Shirley K Kalwaney, MD

Dr. Kalwaney is a board-certified internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician and Director of Graduate Medical Education (GME) and Nutrition Medical Education at Inova Health System, and co-founder and co-director of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators Program. She developed Inova Fairfax Hospital's first two-provider inpatient diabetes consult service, which has since grown into a six-provider endocrine consult service and implemented a comprehensive Nutrition and Cardiometabolic Health curriculum for residents, medical students, and faculty. She speaks locally and nationally on nutrition, diet, and culinary medicine for physician trainees and patient health at organizations including the ACGME, ACP, SHM, Obesity Medicine Association, and the AMA. She also serves on nutrition advisory boards and working groups including those of the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) and the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) Health Systems Council. Dr Kalwaney is particularly interested in advancing evidence-based nutrition education for dietary behavior change and wellbeing in medical students, residents, and faculty.

Heather Leidy, PhD

Dr. Leidy is currently a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. She has a joint appointment in the Department of Nutritional Sciences and the Department of Pediatrics through the Dell Medical School. She has served as the Director of the Research Interest Groups through the American Society of Nutrition and as a member of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. She also taught junior-high biology in the Pennsylvania public school system for several years. More recently, Dr. Leidy, along with Don Layman, developed the scientific protein report that informed The Scientific Foundation report and ultimately the 2025 DGAs. As a nutritional physiologist, Dr. Leidy examines the effects of dietary protein quantity, quality, and timing of consumption on the metabolic, hormonal, and neural signals that promote satiety, healthy eating behavior, and weight management across the lifespan. This line of research has led to the development of novel dietary strategies for the prevention and/or treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes. She has 60+ original research publications and has given over 100 invited research talks in this area. Her current research focus examines the effects of consuming a high-protein breakfast on satiety, glycemic control, and weight management in overweight young people. Her research has been funded by various foundations, commodity boards, industry partners, and NIH.

Donald K. Layman, PhD, FASN

Dr. Layman is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he served for over 30 years as a Professor of Nutrition. During his tenure, he also held the roles of Head of the Department of Foods and Nutrition and Associate Dean of the College of Agriculture. Dr. Layman is also a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society for Nutrition Dr. Layman earned his Doctorate in Nutrition and Biochemistry and his Master’s in Biochemistry, laying the foundation for his distinguished career in nutrition science. He is internationally recognized for his research on dietary protein and amino acids, focusing on muscle development, metabolic regulation, and the role of diet in managing obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. With over 120 peer-reviewed publications, his work has significantly advanced the understanding of nutrition’s impact on health.

Bobby Mukkamala, MD

Dr. Bobby Mukkamala a board-certified otolaryngologist—head and neck surgeon—in private practice in his hometown of Flint, Michigan, is the president of the American Medical Association.    A passionate advocate for public health, Dr. Mukkamala is deeply committed to creating a more sustainable health system that better supports physicians and more effectively serves the needs of people and communities. Dr. Mukkamala joined AMA’s Board of Trustees in 2017 and has been active in the AMA and organized medicine since residency. He is a past Michigan representative to the AMA Young Physicians Section, and a past recipient of the AMA Foundation’s “Excellence in Medicine” Leadership Award.   After completing his residency in Chicago, he returned to Flint to set up a private practice dedicated to addressing urgent health needs of the community. He now shares an office with his wife, Dr. Nita Kulkarni, an obstetrician-gynecologist.   Dr. Mukkamala previously served as chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint where he guided its focus on funding projects to reduce the effects of lead in children. Today, he continues to serve on the foundation’s committee board as it now works to increase high-quality early education opportunities for children. He also co-chairs efforts of the CRIM fitness foundation to incorporate mindfulness in its efforts to improve community health. And recently joined the board of the CS Mott Foundation headquartered in downtown Flint but doing work across the world to build a just, equitable and sustainable society.