Speaker Info

2022-23 SHPN Chair

Roberta Anding, MS, RD/LD, CDCES, FAND

Roberta has been a dietitian since the 1980s and a sports dietitian for the past 25 years. Currently, she holds two positions at Baylor College of Medicine—Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Associate Course Director for the Clinical Application of Basic Science Course—Nutrition. She also teaches an introductory nutrition course at Rice University and is the sports dietitian for the Rice University Owls.

Past positions include the Director of Sports and Adolescent Nutrition at Texas Children’s Hospital, and sports dietitian for the Houston Texans, Houston Astros, and Houston Ballet. She believes that the great thing about being a sports dietitian is that as the profession evolves, so can you!

As a mom, she is very proud of her three children, and her daughter Dr. Katie McInnis is a sports dietitian based in Austin, Texas.

Michelle Barrack, PhD, RD, CSSD, FACSM

Michelle Barrack, PhD, RD, CSSD, FACSM is an Associate Professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at California State University, Long Beach and a Board-Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics. Dr. Barrack has published research on topics addressing adolescent athlete bone health, bone stress injury, dietary supplements, energy deficiency, and nutrition for athletes. She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and President of the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition. Dr. Barrack was a former NCAA Division I cross-country athlete and prioritizes the translation of scholarly research to practical recommendations for youth and collegiate athletes.

Pamela Nisevich Bede, MS, RD

As a marathoner, triathlete, dietitian and sports dietitian, Pamela Nisevich Bede MS, RD, LD knows first-hand the important role nutrition plays in health and performance. With a passion for sharing nutrition expertise with athletes, coaches, and clients, she has authored or contributed to multiple books including Fuel the Fire (Avery Press, 2022), Sweat. Eat. Repeat. (Velopress, 2019) Run to Lose (Rodale, 2015) and others. She is a frequent contributor to an array of consumer publications and often quoted across a variety of high-level media channels.

As a Senior Medical Manager at Abbott, she is a member of the Lingo Medical and Clinical Affairs team, focusing on utilizing biowearables to improve health, wellness, and performance. In this role, she relies on her knowledge of nutrition, science, and sports to translate clinical data and real time analyte insights into educational content and guidance.

Pamela earned her BS in Dietetics from Miami University and MS in Medical Dietetics from The Ohio State University. Prior to her current role, she was the Director of Nutrition at a Sensei Ag, and started her career as a pediatric dietitian, was an instructor at Miami University, and a consultant to a variety of industry partners.

Katie Brown, PhD

Katie M. Brown, PhD, is currently an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Texas Tech University in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management. She received her Bachelor’s in Sport Management from Texas A&M University and went on to work in the sport hospitality business for years. After going back to school and getting her Master’s in Athletic Administration from Troy University, she then pursued her PhD in Kinesiology with a focus on Sport Management at Texas A&M University.

Dr. Brown’s research training and expertise focuses on brand management and trademark law, with a background in sport economics and sport marketing as well . She has published multiple articles that intertwine her research areas, as well as book chapters regarding legal terminology for exercise physiology students.

Sarah M. Brown, JD, PhD

Dr. Sarah M. Brown is a sport management educator and scholar. She completed her undergraduate work at Pennsylvania State University and then went on to pursue a law degree at Marquette University Law School where earned a certificate in Sports Law from the National Sports Law Institute. After graduating from law school, Dr. Brown worked in a corporate attorney capacity for multiple Fortune 500 companies. Dr. Brown completed her doctoral work in Sport Management at Texas A&M University.

Currently, she is a Clinical Assistant Professor at Southern Methodist University (SMU). Dr. Brown’s legal and academic training position her to be able to study the complexities of laws and their implications on sport entities and athletes. She has given several national presentations and authored multiple papers on the legal rights of athletes and the protections afforded to them.

Briana Butler, MCN, RDN, LD

Briana Butler is a registered dietitian nutritionist and former professional athlete serving and is the Co-owner and lead dietitian of Stef & Bri wellness and sister brands Power Portions and The GNAW Collective. In her position, Briana advocates for creating culturally inclusive wellness spaces for active women of color, improving cultural inclusivity in performance nutrition, and comprehensively supporting professional athletes.

