A Deeper Dive: Evidence-Based Strategies for Whole-Person Obesity Care, Optimizing Nutrition and Outcomes

Karli Burridge, PA-C, MMS, FOMA

Founder, Gaining Health 
Immediate Past President, PAs in Obesity Medicine 
Master Fellow, Obesity Medicine Association 
Obesity Specialist and Director of Clinical Education, Healthy4Life 
Doctor of Medical Science, AT Still University
Glen Ellyn, IL, USA

Karli Burridge is a Board-certified PA and Master Fellow of the Obesity Medicine Association. She is the co-founder and past president of PAs in Obesity Medicine and serves on the Board for the Illinois Obesity Society Board and Obesity Medicine Association. Karli is the Founder and CEO of Gaining Health, which offers resources, education, and support to clinicians who want to incorporate evidence-based obesity care in their clinical practice and is the host of the Gaining Health podcast.

Karli is an obesity specialist and Director of Clinical Education at Healthy4Life in Naperville, IL. She holds the Certificate of Advanced Education in obesity management and has received several awards for her work in obesity medicine, including awards from the Obesity Medicine Association, and the America’s Top PA award in 2023. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Medical Science at A.T. Still University. Karli has authored numerous publications and Clinical Practice Statements on obesity care and is passionate about educating clinicians on comprehensive, compassionate obesity care.

Colleen Dawkins, FNP-C, RDN, CSOWM

Nurse Practitioner
Big Sky Medical Wellness, Owner
Oxford, MS, USA

Colleen is a Nurse Practitioner in private practice at Big Sky Medical Wellness. She is board-certified in family medicine, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, a Certified Specialist in Obesity and Weight Management, and holds a Certification of Advanced Education in Obesity Medicine from the Obesity Medicine Association.

Currently, Colleen serves as treasurer for the Washington Obesity Society, vice chair of the Commission on Dietetic Registration’s Obesity Certificate of Training program advisory board, member of the Obesity Medicine Association’s membership committee, associate editor and reviewer for Obesity Pillars journal, and is a doctoral student at the University of Southern Mississippi.

Angela Fitch, MD, FACP, MFOMA

Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer, Knownwell
Past President Obesity Medicine Association
Needham, MA, USA

Angela Fitch, MD, FACP, MFOMA is the current past president of the Obesity Medicine Association. She practiced primary care for 10 years before becoming a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine in 2012. She is currently the Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of knownwell, a comprehensive longitudinal obesity treatment and primary care clinic focused on delivering unbiased non-stigmatizing care for patients with obesity throughout the country. She is a former Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard University, the former co-director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Weight Center, a current ex-officio board member of the Obesity Action Coalition, and a founding member of the Massachusetts Coalition for Action on Obesity. Dr. Fitch is board-certified in obesity medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

Katie Robinson, PhD, MPH, RD, LD, CNSC

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

Katie Robinson, PhD, MPH, RD, LD, CNSC, serves as a Medical Science Liaison within Scientific and Medical Affairs at Abbott Nutrition. Before joining Abbott, she conducted research on the impact of nutrition and genetics on outcomes of behavioral and surgical weight loss interventions. Dr Robinson completed her bachelor’s degree in Dietetics at Iowa State University and her dietetic internship at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She earned her Master of Public Health and PhD in Nutritional Sciences at UIUC. During her time at UIUC, she taught multiple undergraduate and graduate courses and assisted with coordinating the undergraduate didactic program in dietetics. She also completed postdoctoral training at the University of Iowa within the College of Nursing and College of Internal Medicine. Dr Robinson has numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals and has presented her research at national and international conferences.