Contributors - Nutrition4Kids

Emily B Austin, BA

Emily B Austin was an intern with Nutrition4Kids and a student at University of Georgia when she wrote this series of articles on the pancreas.

Melanie Bazarte, PhD

Dr. Melanie Bazarte has a doctorate in Early Childhood Education and specializes in assisting parents in the care of their young children.

Is co-author of Nurturing with Nutrition and a former president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics representing over 100,000 Nutrition professionals, while also active as a clinical dietitian in South Florida.

Lindsey Blackwell, RN

Lindsey Blackwell, RN, BSN is an experienced nurse at GI Care for Kids in Atlanta, where she often assists parents in learning how to care for their babies' and kids' gastrostomy tubes.

Elizabeth Britt, RD

Elizabeth (Betsy) Britt, RD is a clinical nutritionist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Scottish Rite where she is a member of Cystic Fibrosis team.

Kristin Broderick, MD

A pediatric urologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, shares her tips on when to be concerned about the dietary causes of kidney stones.

Susan E. Carlson, PhD

Dr. Susan Carlson is the AJ Rice Professor of Nutrition and associate dean for research in the School of Health Professions at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City.

Mirna Chehade, MD, MPH

Mirna Chehade, MD, MPH is Director of the Mount Sinai Center for Eosinophilic Disorders at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

Kylia Crane, RD

N4K Medical Advisory Board and Nutrition Coordinator of the Georgia Chapter.

Dr. Stan Cohen, MD

Is a pediatric gastroenterologist at the Children's Center for Digestive Health Care / GI Care for Kids, whose books on nutrition for parents led him to start Nutrition4Kids with his co-founders.

Leslie Cox, RD

Is a highly regarded dietitian at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. She is also an active and competitive athlete as well, participating in triathlons and races throughout the country. Sports Nutrition.

Marisa G. Crespo, BSc

Marisa Crespo, our thoughtful writer and editor at Nutrition4 Kids, is always trying to engage readers with her energetic articles. She has her bachelor's degree in Nutrition and is interested in the psychology of eating as well as plant-based lifestyles. On her free time she enjoys creative writing, exploring parks and cities, and having a […]

David Fleischer, MD

David Fleischer, MD is the Director of the Allergy and Immunology Center at Children's Hospital Colorado in Denver and on faculty at the University of Colorado.

Jose Garza, MD

Is pediatric gastroenterologist at the Children's Center for Digestive Health Care / GI Care for Kids with special expertise in abdominal pain and the stomach and intestinal disorders that are affected by their motion (motility).

Michael K. Georgieff, MD

Dr. Michael Georgieff is the Martin Lenz Harrison Land Grant Chair in Pediatrics and a professor in the Department of Developmental Psychology at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.

Ben Gold, MD, MPH

Dr. Ben Gold is a pediatric gastroenterologist at GI Care for Kids in Atlanta and is currently president-elect of NASPGHAN, the North American Society of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.

Amanda Zito Griffin, MS, CCC-SLP

Amanda Zito Griffin, M.S., CCC-SLP is speech language pathologist who founded A to Z Pediatric Therapy in Atlanta to help children in the region.

Marion Groetsch, RD

Marion Groetch RD is the Director of Nutrition Services at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NY and the Westchester Institute of Human Development.

Maria Oliva-Hemker, MD

Dr. Oliva-Hemker is the Director of the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Stermer Family Professor of Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Professor …

Sarah Henes PhD, RDN, LD

Sarah Henes PhD, RDN, LD has been a Registered Dietitian for over 26 years, in clinical and community nutrition

Mel Heyman, MD

Dr. Mel Heyman is the Co-Editor of The Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition.

Jay Hochman, MD

Jay Hochman graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Virginia, then earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine.

Tatyana Hofmekler, MD

Tatyana Hofmekler, MD, MSc is the former Medical Director of Intestinal Rehabilitation at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and a pediatric gastroenterologist at GI Care for Kids.

Jingwen Huang, PhD

Dr. Jingwen Huang obtained her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Nutrition and Food Science at Florida State University in 2018.

Heidi Karpen, MD

Dr. Karpen trained in Pediatrics and then neonatal-perinatal medicine at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Ronald Kleinman, MD

Dr. Ron Kleinman is the Physician-in-Chief at MassGen Hospital for Children in Boston and the editor of the American Academy of Pediatrics Nutrition Handbook.