Briana holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Performance from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The latter of which she received after playing in the WNBA and overseas for three years.

Since switching careers, Briana has worked with wellness clients and collegiate and professional athletes across the country through her private practice and other world-renowned brands such as NBA G-League, Southern Methodist University, EXOS, Gatorade Sports Science Institute, and the Dallas Cowboys. In addition, Briana has worked as a national media spokesperson for GotMilk, has delivered food and nutrition TV segments nationwide for brands such as Pom Wonderful, Newman’s Own, and Nestlé, and regularly serves as a keynote speaker for sports programs, youth athletes, and companies.

Above all, Briana finds purpose and joy in being a wife to her husband, Brice, and a full-time mom to her two kids!

Crystal Clark Douglas, Ph.D., RDN, LD

Crystal Clark Douglas, PhD, RDN, LD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Metabolism & Rehabilitation Sciences in the School of Health Professions (SHP) at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).

Dr. Douglas received a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Louisiana Tech University and completed a Dietetic Internship and Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She remained at UAB to earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Nutrition Sciences. Following the completion of postdoctoral fellowships, she gained professional experience working as a research dietitian, academic writer, and consultant dietitian in oncology and long-term care. Dr. Douglas has 10 years of experience teaching undergraduate and graduate students and is actively involved in nutrition-related research.

Mary Jane De Souza, PhD., FACSM

Dr. De Souza is a Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology and Physiology, Director of the Women’s Health and Exercise Laboratory at Penn State University, and Executive Director of the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition.

Dr. De Souza received her Bachelor and Master of Science from Springfield College, a PhD from the University of Connecticut, and completed postdoctoral work in reproductive physiology and endocrinology at the University of Connecticut Medical School, where she later become the Associate Director of the Menopause Treatment and Research Program.

Dr. De Souza spent almost a decade at the University of Toronto in Canada, where she was the Director of the Centre for Girls and Women’s Health and Physical Activity. In 2007, Dr. De Souza moved to Penn State University where she continued a fertile research career. Dr. De Souza’s research for 30+ years has focused on the complex interplay between metabolic, reproductive, and skeletal physiology and is considered a preminent expert in Athlete Triad physiology. She has studies both pre and post-menopausal women, has done sex steroid drug intervention trials of hormone therapy and oral and non-oral hormone therapy trials. She has done exercise and diet interventions and trials of whole food (dried plum) interventions for postmenopausal women with low bone mass. Dr. De Souza has published over 200 papers, has had funding from the Department of Defense, NIH and the Canadian Institute for Health Research.

Dr. De Souza has won teaching awards from Penn State University, a Citation Award for Career Research from the American College of Sport Medicine, a Honor Award from the New England Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Pennsylvania State University Pauline Schmitt Russell Distinguished Research Career Award. Dr. De Souza is a Past President of the Female and Male Athlete Triad Coalition: An International Consortium dedicated to the study of the Female and Male Athlete Triad, and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology.

Tyson Flowers

Two-way standout at Southwest Christian in Fort Worth, leading the Eagles to the semifinals of the TAPPS DII State Championship as both a junior and senior. He played both quarterback and safety as a senior, earning All-State honors for his work on defense. He returned three of his six interceptions for touchdowns. He was Academic All-State in both football and basketball. Tyson is a talented both on and off the field. He was diagnosed with diabetes when he was two years old.

Currently his major at Rice is undecided but he is leaning toward business. His ultimate goal is to play in the NFL. His favorite current team is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Clancy Cash Harrison MS, RDN, FAND

As a food equity advocate, registered dietitian, TEDx speaker, and international thought leader, Clancy Harrison challenges the way food insecurity is approached and discussed. Her mission to demolish the stigma around food access places her on the cutting edge of advocacy.

Clancy is the founder of the Food Dignity® Movement, a strategic program for leaders who want to shift how they approach nutrition outreach by making healthy food access a priority. She transforms the lives of thousands of people through her work with corporations, non-profit organizations, and universities.

