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Dr. Robert
Rosati
Dr. Robert A. Rosati is the Director of The Rice Diet
Program, Associate Professor Emeritus of Medicine at
Duke University and is Board Certified in Cardiology
and Internal Medicine.
Originally from NYC, he attended Phillips Andover Academy
and graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of
Science in Biochemistry. He attended and interned at
Duke Medical School, and joined the faculty in 1971.
His early years at Duke were spent developing a medical
information system to record the experience of Duke
cardiologists with patients undergoing cardiac catheterization
or admission to the coronary care unit. Each patient
was followed on a regular basis. Using the system, the
doctor can say "I've got a patient who has this,
this and this"; and, the computer system can tell
him what has happened to patients similar to his new
patient treated either medically or surgically. This
system now contains over 5000 patients. Dr. Rosati achieved
international recognition for the medical information
system, for the standard that he set in clinical research
and for his investigations of the effect of aortocoronary
bypass surgery on the course of patients with ischemic
heart disease.
He has published more than ninety studies in the medical
literature and began a training program to teach doctors
to do clinical research that continues today. Dr. Rosati
was the Director of Duke's Ischemic Heart Disease Special
Center of Research, one of nine multidisciplinary centers
funded by the National Heart Institute. He has served
as a consultant to the Health Sciences Technology Institute,
and has been elected to the prestigious American Society
of Clinical Investigation. He is also a Fellow of the
American College of Physicians. Dr Rosati has successfully
worked with thousands of patients at The Rice Diet Program
and continues to be the backbone of the Program.
He was made Associate Professor of Medicine in 1977.
In 1982, convinced that bypass surgery and angioplasty
were not the answer to coronary heart disease, he became
Director of DUPAC, Duke's cardiac rehabilitation program.
He was quickly convinced that diet was the key to preventing
or reversing heart disease and so began to work with
Dr. Walter Kempner in 1983. After ten years under Dr.
Kempner's tutelage, Dr. Rosati has accumulated a vast
experience using the Diet in the prevention and treatment
of kidney disease, heart disease, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia,
diabetes and obesity. He became Director of the Kempner
Clinic and the Rice Diet Program in 1991.
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Dr. Francis A. Neelon
Endocrinologist and Associate Professor Emeritus of
Medicine at Duke University Medical Center
Dr. Frank Neelon, the Medical Director of the Rice
Diet Program since 1995, is an Associate Professor
Emeritus of Medicine at Duke University and is Board
Certified in Endocrinology and Internal Medicine.
Dr. Neelon grew up just north of Boston, MA, received
a BS from Boston College, and an MD from Harvard
Medical School. His clinical training was all at
Duke University Medical Center, interspersed with
three years in the Laboratory of General and Comparative
Biochemistry at the National Institute of Mental
Health in Bethesda, MD.
Dr. Neelon, who has published more than 100 papers
in the scientific and medical literature, served
for 10 years as Editor of The North Carolina Medical
Journal, five years as Chief of the Division of Endocrinology
at Duke University Medical Center, and is an active
member of seven medical societies. He is the second
Vice-President of the American Osler Society.
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Joy Anandi
Joy has practiced and taught all levels of yoga for
over 30years. As a survivor of two bouts of cancer,
using both traditional and alternative treatments, she
has dedicated her life to sharing her experiences and
knowledge to awaken the healing powers inside to heal
body, mind and spirit. In 1989, Joy took a four year
sabbatical study with Kali Ray, living the lifestyle
of a yogini, using a vegan diet as medicine for prevention
of cancer and other life threatening illnesses. Kali
Ray is a world renowned yogini and founder of Kali TriYoga
International. Joy has created FLOWING GENTLE PATH YOGA,
a healing system for chair bound people, using pranayama
(breath regulation) and hatha yoga (physical exercise).
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As Program Coordinator for the Rice Diet Program
for over a decade, Jayne works with Dr. Rosati's research study, following 1500 patients over a 10 year period. She also works closely with the medical staff to ensure patients attending the program in Durham have an easy transition to optimize their experience and success. In addition, Jayne oversees media relations, the Rice Diet website, staff computer support and Program email.
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Dr.
Jay Dunbar is Director of the Magic
Tortoise School located in the Research Triangle area.
The school offers classes, workshops, private tutoring
and teacher training in taijiquan, qigong, and related
studies. Jay’s dissertation (Ph.D., Education, UNC-1991)
was on taijiquan instruction in America. He has served
as chief judge of forms and push-hands in numerous
tournaments. He is a senior student of the late Grandmaster
Jou, Tsung Hwa.