Bailey Koch, RD, CSP, LD

Is a Registered Dietitian, board certified as a Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition. She founded Atlanta Pediatric Nutrition and joined the GI Care for Kids team, providing nutrition counseling to patients and families.

Tanya Kumar, RPN

Tanya Kumar is a Registered Performance Nutritionist for London City Lioness Professional Football Team (Soccer) team who has shared her recommendations for athletes (especially women) who follow a vegetarian diet.

Samantha Lefave

Samantha Lefave is an experienced writer and editor who has contributed to various publications, including Men's Health, Women's Health, Runner's World, and Bicycling. She regularly covers health, fitness, and travel, is a big fan of summit beers, and can usually be found somewhere with her highly active dog.

Jeff Lewis, MD

Dr. Jeff Lewis is a pediatric gastroenterologist at GI Care for Kids in Atlanta with a particular interest in celiac disease.

Steven Liu, MD

Dr. Steven Liu joined GI Care for Kids in 2007 and is a mentor for pediatric gastroenterology trainees at one of their annual conferences.

Seth Marcus, MD

Dr. Marcus is Medical Director of the South-East Eosinophilic Disease (SEED) Center (www.seedcenteratl.org).

Barbara McElhanon, MD

Dr. Barbara McElhanon is a faculty member at Emory University and Medical Director of the Feeding Program at the Marcus Autism Center.

Kirsten Mekelburg, MD

Is an Atlanta-based pediatrician who relates her journey as a celiac mom who shares the disease with her son and a medical professional who cares for kids with celiac disease and other nutritional problems.

Elizabeth Millard

Elizabeth Millard is a freelance journalist specializing in health, wellness, fitness, and nutrition. Her articles have appeared in SELF, Good Housekeeping, Men's Health, CNN, MyFitnessPal, and WebMD.

Aminu Mohammed, MD

Aminu Mohammed is a pediatric gastroenterologist at GI Care for Kids, where he leads the efforts on pancreatic disorders.

Hank Morgan, BA

Hank Morgan couldn't play lacrosse or do his school work without getting a tube feeding overnight.

Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, MD, PhD

Anna Nowak-Wegrzyn, MD, PhD is Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Clinical Research at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

Kirin Patel, MD

Dr. Patel is a pediatric allergist/immunologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Assistant Professor at Emory University School of Medicine.

Edith Pilzer, MD

Dr. Edith Pilzer recently retired as a pediatric gastroenterologist after serving Georgia's children for over 32 years. Her special interest was caring for the children who have cystic fibrosis and their families.

Sheethal Reddy, PhD

Dr. Reddy received her PhD in clinical psychology from Kent State University, completed a pre-doctoral internship in behavioral health at Duke University Medical Center …

Bonney Reed-Knight, PhD

A Clinical Psychologist at Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, has contributed articles on eating disorders and other emotional and psychological problems.

Jourdan Salas, SLP

Is a speech-language pathologist and feeding therapist at A to Z Pediatric Therapy in Atlanta, where she addresses sensory and behavioral feeding difficulties.

Hugh Sampson, MD

Hugh Sampson, MD is Professor of Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology and the former Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute within the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NY. He also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of Nutrition4Kids.

Luqman Seidu MD

An allergist and adjunct professor at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta writes on the possible reasons food allergies are increasing.

Kaetlin Shurling, RD

Kaeti (Lindsay) Shurling MS, RD is the registered dietitian behind KaetiRD, a nutrition counseling practice based in Athens, GA where she helps those of all ages meet their nutritional goals.

Jonathan Spergel, MD, PhD

Jonathan Spergel MD, PhD is the Chief of the Allergy Section and Director of the Center for Pediatric Eosinophilic Disease at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Perelman School of Medicine at Univ. of Pennsylvania.

Marc A. Tannenbaum, MD

A concierge pediatrician in Atlanta, offers his view on how to maximize the use of breast milk and prevent allergies and obesity.

Sydney Taylor-Klaus, BA

She is interning with Nutrition4IBD and Nutrition4Kids until starting medical school in 2023. She has a BA from Wesleyan University in Chemistry and Neuroscience & Behavior and is interested in the gut-brain connection. She is currently working at GI Care for Kids as a clinical research coordinator studying carbohydrate enzyme deficiencies.