Leadership

---

 Jordyn Forsyth is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE). She completed the certificate for Adult Weight Management Level 2 and received the Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2014. She currently serves as President of the Houston Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Jordyn focuses on debunking nutrition myths and diet fads, while teaching people how to eat real, healthy foods in a manner that is scientifically proven to prevent disease and improve wellbeing. Her passion is assisting others to feel healthier, live healthier and to embrace the many wonderful benefits of eating great tasting, nourishing foods.  

 Dr. Jose Garcia, MD, is an Associate Professor Medicine-Endocrinology Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.  His professional interests include muscle wasting and cachexia, Ghrelin and GF/IGF-1 axis, and testosterone and hypogonadism.  His current research focuses on the role of ghrelin and other anabolic pathways in different wasting conditions. His group is currently involved in several human trials using different anabolic therapies for the treatment of wasting as well as in the development of different animal models to unravel the physiology of wasting and the mechanisms of action of different potential therapies.  

 Chad Lemaire, MD, is a staff psychiatrist and Associate Medical Director of Behavioral Health at Legacy Community Health Services. After working as a pediatric nurse, mainly in oncology, Dr. Lemaire attended medical school at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. After deciding to pursue a career in psychiatry, he completed his psychiatric residency training at BCM as well. Dr. Lemaire has received numerous awards over the years, but he prefers to be known for his passion for caring for a diverse population of people who often have difficulty accessing health care. A lifelong proponent of physical, mental, and spiritual health, he has a strong belief in the importance of regular exercise in improving quality of life and overall health.  

 Dr. Ludwig is an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the Baylor College of Medicine and treats patients at the Smith Clinic as part of the Harris Health System.  She received her Medical Degree and Master of Public Health degree from Emory University, completed residency in general radiation oncology at MD Anderson and has a Ph.D. in epidemiology from The University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston.   Her practice consists of primarily breast, cervical, and endometrial cancer, and her research interests include cancer prevention, health education and clinical trials focusing on health disparities in the underserved population.  Currently, Dr. Ludwig is researching treatment options for cervical cancer patients who are too sick to receive standard of care therapy.  She volunteers at Casa El Buen Samaritano and is a proponent of treating the whole patient: mind, body, and spirit. 

Yi-Ping Li, Ph.D., is a faculty member at UTHealth Medical School.  Since 1996 his research has been focusing on skeletal muscle metabolism, including the mechanisms of cachexia and muscle regeneration.  He has been the primary investigator on 4 R01 grants from the National Institute of Health in addition to research grants from the American Heart Association and American Lung Association.  He is specialized in the study of cachexia associated with such diseases as cancer, sepsis, diabetes and COPD.  

 Dr. Shannon Schrader is a Primary Care Physician currently in private practice in Houston and also serves as Medical Director at the TAN Clinic in Beaumont; a federally funded clinic that serves HIV affected patients and primary care needs of patients in the Beaumont area.  He also volunteers at Legacy Community Health Services Clinic on a weekly basis.  Dr. Schrader's passion in Medicine is the care of those impacted by HIV  and as his patients live longer, he has shifted his focus to the overall well being of patients by empowering them to live smarter and to engage themselves in a wellness program with exercise and nutrition. 

M. Sandra Scurria, MD is a board certified Family Practice physician who has been in private practice for over 30 years. She sees a diverse group of patients but has a special interest in women’s health.  Currently she is affiliated with MDVIP and has a concierge style practice.  She focuses on wellness, and health and taking a proactive approach to preventing illness. She enjoys spending time with her patients and getting to know them. She believes working together as a partner with each individual patient is the best way to deliver comprehensive and personalized care to her patients. 

Nelson Vergel is a chemical engineer who, by his own necessity, has become a leading advocate for sports nutrition, supplementation, hormone and therapies, and the promotion of wellness. His search for cutting-edge health  knowledge started when he was diagnosed with HIV over 25 years ago during a hopeless era. This life-threatening diagnosis propelled him to explore therapies to save his life and that of his peers by reviewing available literature, attending numerous health conferences, becoming an advocate member of NIH research committees, moderating online groups, and networking with many progressive clinicians. With his survival knowledge he has been able  to help people to lead a healthy life regardless of their health status or background. He is the author of "Testosterone:  A Man' Guide" and co-author of the book "Built to Survive"; the founder of the nonprofit organizations Body Positive Wellness Clinic and "Program for Wellness Restoration"; the Nutrtion and Exercise forum expert at TheBody.com; and a bilingual speaker on body composition, exercise, nutrition, supplementation, testosterone replacement, metabolic disorders, and medication side effect management. His latest project,ExcelMale.com, provides a trusted exchange platform for men's health in a moderated and curated environment.