UTHealth Expert List
Obesity & Weight Management
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Deanna Hoelscher, Ph.D., RD
- John P. McGovern Professorship in Health Promotion, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, UTHealth
- Director, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, UTHealth
Deanna M. Hoelscher, Ph.D., RD, specializes in nutrition and physical activity programs for children; school-based obesity prevention programs; nutrition and physical activity related health policy; and measurement tools related to child nutrition and physical activity.
Previous Interview: http://abcn.ws/ofmuX5
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Kevin Hwang, M.D., M.P.H.
- Assistant Professor of Medicine, UTHealth Medical School
- Medical Director, UT Physicians’ Medical Weight Loss Program
Kevin O. Hwang, M.D., M.P.H., specializes in a personalized approach to weight loss and employs scientifically based principles to help patients make healthy changes in nutrition and physical activity.
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Steven Kelder, Ph.D., M.P.H.
- Co-Director, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, UTHealth
- Beth Toby Grossman Professor in Spirituality and Healing, UTHealth
- Professor, Epidemiology, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, UTHealth
Kelder has more than 15 years experience in design and evaluation of child and adolescent research. He is available to discuss interventions designed for promotion of physical activity and healthy eating, obesity prevention and substance use prevention. He is one of the lead investigators of the CATCH project, a research-based program that guides elementary schools, families and children in being healthy, reaching more than a million Texas children and others in the United States and other countries.
Previous Interview: http://go.uth.edu/nwgjrjbf
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Harold Kohl, III, Ph.D.
- Professor, Epidemiology, Human Genetics & Environmental Sciences, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, UTHealth
- Faculty Member, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, UTHealth
Harold W. Kohl, III, Ph.D., is available to discuss the benefits of physical activity for adults and children, as well as community approaches for increasing physical activity. He is on the President’s Council of Fitness, Sports & Nutrition Science Board. Kohl also led development of the 2008 U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines and was lead epidemiologist and team leader in the physical activity and health branch of the division of nutrition and physical activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Vihang Narkar, Ph.D.
- Assistant Professor, Center for Metabolic and Degenerative Disease, UTHealth Medical School
- Post Doctoral Training at The Salk Institute of Biological Studies, La Jolla, Calif
Vihang A. Narkar, Ph.D., is working on ways to help people who have difficulty exercising stay fit. His research is centered on the genetic switches that stimulate muscle growth. He was part of a research team that developed an exercise pill that was associated with enhanced endurance in a mouse model.Previous Interview: http://bit.ly/Ia6wbW
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Cheryl Perry, Ph.D.
- Regional Dean, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, UTHealth
- Professor, Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus, UTHealth
Perry's research interests include the developing, implementing and evaluating health promotion programs for children and adolescents. In particular, smoking and alcohol use prevention, healthy eating and physical activity; school-based, peer, family, and community programs. Dr. Perry was one of the lead investigators of the original CATCH main trial and can discuss the development of successful childhood obesity prevention programs. Perry served as the senior scientific editor and lead author of the report of the Surgeon General’s 2012 Tobacco Report.
Previous Interview: http://go.uth.edu/a5ugbwtk
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Shreela Sharma, Ph.D., R.D.
- Assistant Professor of Epidemiology, The University of Texas School of Public Health, a part of UTHealth
- Assistant Director of the Dietetic Internship Program at the UT School of Public Health
- Faculty Member, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living, UTHealth
Shreela Sharma, R.D., Ph.D., is a registered dietitian and can discuss risk factors of obesity among children, nutrition and physical activity.
Previous Interview: http://abcn.ws/Jfa2kC
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Brad Snyder, M.D.
- Assistant Professor of Surgery, UTHealth Medical School
- Director of Clinical Research for Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Texas at the UT Specialty Surgery Center
- Director of Research for the University of Texas Bariatric Surgery Center.
Brad Snyder, M.D., is a board-certified general surgeon with advanced training and expertise in laparoscopic surgery for general and bariatric surgery. He offers all standard bariatric surgeries through laparoscopy and incision less bariatric surgery.
Previous Interview: http://go.uth.edu/d3rjjff2
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Deepa Vasudevan, M.D., M.P.H.
- Associate Professor of Clinical Family Medicine, UTHealth Medical School
- Medical Director, UT Physicians Bellaire Multi-Specialty Clinic
Deepa A. Vasudevan, M.D., M.P.H., has a special interest in women’s health, adolescent health, non-surgical medical weight loss and specializes in metabolic issues related to South Asian Indian population groups. She is board-certified in both family medicine and bariatric medicine.
Previous Interview: http://bit.ly/pdEU1N
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Shannon Weston, M.P.H., R.D., L.D.
- Registered dietitian at UT Health Services, part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Nursing
Shannon Weston, M.P.H., R.D., L.D., provides a variety of services from medical nutrition therapy to nutrition counseling. She specializes in general wellness, adult weight-loss and weight management, customized diet and lifestyle plans, meal planning and preparation, sports nutrition and nutrition therapy for health conditions related to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and hypertension.
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Erik Wilson, M.D.
- Associate Professor, Vice Chair and Chief of Elective General Surgery, Department of Surgery, UTHealth Medical School
- Medical Director of Bariatric Surgery for Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center
- Director of Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Texas, UT Specialty Surgery Center
Erik Wilson, M.D., is an experienced bariatric surgeon who has performed hundreds of laparoscopic bariatric surgeries including gastric bypass, adjustable gastric banding, duodenal switch, sleeve gastrectomy, revisional bariatric surgery and incisionless bariatric surgery. He also specializes in the surgical care of hard-to-treat hernias, as well as other conditions including the incision less treatment of acid reflux.
Previous Interview: http://bit.ly/98Q6lU
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Carol Wolin-Riklin, MA, RD, LD
- Instructor, Department of Surgery, UTHealth Medical School
- Metabolic and Bariatric Nutrition Coordinator, UT Physicians’ Minimally Invasive Surgeons of Texas
Carol Wolin-Riklin, MA, RD, LD, specializes in nutrition research and education. She has experience in a variety of clinical settings including outpatient counseling and intensive care nutrition support. She works directly with researchers to design nutrition methodology for their protocols, devise and calculate protocol-specific diets and create nutrition-related educational materials. Her clinical practice includes working with patients at The University of Texas Bariatric & Metabolic Surgery Center.
