Operational Staff
Kim S.
Beall
Kim S. Beall, PharmD, received her Doctor of Pharmacy from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and her BS in Pharmacy from Auburn University. She has experience in academics and industry, working at MUSC as part of an Internal Medicine team and serving as adjunct faculty at MUSC College of Pharmacy, then working in Health Sciences with Merck as an academic liaison for those publishing and researching in lipids, hypertension, and heart failure. She has been following research in IBD closely since 2013 with her teenage son's diagnosis of Crohn's disease, and has become committed to the advancement of nutritional therapy as treatment.
Victorien
Madsen
Victorien Madsen has a master's degree in business economics from the University of Maastricht. Having started her career in asset management in New York, the successful treatment of her ulcerative colitis with a therapeutic diet put her on a mission to share her story and help others. She consequently shifted gears towards nutrition and web development with an aim to make nutritional therapy a part of the standard IBD treatment. She started her own Dutch website Curingfood.com - and Facebook group (IBD & Leefstijl) and translated "Breaking the vicious cycle" into Dutch. She believes that Nutritional Therapy is not just about reducing symptoms and possibly medication, it is about improving the quality of life of all IBD patients. Victorien lives in Oegstgeest, the Netherlands, with her husband Chris, and three children.
Maysa
Alzaim
Maysa Alzaim, Ph.D., is a licensed dietitian who earned her bachelo's degree in clinical nutrition from King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and her Ph.D. in nutrition science from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, USA. She completed the Monash University "Low FODMAP Diet" course, enhancing her expertise in managing digestive disorders. Currently enrolled in the Advanced Dietary IBD Education and Training (DIET) Program at Cedars Sinai, Maysa is actively building her private practice as an IBD-focused dietitian in Saudi Arabia, supporting individuals with IBD to optimize their nutrition and well-being. She is dedicated to raising awareness about the impact of nutrition in IBD and shares valuable insights on her Instagram page, @mhz_ibd. Additionally, she is pursuing her degree from the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine to become a certified lifestyle medicine professional.
Sara
Campbell
Sara Campbell is a graduate of Converse College with a degree in music performance and business. Her passion for all things IBD related, especially nutritional therapy, began when her daughter Emily was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2017 at the age of 14. Frustrated with the lack of information and support for using nutrition as a form of treatment, Sara began the arduous journey of researching diet and how it pertains to gut dysbiosis. Sara lives in Charleston, SC, with her husband, Dr. John Campbell, and four children. Along with nutrition she enjoys life on the Stono River, reading, and fellowship with her church community.
Liz
Hoobchaak
Liz Hoobchaak, PT, DPT, CNPT, CAHNS, is a Physical Therapist and an Integrative Autoimmune Nutrition Therapist focusing on Inflammatory Bowel Disease. She received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Northwestern University in 2006 and specialized in orthopedics and sports medicine. Her passion for nutrition began when her son was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at the age of 6. After hearing that food won’t make a difference in the course of his disease, Liz began researching nutritional therapy and soon witnessed firsthand the transformation of her son’s health on a therapeutic diet alone. This led her to pursue advanced certifications and is now the owner of her own private practice, Harvest & Healing Nutrition. Liz works with individuals with various autoimmune conditions by helping them manage chronic symptoms through proper nutrition and lifestyle changes. She enjoys creating and photographing recipes, reading, gardening and being active in nature with her family.
Shân
Osborn
Shân Osborn is a writer, editor, and scientist. She has an educational background in human physiology, genetics, mathematics, and finance. She currently develops content for startups in the medical and behavioral health industries, with a particular interest in mental health and the gut microbiome.
Nicole
Pavlin
Nicole is a Science educator and a patient with Crohn's disease. She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Cornell University and her Master of Arts in Teaching from The College of New Jersey. Nicole has volunteered with a variety of non-profit organizations in the fields of education, environment, and public health. Her medical challenges inspired her to spread awareness of evidence-based nutritional therapies in IBD care. To hear Nicole's IBD story, listen to her episode of the Bowel Moments podcast. She currently lives in northern New Jersey with her husband and two children where she enjoys swimming, nature, and music.
Andreu
Prados
Dr. Andreu Prados is a science and medical writer specializing in making reliable evidence of non-prescription therapeutics (diet and food supplements) for gastrointestinal conditions understandable, engaging, and ready for use for healthcare professionals and patients. He is also a nutrition communication researcher at the Observatory of Scientific Communication (OCC) at Pompeu Fabra University and assistant lecturer at Blanquerna School of Health Sciences - Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain. He holds bachelor’s degrees in Pharmacy and Human Nutrition and Dietetics and a PhD in nutrition communication.
Sohum
Thakkar
Sohum was diagnosed with Crohns disease in High School, but was able to bring his disease under control using nutritional therapy. Over the past ten years of remission, he has helped several others take similar steps to control their symptoms. Sohum graduated from UC Berkeley with a computer science degree and subsequently joined Apple's health algorithms team, where he helped develop preventative health tracking algorithms such as the "Walking Steadiness" feature on the iPhone. Now, he designs algorithms for quantum computers, with applications in pharmaceuticals and healthcare.
Abigail
VanHoose
Abigail received her Associates in Culinary Arts and a Bachelors in Food Service Management from Johnson & Wales University in 2016. She was diagnosed with left-sided moderate/severe ulcerative colitis in 2014 shortly after a bad car accident. She has worked in several high-volume restaurants, one as a Sous Chef, and now works in food service for Novant Hospital, preparing food for the patients and guests. After much trial and error, Abigail started looking to include nutritional therapy in her IBD management in 2020. Being disappointed by most of the recipes she tried, she started her blog, Abigail Marie the Chef with IBD to create and share better IBD recipes. She has also incorporated a focus on lifestyle, new scientific research for IBD, new and emerging medications, as well as IBD awareness and sharing others journeys on her website. She has found that a multifaceted approach works best to manage her UC. This includes diet, lifestyle, stress management, movement, and medication. On top of that, advocating for your needs, and listening to your body are some of the most important things you can do besides finding your community for support. Abigails passion for helping provide recipes and resources for those with IBD can be seen in her work. In her spare time she enjoys baking, gardening, and developing and photographing new recipes for her blog.
Come on this crazy amazing journey with Abigail to managing chronic illness together!