About Us

Director

Kamal Patel, MBA, MPH, PhD(c) in nutrition

Kamal is cofounder and director of Examine. He holds two master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University, in business and in public health, and is on hiatus from a PhD in nutrition for which he investigated links between diet and chronic pain. He’s published peer-reviewed articles on vitamin D and calcium, as well as on a variety of clinical research topics, and was recognized by Men's Health UK in 2020 as one of the most influential men in health and fitness. He’s also been involved in research on fructose and liver health, on nutrition in low-income areas, and on mindfulness meditation.

Bill Willis, PhD in biomedical science

An avid member of the fitness industry for many years, Bill is a postdoctoral fellow at the Ohio State University, where he’s researching the role of metabolic stress in the control of protein synthesis and inflammation.

Gabrielle Fundaro, BS in exercise, sport, and health education; PhD in human nutrition, foods, and exercise

Gabrielle completed a BS in exercise, sport, and health education before earning her PhD in human nutrition, foods, and exercise at Virginia Tech by studying the effects of probiotics on metabolism and inflammation.

After four years as an assistant professor of exercise science, she left academia to work full-time as a nutrition coach and international speaker. She also started a lifestyle-coaching telehealth business and, with fellow nutrition coach Shannon Beer, authored a series of articles intended to enhance coaching practices and promote industry conversations by bridging ideological gaps with shared meaning and deeper understanding of how and why people change. This article series led to the development of an integrative coaching framework and ongoing webinar series. Four years later, she transitioned to running her telehealth business full-time and began writing for Examine, aligning herself with her mission to help people live authentically and make informed decisions.

Gabrielle loves to spend time in the Arizona mountains, hit the weights, and train her smarty-pants Australian Shepherd, Shay.

Nick Milazzo, MSc in medical science, MPH

After studying chemistry and biochemistry at Middlebury College as an undergraduate, Nick earned a master’s degree in medical science and public health from the University of Vermont. He is fascinated by the art and science of human improvement, especially as seen through the lenses of medicine, nutrition, fitness, and mindfulness. His Examine duties include analyzing research data and leading the team of researchers working on the Study Summaries. In his spare time, Nick practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and plays chess and the guitar.

Marina Shkayeva, PharmD

Marina obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and completed a drug-information residency with a focus on natural medicine research. Afterward, she spent a number of years working in community pharmacy and writing for Natural Medicines. Marina is passionate about preventive care, evidence-based nutrition, and gerontology (the study of aging). In her spare time, she dances ’Froca and samba, cycles, practices yoga, and tries to increase her consumption of fatty fish.

Rachel Hathcock, BSN, RN

After receiving her BSN, Rachel became a registered nurse and certified research associate. She worked in a variety of clinical settings (with a special focus on emergency medicine), while also managing phase IV research projects and manuscript publications. Outside of work, you might find her trail running, reading a book, or singing a Disney song.

Antonis Damianou, MSc

Having worked as a personal trainer, online coach, and fitness writer for a decade, Antonis is especially interested in the art and science of optimizing body composition, maximizing physical performance, and maintaining good health. After three years of working as a part-time researcher for Examine, he has gone on to become a full-time team member. When he is not geeking out over the latest nutrition and supplementation research, Antonis enjoys hitting the weights, taking nature walks in his sunny home country of Cyprus, and playing video games.

Michael Murray, RDN, CSCS, CISSN

Mike is a registered dietitian, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and sports nutritionist with a Bachelor of Science in nutrition from La Salle University. After years of being led astray by popular bro-scientists in the fitness industry, Mike became engrossed in scientific research to optimize his progress as a bodybuilder and help others achieve their health and body-composition goals. Outside of work, you can find him lifting weights in his basement or cleaning plate after plate at an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet.

Morgan Pfiffner, MS in Nutrition

An interest in understanding the relationship between diet and disease led Morgan to obtain a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a master’s degree in nutrition. He is propelled by a passion for the science of health and often struggles to balance a desire for definitive answers with his natural skepticism. He lives in the Pacific Northwest, where his hobbies include traversing forests and making music.

