Barbara M. Ainsley, DTR

Barbara Ainsley began working with Dr. Blackburn in 1980, soon after graduating from Laboure College's Dietetic Technology Program. She has worked with Dr. Blackburn in several different capacities: a diet technician on the Nutrition Support Service where she cared for critically ill patients, a research assistant where she collected data for research studies, and most recently as his assistant/office manager, where she is essential to the functioning of the CSNM. She is an ongoing member of the American Dietetic Association. With the experience gained from her many roles as wife, mother, dietetic professional and family "cook," Barbara's input to the recipes section of Break Through Your Set Point was invaluable. Barbara enjoys being with her family, cooking, and sewing.

David Blackburn, MALD
Executive Director, Nutrition & Health Partnership

David Blackburn is the Executive Director of the not-for-profit organization, Nutrition & Health Partnership. Nutrition & Health Partnership initiatives and activities have seek to promote practical solutions to individuals, families and communities to improve health through nutrition and active living. These initiatives include

As Executive Director of the Nutrition & Health Partnership, Mr. Blackburn has devoted considerable effort to researching the economics of obesity treatment and ways to integrate weight management services within the existing healthcare system. These efforts have sought to incorporate the objectives and concerns of healthcare providers, employers and health plans.

David obtained his BA in Political Science from the University of Kansas and his Masters in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University.

Rita Buckley, MBA

Rita earned her bachelor's degree in Public Relations from Boston University College of Communication, graduating summa cum laude in three years. After receiving her MBA from Northeastern University, she studied writing at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference. Rita is the owner of Buckley/Swartz, a medical and healthcare communications firm. An award-winning freelance medical writer, she started her career in business journalism. In 1996, under the tutelage of Dr. Blackburn, she transitioned to medical writing and has been at it ever since - and happily so. Rita is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. She's currently at work on a nonfiction book called Fat in America. Her interests include skiing, jogging, playing the violin, and adding new words to her vocabulary.

Katie Burton-Wang, BS

Katie Burton-Wang was a research assistant for Dr. Blackburn and worked with the team to gather research, edit drafts, and provide logistical support. Prior to her work with Dr. Blackburn, she participated in research on Alzheimer's Disease and worked for a Boston-area nonprofit organization. She is a graduate of Harvard University and currently attends Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. In her spare time, Katie loves to read, cook, knit, and spend time outside with her husband and dog.

Kristina Spellman, RD, LD

Kristina received her bachelors degree in Nutritional Science at the University of New Hampshire. She then went on to complete her dietetic internship there as well. Kristina has worked in the field of nutrition in a variety of capacities, which include clinical nutrition, outpatient medical nutrition therapy, bariatric nutrition therapy and now research. During the development of Break Through Your Set Point, Kristina served as a resource for the food and nutrition related content. She enjoyed being a part of this exciting project. She continues to get great joy out of seeing her patients thrive while using the strategies described in the book. In her free time, Kristina enjoys traveling with her fiancé Jackson, spending time outdoors and working out.

Shannon Fischer, MA

Shannon received her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Amherst College. She earned her master's degree at Northeastern University where she investigated the neurobiology of aggression in a behavioral neuroscience lab. With her master's work completed, Shannon turned her focus to writing when she began to freelance as a science writer and copyeditor. Hoping to further develop her abilities to convey science and health research to the public, Shannon began working as a research assistant for Dr. Blackburn at the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine. She has greatly enjoyed the opportunity to participate first hand in the development of Break Through Your Set Point which has allowed her to expand her expertise in both communication and research. Later this year, Shannon plans to attend Boston University's masters program for science and medical journalism. In her spare time, she enjoys mixed martial arts, books and foreign languages

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Isaac Greenberg, PhD
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine

Dr. Greenberg received his Ph.D. in Psychology from Syracuse University in 1973 and completed his post-doctoral work at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School in Belmont, Massachusetts. Dr. Greenberg is involved in weight management issues from both a research and a treatment perspective and has co-authored many papers in this field. Recently, he was asked to head a committee for the Betsy Lehman Center for Public Safety and Medical Error Reduction for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The paper this committee produced will set the standards for Behavioral/Psychological care in bariatric surgery programs. At present, Dr. Greenberg heads up a team of Psychologists at Tufts Medical Center assessing and treating obese subjects in a bariatric surgery setting. He is also involved in a National Institute of Health study looking into the effects of long-term calorie reduction on health measures related to aging.

Anne M. McNamara, RN

Anne McNamara received a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from Wheeling Jesuit University and attended New England Baptist Hospital School of Nursing. She has worked as a mental health counselor and organ transplant coordinator before entering the field of clinical research, coordinating studies using antibiotic impregnated cement in total hip arthroplasties, as well as pharmaceutical trials in rheumatology. Since 1984 Anne has worked with Dr. Blackburn in the area of obesity research and treatment, participating in clinical trials, and developing treatment protocols for patients with obesity and related diseases. Currently, Anne is a member of the Bariatric Surgery team of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center since 1999, and concurrently works in research at Joslin Diabetes Center. Anne has served as faculty on a number of Continuing Medical Education courses, has been a contributing author of a Nutrition Handbook chapter on obesity, and has served as co-chair for nursing on an expert panel for patient safety in bariatric surgery. Anne enjoys spending time with her family and friends, working in her garden at her seaside home and assisting local stranding networks with sea mammal monitoring and rescue.

Susan Morreale

After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in nutrition and business from Keene State College in 1987, Susan's 20 year work experience in nutrition gravitated to layout and design work. She recently advanced her skills by attending the graphic design certificate program at the Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University. Susan is an expert PowerPoint specialist, and enjoys expressing concepts visually. She contributed to several of the graphs and images in Break Through Your Set Point, and has worked with Dr. Blackburn for the past 10 years.

Daniel S. Rooks, PhD, FACSM

Dan received his masters degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Michigan and his doctorate in Applied Anatomy and Physiology from Boston University. He is Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Dan's research has focused on developing and testing exercise programs for improving health, function and quality of life in people with conditions related to aging, musculoskeletal illness, joint replacement and weight management. While working with Dr. Blackburn in the Center for the Study of Nutrition Medicine examining the role of exercise in weight management surgery, Dan served as a resource for and reviewer of the exercise material in Break Through Your Set Point. He recently left full time academic medicine and is the Associate Director of Musculoskeletal Diseases in Translational Medicine at the Novartis Institutes of BioMedical Research. Dan enjoys skiing and hiking with his wife and two children and fly fishing.

Belinda Waltman, BS

Belinda Waltman received her bachelor's degree in Human Biology from Brown University. She conducted metabolic research as a Fulbright scholar in Australia and basic research on the molecular mechanisms of insulin resistance at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Seeking to help translate the increasing scientific insights of body weight regulation into practical prescriptions for patients, she worked as Dr. Blackburn's research assistant on Break Through Your Set Point. Her favorite aspect of the book was seeing Dr. Blackburn's enthusiasm and encouragement with his patients and witnessing their successes. Belinda is now a medical student at Harvard Medical School. She enjoys biking, yoga, and cooking.