Dr. Donna Ryan

Dr. Ryan received her medical degree from LSU School of Medicine. She is board certified in internal medicine and medical oncology. For the past 19 years she has focused on obesity and nutrition and her research interests include many aspects of obesity management and prevention. She is principal investigator of a U.S. Army Military Nutrition Research grant, and a co-principal investigator on a number of trials including the NIDDK Look AHEAD study that addresses weight loss in persons with type 2 diabetes. Her most recent research interest has been practical (or pragmatic) clinical trials to evaluate weight loss in routine medical practice, and she has one study funded by the state insurance company for Louisiana that is ongoing.

Dr. Ryan is the author of over 100 articles on obesity. She is also interested in training primary care physicians to effectively manage obesity and is a frequent participant in continuing education programs targeting improvement of health professionals' skills in obesity management.