Meredith Yetter

From managing a supplement store in the late 1990s to blogging about health and fitness in the late 2000s, Meredith has been a bit of a nutrition autodidact for over twenty years. She subscribes to way too many health-related newsletters and Facebook groups. A lover of PubMed rabbit holes, Meredith is in the process of investigating some of her family members’ undiagnosed chronic conditions. When she isn’t lifting weights in her basement, Meredith is parenting two sons, caring for a flock of chickens, and taking long walks with her dog. Her husband’s career has given her family the opportunity to live in the most beautiful parts of the United States.

Wyatt Brown

Searching for ways to improve his health and frequently confused by the conflicting messages from publications and popular authors, Wyatt dove head first into the scientific research and became fascinated by its logic and methods. Contributing to his most respected website has only intensified his interest and motivated him to pursue an education in nutrition. His other interests are too many to count and go through cycles, but music and the natural world are common themes.

Daniel Feldman, RD, MS in human nutrition, NASM CPT

Dan is a registered dietitian and personal trainer, with a Bachelor of Science in dietetics and a Master of Science in human nutrition. When he’s not analyzing nutrition research for Examine or helping others improve their diet and exercise habits, you can find him jamming on the piano or the acoustic guitar, or telling everyone how cool his dog is.

Louie Neri, BSN with Research Distinction, RN

Louie has long struggled with chronic illnesses that doctors could neither explain nor cure. His desire to improve his own health led to his passion for learning the intricacies of medicine and nutrition science.

As an Undergraduate Research Scholar at the Audie Murphy VA Hospital and the Barshop Institute, he published research on nutritional interventions to prevent cognitive decline and strokes. He received his BSN with a Distinction in Research from UT Health San Antonio and is currently a registered nurse working in oncology at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital.

Louie plans on pursuing an MPH in biostatistics and epidemiology. When he isn’t nerding out on all things nutrition, you can find him figuring out the best ways to make coffee or diving deep into the world of philosophy.

Lucas Roldos, MSc, PhD(c) in human nutrition

Lucas is coordinating a clinical trial involving phytochemicals, gut microbiota, and skin health for his PhD in nutrition at McGill University, where he also coordinates a soccer league and works as a teaching assistant. He believes that education and behavioral change benefit both the self (by improving mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep) and other people (by promoting responsible social and environmental behaviors). If he’s not discussing a new study or woodworking, he’s probably walking his pup, playing sports, trying to repurpose trash, or yelling at children for littering.

Thomas Reichhart, MSc in biochemistry, PhD(c) in biomolecular technology

Thomas, a former natural bodybuilder, received his BSc and MSc in biochemistry from Goethe University Frankfurt. After a deep dive into biomedical research at a leading MedTech company, he moved to Vienna to pursue a PhD in biomolecular technology. As part of his doctoral research, he’s currently engineering enzymes to use as biocatalysts for implantable glucose sensors. Outside of work, he can be found enjoying a game of recreational chess and a cup of Ethiopian coffee in a Viennese café.

Adel Moussa, MSc in physics, M.Ed.

Adel discovered his passion for the science of sports and nutrition when he was a student at the University of Münster, where he later worked as a professor.

A self-declared natural-born educator, Adel jumped at the chance to “graduate” from running his blog, SuppVersity, to contributing to Examine. He started as a reviewer for the Examine Research Digest (ERD, later NERD, later Study Deep Dives) and is now working on the website and Supplement Guides.

When he’s not data-hunting on PubMed or Google Scholar, Adel spends his time “applying his research” at the gym and in the kitchen and cultivating friendships with people who are into health and fitness and with people who are not.

Stephan Guyenet, BS in biochemistry, PhD in neuroscience

Stephan earned a BS in biochemistry at the University of Virginia, then completed a PhD and postdoctoral fellowship in neuroscience at the University of Washington. After doing neuroscience and obesity research for twelve years, he now focuses more directly on improving public health via science communication. He’s particularly interested in the role of the brain in eating behavior and body fatness, and in using emerging evidence to understand, prevent, and treat obesity. He’s the founder and director of Red Pen Reviews, a nonprofit organization that publishes structured expert reviews of popular nutrition books. In his free time, he enjoys being outdoors, growing food, and woodworking.

Natalka Roshak, AB in philosophy and mathematics

Natalka is a Canadian author, translator, and all-around nerd with a lifelong interest in research. Among other things, she has: studied philosophy and math at Harvard; programmed, administered, and fixed databases; authored over 100 technical articles; blogged for a Fortune 500; and written award-winning fiction.

