03/04/2026
I’m excited to share that I joined Kailera Therapeutics in February as Senior Medical Director for Medical Affairs.
Obesity is a serious, chronic disease that deserves the same rigor, compassion, and nuance as any other complex condition. Too many people have faced stigma, limited options, and fragmented care for far too long. That’s the work our team is here to help change.
Over the past 20 years, I’ve worked designing behavioral interventions, conducted research utilizing a variety of obesity treatments including pharmacotherapy, and dedicated my career to the study of obesity and nutrition. Most recently, I spent five years at WeightWatchers, including serving as Chief Nutrition Officer, while maintaining my role as co-Director for the Center for Integrative Cardiovascular & Metabolic Disease at the University of Florida. Stepping into Kailera feels like a natural next chapter in this journey.
One of my core values is impact. I’ve seen how powerful it can be when we combine lifestyle and behavior change with pharmacotherapy and clinical innovation.
In this role, my goal is to ensure that people living with obesity, and their perspectives, sit at the center of how we generate, interpret, and share evidence.
That means:
✅ Listening to patients and caregivers as we design research and trials
✅ Partnering with clinicians, researchers, and advocacy groups
✅ Communicating clearly and responsibly about emerging therapies
✅ Keeping lifestyle and behavior change embedded in conversations about treatment
I am thrilled to work with such an incredible team and take on this new challenge ❤️
