother of two living in the South Bronx, New York, who recently reversed her type 2 diabetes and got off 15 medications by adopting a ketogenic lifestyle. Her inspiring story was recently profiled in an article in Medscape.
Martin Picard
Martin Picard is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine in the Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, and co-director of the Science of Health Program in the Butler Columbia Aging Center at the Mailman School of Public Health. He trained as a physiologist in neuroimmunology, then in aging mitochondrial biology, psychosocial oncology, and systems biology at McGill University. He conducted postdoctoral fellowship on mitochondrial signaling and genetics with mitochondrial medicine pioneer Doug Wallace at the Center for Mitochondrial and Epigenetic Medicine, and on stress neuroendocrinology with Bruce McEwen, where he began integrating mind and mitochondria. Dr. Picard now directs the Mitochondrial Psychobiology Group. Together, his team and their collaborators are committed to understanding how energy, mitochondria, and transdisciplinary science can create a bright, health-focused future for medicine and society. Dr. Picard is the inaugural recipient of the Baszucki Prize in Science for his groundbreaking work connecting brain energetics and mitochondria to the human experience.
His research on the link between energy, stress, and health from the Mitochondrial Psychobiology Group has been covered in The New York Times, Scientific American, The New Yorker, and on TEDx. More information is available at www.picardlab.org
Dr. Aseem Malhotra
Dr Aseem Malhotra is an NHS trained Consultant Cardiologist and an internationally renowned expert in the prevention, diagnosis and management of heart disease. He is honorary council member to the Metabolic Psychiatry Clinic at Stanford University school of medicine California. He is a founding member of Action on Sugar and was the lead campaigner highlighting the harm caused by excess sugar consumption in the United Kingdom, particularly its role in type 2 diabetes and obesity. In 2015 he helped co-ordinate the Choosing Wisely campaign by the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges as lead author in a BMJ paper to highlight the risks of overuse of medical treatments. In the same year he became the youngest member to be appointed to the board of trustees of UK health think tank, The King’s Fund that advises government on health policy. Aseem is a frequent expert commentator in print and broadcast media and he has written scores of articles for a number of publications including the BMJ, British Journal of Sports Medicine, BMJ Open Heart, JAMA Internal Medicine, Prescriber, The Pharmaceutical Journal, European Scientist, The Guardian and Observer, BBC online, Huffington Post, The Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph and the Washington Post. He is international guest editor of the journal of evidence-based healthcare.
Aseem has appeared in the Health Service Journal’s list of top 50 BME pioneers, and has won a number of awards for his work to raise awareness of diet-related illness both in the UK and internationally. He is a pioneer of the lifestyle medicine movement in the UK and has had feature articles written about him in the New York Times, The Guardian, The Telegraph, The i, and Healthcare Leader. In 2018 he was ranked by software company Onalytica as the number 1 doctor in the world influencing obesity thinking.
In 2016 he was named in the Sunday Times Debrett’s list as one of the most influential people in science and medicine in the UK in a list that included Professor Stephen Hawking. His total Altmetric score (measure of impact and reach) of his medical journal publications since 2013 is over 10,000 making it one of the highest in the World for a clinical doctor during this period. His first book co-authored with Donal O’ Neill, The Pioppi Diet, has become an international best seller. His second book, the 21 day immunity plan is a Sunday Times best seller. During the first year of the Covid pandemic he was asked by the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock to advice on the link between covid and obesity and how best to reduce population risk to infection. His recently published third book A Statin Free Life is already a best seller.