Detrick Snyder, RDN, MPH in human nutrition

Detrick is a Denver-based dietitian who uses his expertise in clinical research, public health, and evidence-based food-as-medicine practices to provide the most relevant, accurate, and actionable health information on the internet. After he completed a bachelor’s degree in musicology and abandoned a degree in chemistry, his culinary, health, and research interests led him to the University of Michigan for a degree in public health with a focus on human nutrition. When he’s not nerding out about nutrition science, you’ll find him cooking home-grown vegetables, scaling mountains (preferably with pedal power), or meditating in the desert.

Henry Wideman, BA in writing

Henry began analyzing research to improve his health, then combined this new passion with his background in writing to produce content for Examine. When he’s not working, you can find him debating the nutritional content of raisins with his bunny.

Shayne McKee, BS in biomedical science, PharmD

After receiving his bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from the University of Central Florida, Shayne went on to receive his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida. He’s passionate about medicine, health, science, and his patients. His primary interests are oncology, hematology, neurology, cardiology, and investigational drug research. While he’s a developing expert in the field of medicine, he firmly believes that lifestyle changes (changes to one’s diet and exercise habits, notably) are often the best way to improve one’s health. In his free time, he enjoys reading nonfiction, weightlifting, and practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Zia Poonja, BSc in physiology, MD

Zia completed his undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Saskatchewan and his residency in internal medicine at the University of Alberta. In 2015, after a two-year oncology fellowship, he became a medical oncologist at the University of British Columbia, where he’s now involved in research, clinical trials, and medical education. He founded Healthspan in 2021 to share the latest insights on preventive medicine. He loves powerlifting, discussing health optimization, and being the father of two wonderful children.

Brady Holmer, BS in exercise science, PhD(c) in applied physiology and kinesiology

Brady earned his bachelor’s degree (with honors) from Northern Kentucky University and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Florida, where he’s researching the effects of exercise and sleep deprivation on cardiovascular health. His other research interests include low-carb/keto diets, intermittent fasting, and how lifestyle can be used to optimize performance, health, and longevity.

He’s a former Division I collegiate runner and is still an “endurance junkie” who loves to rack up miles on a run or bicycle. Brady spends his free time working on his podcast (Science & Chill) or hanging out with his wife and dog at breweries, where he often plays Scrabble. He also loves reading, but the “unread” section of his bookshelf grows faster than the “read” section.

His comfort foods are a spoonful of peanut butter, chili (no beans!), ribeye steak, and dark chocolate (especially when dipped in peanut butter).

Molly Gregas, PhD in biomedical engineering with a minor in biophysics

Molly’s wide-ranging interests in science and communication stem from growing up in a family of writers, teachers, and athletes, which led to participation in team sports, music, and dance and an interest in math and science. She earned her PhD in biomedical engineering with a secondary concentration in biophysics from Duke University while also auditing classes in the dance department and spent several years in research before immersing herself in a variety of science-related communication, publishing, and outreach initiatives.

Working as a STEM editor for academic authors and publishers allowed her to merge her various skill sets and contribute to improving research communication. She enjoys the gratifying process of making highly technical information accessible and readable for a broader audience. Outside of work, she stubbornly insists on her pursuit of a quiet renaissance life in a time of loud specialization.

Pierre-Alexandre Sicart, AA in English, PhD in French Literature

Pierre-Alexandre holds doctoral degrees from the University of Toulouse II and New York University. At NYU, he was MVP then captain of the Taekwondo Club, president of the Karate Club, and founder of the Martial Arts Club. After graduation, he wrote a grammar book, then found himself working as assistant professor of French in Taiwan. After some years enjoying the best foods in Asia, he moved back to France to freelance as a writer, translator, and copy editor. He joined Examine in 2015 and is now the company’s resident copy editor.

Dmitri Barvinok, BA in journalism

Dmitri Barvinok graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University. He is passionate about fighting misinformation in the media and works to bridge the gap between science writing and journalism. He is a recreational strongman and enjoys pressing heavy objects overhead.

