Our Team

Driven by the spirit of volunteerism, without commercial funding.

The P-POD Board Of Directors

Bob LeRoy, RDN MS EdM
•Founder/Coordinator, the Plant-based Prevention Of Disease conference.
•A board officer for 3 North Carolina nonprofit and cooperative corporations.
•For over 20 years, Nutrition Advisor to North American Vegetarian Society and a member of VNDPG and PCRM.

Mladen Golubic, MD PhD
•Medical Director, Cleveland Clinic Centers for Disease Reversal and Lifestyle Medicine.
–Mladen is CME Medical Director for the P-POD Program Committee.

Micaela Karlsen, MSPH
•Founder/Coordinator, plantbasedresearch.org.
•Former Executive Director, T. Colin Campbell Foundation.

Parul Kharod, RDN MS LDN
•Clinical Dietitian, WakeMed Cary Hospital.
•Former North Carolina Coordinator, Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
–Parul is the Raleigh area representative for the P-POD Program Committee, and along with Matt Ruscigno is representing Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group on the P-POD board.

Milton Mills, MD
•Critical Care Physician, Inova Fairfax Hospital.

Kathy Pollard, MS
•Adjunct Instructor, University of New England graduate program in Applied Nutrition.
•Former Instructor, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies eCornell online Certificate Program in Plant Based Nutrition.

Monique Richard, RDN MS LDN
•Former Chair, Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
•Integrative Clinical Dietitian, State of Franklin Healthcare Associates.

Matt Ruscigno, RDN MPH
•Former Chair, Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
•Chief Nutrition Officer, Nutrinic.
•Matt, along with Parul Kharod, is representing Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group on the P-POD board.

Caroline Trapp, DNP APN-BC CDE FAANP
•Director of Diabetes Education and Care, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
•Diabetes Nurse Practitioner, Premier Internists.
–Caroline is representing Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine on the P-POD board.

BOARD MEMBER EMERITUS:

Robert Ostfeld, MD MSc
•Founder/Director, Montefiore Einstein Cardiac Wellness Center
•Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Other Members, P-POD 2015 Program Committee And Staff

Ted Barnett, MD
•Assistant medical advisor, P-POD 2015 Program Committee.
•Diagnostic, Vascular and Interventional Radiologist, Unity Health System, Rochester NY.
•Medical Director, Rochester Lifestyle Medicine.

Susan Levin, RDN MS CSSD
•Author of P-POD Needs Assessment.
•Director of Nutrition Education, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
•Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics.

Van White, ChE MBA
•P-POD photographer.
•Certified Food for Life Cooking Instructor, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
•eCornell Certificate in Plant-based Nutrition.

The P-POD 2014 Discussion Group Moderators

Danita Hines, RDN MS LDN
•Former Kentucky Coordinator, Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Parul Kharod, RDN MS LDN
•Clinical Dietitian, WakeMed Cary Hospital.
•Former North Carolina Coordinator, Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Kathy Pollard, MS
*Former Instructor, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies eCornell online Certificate Program in Plant Based Nutrition.

Monique Richard, RDN MS LDN
•Former Chair, Dietitians in Integrative and Functional Medicine Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Jennifer Swallow, RDN MS LDN
•Former South Carolina Coordinator, Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

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The P-POD Speakers

2018: Click HERE for detailed information about the 27 distinguished clinicians, researchers and educators speaking at the May 19-21, 2018 conference.

2017: Click HERE for detailed information about the 33 distinguished clinicians, researchers and educators who spoke at the May 18-20, 2017 conference.

2016: Click HERE for detailed information about the 31 distinguished clinicians, researchers and educators who spoke at the May 19-22, 2016 conference.

2015: Click HERE for detailed information about the 19 distinguished clinicians, researchers and educators who spoke at the Sept. 11-13, 2015 conference.

2014: Click HERE for detailed information about the 19 distinguished clinicians, researchers and educators who spoke at the Nov. 14-16, 2014 conference.

The P-POD Founding Endorsers

The P-POD Founding Endorsers consist of our 2014 staff members, listed below on this page, the 19 speakers at our inaugural 2014 conference, and the following individuals, all of whom offered crucial encouragement or support at early moments in our history:

Carol Barnett, PhD
•Co-Coordinator, Rochester (NY) Area Vegan Society.

Lauren Brady, RDN MA
•Coordinator, Dietetic Internship Program, Asheville Campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University.
•Former President of Western District (NC) Dietetic Association, and lover of vegetarian food.

T. Colin Campbell, PhD
•Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus, Cornell University.
•Founder and President, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

Julie Covington, RDN PhD MS LDN
•Director, Dietetic Internship Program, Lenoir-Rhyne University
•Former Chair of Western District (NC) Dietetic Association and of Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., MD
•Director, Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Reversal Program, The Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.
•Founder and researcher, 20 year longitudinal study of Arrest and Reversal Therapy for Coronary Artery Disease, The Cleveland Clinic.

Meghan Murphy, deceased
•Founding Director, T. Colin Campbell Foundation

Jeff Novick, RDN MS
•Vice President of Health Promotion, Executive Health Exams International.
•Former Director of Nutrition, Pritikin Longevity Center.

Myriam Parham, RDN LDN CDE
•Clinical Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator and Program Coordinator, East Pasco Medical Center
•Former Advisory Board Member, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Kathy Pollard, MS
•Former Instructor, T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies eCornell online Certificate Program in Plant Based Nutrition

The P-POD 2014 Staff

Amy Lanou, PhD
•P-POD 2014 Conference Site Coordinator, and program reviewer/advisor.
•Associate Professor of Health and Wellness, University of North Carolina Asheville.
•Former Senior Nutrition Scientist, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Katie Cox
•P-POD 2014 Assistant Conference Site Coordinator.
•Administrative Assistant, Health and Wellness Department, University of North Carolina Asheville.

William Najger
•P-POD 2014 vegan luncheon chef.
•Chef, caterer and cuisine consultant with 25 years experience in natural foods preparation.

Matt Ruscigno, RDN MPH
•P-POD 2014 representative to VnDPG and social media specialist.
•Author, and nutrition consultant to athletes.
•Former Chair, Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Suzanne Hobbs, RDN DrPH MS
•P-POD 2014 academic program reviewer/advisor.
•Director, Doctoral Program in Health Leadership, and Clinical Professor, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.
•Former Chair, Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Ted Barnett, MD
•P-POD 2014 medical program reviewer/advisor.
•Diagnostic, Vascular and Interventional Radiologist, Unity Health System, Rochester NY.
•Community instructor in plant-based nutrition.

Susan Levin, RDN MS CSSD
•Author of P-POD Needs Assessment.
•Director of Nutrition Education, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
•Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics.

Van White, ChE MBA
•P-POD photographer..
•Certified Food for Life Cooking Instructor, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
•eCornell Certificate in Plant-based Nutrition.