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Patricia Esperon
Patricia Esperon, MSW, LCSW is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Duke University. She received a Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1991, where she received the Katherine Banham scholarship for her work in the area of mental health. Ms. Esperon has been a therapist and lecturer on numerous topics associated with weight management such as Perfectionism, Weight and Sexuality, and Binge Eating. She is currently in private practice and is a regular lecturer at the Rice Diet Program.
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Jeffrey
M. Georgi
Jeffrey M. Georgi, M.Div., M.A.H., CCAS, LPC, CGP comes
to the Rice Diet Program from Duke University Medical
Center where he served as the clinical director of the
Duke Addictions Program. During his two decades
at the medical Center, Jeff held clinical appointments
in the departments of Surgery, Obstetrics, and Psychiatry.
He is a clinical associate in the department of Behavioral
Medicine as well as a faculty member of the Duke University
School of Nursing. Although primarily known for
his work in the field of addictions Jeff is also a national
trainer and respected author in the areas of clinical
spirituality, ethics, the clinical applications of our
growing understanding of the brain and Bio/Psycho/Socio/Spiritual
model of health and disease. He has contributed
to a number of Treatment Improvement Protocols, which
are seen as the best practice guidelines by the Center
for Substance Abuse Treatment, Washington D.C.
In addition to his clinical work Jeff is also an ordained
Episcopal priest, husband and father of four adult children.
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Ronnie
Kolotkin, Ph.D.
Dr. Ronette "Ronnie" Kolotkin is a psychologist specializing in weight and eating issues. Ronnie’s interest in obesity began in childhood when, as a fat kid, she experienced teasing and ridicule from others. In addition to working with clients for over 20 years, she is an internationally recognized obesity researcher who has published over 40 scientific articles and given numerous talks on obesity and quality of life at national and international meetings. For over 15 years, Ronnie directed the psychological component (Behavioral Health Program) at Duke University’s Diet and Fitness Center. Dr. Kolotkin also developed the most widely used weight-related questionnaire used in clinical trials for overweight persons. She both practices and teaches a wide array of mind/body skills that facilitate maintenance of a healthy weight and lifestyle.
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Susan Levy
As manager of the Rice Diet Store, Susan oversees an
important educational component of the Rice Diet Program.
Her classes include low fat, low sodium tastings, various
cooking classes and one-on-one discussions to help
educate patient to better understand the many healthy,
nutritional options that are available when they
return home. In addition, she also teaches meditation
and yoga at the Rice House, publishes the Rice Diet
newsletter, coordinates the Rice Diet Italy trips and
administers the Tele-Class Program.
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Staff Assistant. On June 15, 2004 Judy celebrated 40 years with the Rice Diet Program.
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Kitty Gurkin Rosati, M.S., R.D., L.D.N., has specialized
in the prevention and reversal of heart disease and
other chronic diseases, with over 13 years of professional
experience with cardiac and drug rehabilitation. Her
work experiences also include teaching nutrition to
dental students at the U.N.C. at Chapel Hill, to IBM
executives in the NC Research Triangle, and to patients
in private practice. After years in cardiac rehabilitation,
she published her successful consulting nutrition efforts
in implementing a reversal cardiac diet in the Journal
of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation. She is a Registered
Dietitian involved in preventing and reversing heart
disease through a healing of not only the physical,
but of the emotional and spiritual self as well.
Kitty is author of the book HEAL YOUR HEART: "The New Rice Diet Program for Reversing Heart Disease Through Nutrition, Exercise, and Spiritual Renewal" and THE RICE DIET COOKBOOK and along with Dr. Rosati is co-author of THE RICE DIET SOLUTION: The World-Famous Low-Sodium, Good-Carb, Detox Diet for Quick and Lasting Weight Loss.
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Ryan Sobus
Ryan Summerford Sobus, MPH, RD, LDN obtained a Master’s of Public Health degree from the Department of Nutrition at UNC-Chapel Hill in August of 2005. She currently serves as the dietitian for the internationally recognized Rice Diet Program in Durham. Here, she facilitates individual and group counseling sessions, programs, and workshops focusing on lifestyle changes and weight management. Previously, Ryan worked with Wake-Med Hospital to co-coordinate a lifestyle intervention program targeting families with overweight children and adolescents. While enrolled in the graduate program at UNC-Chapel Hill, she served as the Employee Fitness Program Coordinator for the university, and was responsible for conducting events to foster growth in health and wellness among faculty and staff members. She is passionate about nutrition education, and wishes to empower individuals to take control of their health through knowledge, motivation, and the effective implementation of daily lifestyle changes.
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Bobbie Stanford
Bobbie Stanford, RD, LDN is a consulting nutritionist who has been practicing for over 20 years in the Chapel Hill-Durham area. She received her BS degree from UNC-Greensboro in 1978 and then completed a traineeship to become a Registered Dietitian in 1980. Bobbie teaches nutrition classes and consults with patients in the Aftercare program.
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