2009 Current Issues in Nutrition -- Speakers

RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE: Physiology of appetite and body weight regulation
Heather Leidy, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition
University of Kansas Medical Center

Heather Leidy, PhD, joined the faculty in the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) in the Fall of 2007and is responsible for teaching the Dietetics and Nutrition Seminar course and co-teaching the Nutrition for Sports and Exercise course and the Intervention for the Management and Prevention of Obesity courses. Dr. Leidy's research focuses on the metabolic, hormonal, and neural regulation of appetite, food intake, and body weight in overweight and obese men and women across the lifespan-with current emphasis on adolescents. Dr. Leidy received her BS in Biology (with Teaching Certification in Biology & General Science) from Shippensburg University (1996) and taught junior-high biology in the PA public school system for several years. She then went on to complete her MS (2000) and PhD (2004) work in the Inter-departmental Physiology Program at Penn State University. Before coming to KUMC, Dr. Leidy completed a post-doctoral fellowship in the Ingestive Behavior Research Center and the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University.

APPLICATION PERSPECTIVE: Diet and environmental factors contributing to obesity
James Hollis, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition
Iowa State University

James Hollis, PhD joined the faculty in the Food Science and Human Nutrition department at Iowa State University in August 2008. Dr Hollis' research interests relate to the sensory perception of food and how this influences eating behavior and body weight throughout the lifespan. Dr Hollis received His BSc (hons) in Human Nutrition and Food Science from Oxford Brookes University. He went on to complete his PhD in Biological Sciences at the same institution. Dr Hollis conducted Post-Doctoral research in the Foods and Nutrition Department at Purdue University.