Jennifer Hoffner, BA in communications/advertising

Jenn earned her degree in copywriting (“communications/advertising”) at Rowan University but soon realized that, rather than creating content, she preferred channeling her OCD to make other people’s writing the best it could be. She started out by copyediting books and health magazines before working as a copy editor for a marketing department. After years spent helping peddle trendy diets and advice, she was happy to make her way back to integrity and true science by joining Examine. Her passion for health research comes from her body being a living illustration of Murphy’s Law: her multiple medical anomalies have made her want to explore health issues on a deeper level.

Rob Stenstrom, MD, PhD, completed his medical training at McMaster University and Family and Emergency Medicine residency at the University of Ottawa. He also holds a PhD in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McGill University.

He has been the Research Director for the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Paul’s Hospital since 2005, and is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians Critical Care Committee, and has been involved in the development of guidelines for the use of therapeutic hypothermia post-cardiac arrest and the management and treatment of severe sepsis in the emergency department. Research interests include severe sepsis and septic shock in the emergency department, MRSA and bacterial resistance, pneumonia, HIV point-of-care testing, and skin and soft tissue infections in the emergency department.

Shyam Jayaraman, MD, completed his residency training in general surgery at Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN) and Anne Arundel Medical Center (Annapolis, MD). He’s currently in practice in Maryland as a general surgeon with a focus on complex abdominal-wall reconstruction. He often nerds out on peer-reviewed research on nutrition, exercise, sleep, and their interplay in physical and cognitive performance and aging. The rest of his spare time is spent on personal health and fitness, cooking, reading fiction, and playing pool or Texas hold’em.

Pablo Sanchez Soria, PhD, received his doctoral degree in Pharmacology & Toxicology, and his bachelor's degree with a double major in Nutritional Sciences and Microbiology from the University of Arizona. He works as a toxicologist evaluating the relationship between chemical exposures and disease. He has research experience in the fields of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as virology, and plant biology, bringing with him a unique set of expertise to the team. Pablo enjoys weightlifting and taking part in multiple recreational sports and outdoor activities. While earning his bachelor's degree, he was a competitive cyclist, at the local, regional and national levels. He also enjoys spending time wrenching and tweaking his car to compete in track racing events as the occasional weekend warrior.

Cassandra Forsythe, PhD, RD, received her doctorate in kinesiology from the University of Connecticut, and completed her dietetic internship at UMass Amherst, both in 2009. She works as a nutrition educator and weight loss coach and is the author of two popular books for women: "The New Rules of Lifting for Women", co-authored with Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove, and "Women's Health Perfect Body Diet". She has been featured in Women's Health and Men's Health, and made appearances on The Biggest Loser. She is a Registered Dietitian (RD), certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and is a Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN) through the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN).

Calla Lee, Graphic designer & user-experience researcher, BDes in visual communication, MDes in strategic foresight & innovation

Calla started her career as a visual designer, but she quickly became fascinated by the world of systems design, futures design, and design research methods. Her fascination for how things connect and change has allowed her to work in a variety of sectors, notably the food, cannabis, non-profit, and sustainability sectors. She uses her background in graphic design to visualize everything from social media posts to complex system maps.

Calla loves all things cuddly, yummy, and related to nature. When she’s not working, you can usually find her having a picnic with her dog in a park somewhere.

Debbie Young, Customer Support

After a career in the beauty industry, Debbie found herself immersed in the world of health and fitness due to a health issue. Blogging and guest blogging led to new friendships, including with Sol and Kamal. At the time, she worked in customer support for online health companies but longed to support real science based on solid research. Examine has been the perfect fit as she loves helping out both our incredible team and our customers. When not working, she can be found walking Malcolm the wonder dog or training for her next 5k race in the wilds of Southern California.

Director of Strategy

Sol Orwell has a different story than most. Dabbling in web development while still in high school, he found he had a knack for building websites that were both useful and popular. He incorporated his first business while still studying computer engineering at the University of Toronto.

In his mid-20s, he opted to retire, freeing up time to do what he wanted, when he wanted. Transforming from fat to fit, he began to investigate the whys and hows behind nutrition, health, and fitness. It was this research that led to Examine, the culmination of thousands of hours of research into anatomy and nutrition.

Jernon Magcalas, Developer

Jernon Magcalas is in love with technology and adventure. He started in e-commerce platform and is now part of the tech team at Examine, where he makes sure everything functions as expected. When not working, he’s out exploring places — he loves traveling.

