Overlooked: Addressing Malnutrition in People with Overweight and Obesity

Carley Rusch, PhD, RDN, LDN

Adult Medical Science Liaison
Medical Affairs & Research
Abbott Nutrition 
Gainesville, FL, USA

Carley Rusch serves as a Medical Science Liaison in Medical Affairs & Research at Abbott, specializing in Adult Therapeutic Nutrition. Prior to joining Abbott, Dr Rusch completed her bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Florida (UF), specializing in Dietetics. She earned her master’s degree and completed her dietetic internship through the MS-DI program at UF. During her dietetic training, she also served as a research coordinator on a variety of study protocols, including topics on gastrointestinal dysfunction, inflammation, pre- and probiotics, and the gut microbiome. She then went on to work as an inpatient dietitian at AdventHealth Orlando and served as a preceptor for their dietetic internship program. Her clinical experience spans a variety of disease states, such as cancer, gastrointestinal and neurological disorders, malnutrition, and critical care.

Following her time working in clinical practice, Dr Rusch completed her PhD in Nutritional Sciences at UF. Her doctoral research investigated the effect of the Mediterranean diet on improving constipation and intestinal inflammation in Parkinson’s disease. During her graduate programs, she has taught multiple undergraduate and graduate courses on nutrition, metabolism, and research methods. In 2020, she was awarded Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year by the Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr Rusch has several publications in peer-reviewed journals and has been invited to present at national and international conferences.

Jillian Hyttenhove, MA, RD, CSOWM, LD, CHES

Medical Science Liaison
Medical Affairs & Research
Abbott Nutrition
Columbus, OH, USA

Jillian Hyttenhove is a Medical Science Liaison at Abbott Nutrition. Prior to joining Abbott, she worked in corporate wellness for several large national and global companies.

Jillian completed her bachelor’s degree in Dietetics at Bowling Green State University and her dietetic internship at East Carolina University. She went on to complete her Master of Arts in Health Education at East Carolina University as well. Following the completion of her dietetic internship, she served as the lead outpatient dietitian for all outpatient services at a community hospital in North Carolina. She then collaborated with a lead obesity specialist to create a comprehensive weight management program at the University of North Carolina, where she also served as a research dietitian on clinical trials.

Jillian is a Registered Dietitian, a Board-Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management, and a Board-Certified Specialist in Health Education.

Kirk W Kerr, PhD

Senior Manager, Health Economics
Abbott Nutrition
Columbus, OH, USA

Kirk W Kerr, PhD, joined Abbott Nutrition’s Health Economics and Outcomes Research team in June 2019. While at Abbott, Kirk has researched the impact of nutrition-focused Quality Improvement programs in inpatient, outpatient, and surgical care settings. Before joining Abbott, Kirk worked in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research researching the impact of FDA policies on drug development, drug prices, and patient access to medicines. While at the FDA, he also provided economic support for the FDA’s Generic Drug User Fee (GDUFA) and Biosimilar User Fee (BsUFA) negotiating teams. He also worked as an economic consultant on antitrust and intellectual property matters. Kirk has a PhD and MA in Economics from Ohio State University, and BS and MA in Economics from the University of Missouri.