Munzir Rosdi, Developer

Although Munzir studied graphics and multimedia in college, his passion has always been for computers and programming. First hired by Sol in the early 2000s for a previous business, Munzir has nearly two decades of experience in ensuring that large and complex systems run smoothly. When not busy improving the Examine website, Munzir is an avid stargazer and video gamer, making his nightowl tendencies a perfect fit.

Roc Chan, Operations, BEng in bioengineering, MSc in material science

Roc never stopped asking “Why?” since he first understood the word. Bumping into Examine’s ethos for upholding logic and truth gave him the Why of wanting to help. He holds a BEng in bioengineering and an MSc in material science from University of Guelph. When away from the keyboard, he likes to doodle and pester his friends with silly questions that make them ask, “Why, Roc, why?”

Gillian Mandich finished her doctoral studies at Western University in Health and Rehabilitation Science with the International Centre for Health Innovation Research at the Richard Ivey School of Business. Gillian Mandich's research examined health promotion, specifically physical activity, childhood obesity, nutrition, sustainable happiness, and diabetes. Prior to her PhD studies, Gillian worked in public health at the Middlesex-London Health Unit and received her Master's degree from Western University.

Tavis Piattoly, MS, RD, LDN, is co-founder and Director of Sports Nutrition education for My Sports Dietitian, an online sports nutrition education company that helps High School and College Athletes through the guidance of a Licensed Sports Dietitian.

He is the Sports Dietitian and Nutrition Consultant for Tulane University Athletic Department, Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine’s NFL Players Association Brain and Body program, Fairchild Sports Performance in Houston, and Traction Center for Sports Excellence. He was the Sports Dietitian for the New Orleans Saints from 2006-2013 and New Orleans Pelicans from 2008-2013. He’s been fortunate to work with training expert Mackie Shilstone and designed the nutrition programs for boxing champions Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. along with working with Olympic, NFL, MLB, and NBA athletes to various college and high school programs.

Bryan Chung, MD, PhD, is a methodologist who improves people’s relationship with science

After obtaining his MSc from McGill University in Rehabilitation Science in Biomechanics, he went on to earn his PhD at the Sport Medicine Centre at the University of Calgary, focusing on research methods and biostatistics in musculoskeletal health, followed by his MD, also at the University of Calgary. He completed his residency training in Plastic Surgery at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia and his fellowship in Hand Surgery at NYU. He is currently in practice as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon. Bryan is a research methodologist who has won research awards at both international sport medicine and plastic surgery meetings. He sits on the editorial board for the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine and is a peer-reviewer for several journals, as well as the Cochrane Collaboration, which publishes the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

Lou Schuler is a National Magazine Award-winning journalist and editorial director of the Personal Trainer Development Center. He’s the former fitness editor for both Men's Fitness and Men's Health, as well as the author of many popular nutrition and fitness books, including the New Rules of Lifting series, which he wrote with Alwyn Cosgrove.

Emma-Leigh Synnott, MBBS, graduated in medicine from Sydney University, and is currently undertaking specialist physician training in Rehabilitation Medicine. She is a certified Sports Nutrition Specialist with the International Society of Sports Nutrition, and is an accredited Australian Strength and Conditioning Association Level 1 Strength and Conditioning Coach.

Since 2005, Emma-Leigh has run a performance and lifestyle consulting service, providing an integrated, balanced and sustainable approach to training, diet and lifestyle, whilst optimizing physical performance, body composition, and health. Her other experience includes observation in the Biochemistry and Nutrition Labs at the University of Sydney, and assisting in research at the Diabetes and Obesity Unit of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research. Prior to studying medicine, Emma-Leigh completed a degree in Veterinary Science (Hon I, and awarded the University Medal), and a Certificate III in Fitness.

Peter J. Woolf PhD's research spans the fields of machine learning, bioinformatics, biological engineering, and biostatistics. He has authored over 30 peer reviewed scientific articles. Dr. Woolf received his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan, followed by postdoctoral work in developmental biology and biological engineering at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Woolf was a faculty member in chemical and bioengineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, until in 2010 he left to found two companies, Foodwiki and ExtraorDNA.