Currently, Clancy is an advisory board member for the Pennsylvania American Academy of Pediatrics Food Insecurity EPIC program, Ambassador of the National Dairy Council, and a past President of the Al Beech West Side Food Pantry where she has served over 3 million meals during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can tune in weekly with Clancy at The Food Dignity® Podcast.

Taurian C. Houston

Taurian is the Senior Associate Athletics Director/Compliance & Administration at Rice University.

As a member of the department's Senior Staff, he provides administrative leadership and oversight of the Office of Compliance Services, leads Rice’s name, image and likeness (NIL) initiatives and serves as the sport administrator for football (secondary), men’s basketball and women’s cross country/track and field. Houston also serves as the advisor for Rice Owls of Color United (ROC-U), a Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) sponsored affinity group focused on empowering student-athletes of color. Additionally, he is the department liaison to several campus offices, including undergraduate admission, financial aid, housing & dining and cashier.

Houston represents Rice on the national level with the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC), serving on the Board of Directors as the chair of their Professional Development Committee. He previously was a member of the NCAA Division I Initial Eligibility Waiver Committee, serving as the chair of the Core Course Subcommittee. On campus, he serves on the President’s Task Force for Student Success, which focuses on improving retention, graduation rates and overall academic performance at Rice. He is also heavily involved in the Greater Houston Black Chamber, the leading organization for business development and community outreach partnership opportunities in the Houston African-American community.

A former Division I track & field student-athlete, he graduated from East Carolina University, where he served as the Student Government Association’s Director of Athletic Affairs, and later went on to receive his law degree from Charlotte School of Law. He is married to Tammara Izzard-Houston.

Carolyn E. Moore, Ph.D., RDN

Carolyn E. Moore, PhD RDN is an Associate Professor of Nutrition at Texas Woman’s University (TWU) Institute of Health Sciences in Houston, Texas. She has published over 55 research publications. Her current research focus areas include food insecurity among college students, nutrition-garden programs, the relationship of Vitamin D to cardiovascular disease, and obesity in adults and children. She has collaborated for over 40 years with researchers in the Texas Medical Center. In addition to her current faculty role, she has 12 years of experience in clinical management and 10 years in the food beverage industry. Moore also published Eat Smart for a Healthy Heart with Dr. Cooley and The Young Chef’s Nutrition Guide and Cookbook. She served on the Houston Food Bank Board and currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston. She is passionate about college food insecurity.

Dr. Bob Murray, PhD, FACSM

Bob Murray, PhD, FACSM is managing principal of Sports Science Insights, LLC, (www.sportsscienceinsinsights.com) a consulting firm that assists companies and organizations in need of targeted expertise in exercise science and sports nutrition. SSI’s clients range from start-ups to larger companies such as Nike, Coca-Cola, Clif Bar, Dogfish Head Brewery, GlaxoSmithKline, Petco, Gryphon Investors, and Aegis Sciences Corporation. Bob currently serves as Chief Hydration Officer for GoodSport Nutrition, a Chicago-based company that created GoodSport, a sports drink that optimizes hydration by harnessing the electrolyte profile of milk.

Prior to starting SSI in August 2008, Dr. Murray was co-founder and director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (1985 to 2008). Dr. Murray’s research and publications on the hydration needs of athletes and the physiological and performance responses to fluid, carbohydrate, and electrolyte ingestion have contributed to the broader understanding of the importance of being well hydrated during exercise and of the role that carbohydrates and electrolytes play in helping athletes and non-athletes alike get the most out of their bodies during physical activity.

Before joining The Gatorade Company, Bob served on the faculties of Boise State University (1980-1985; Associate Professor), Ohio State University (1979-1980; Lecturer), and Oswego State University (1974-1977; Assistant Professor and Head Men’s Swimming & Diving Coach).

Bob received his PhD in exercise physiology from Ohio State University, is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and an honorary member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

In addition to authoring numerous articles in scientific journals and presenting at scientific meetings around the world, Bob has coauthored three books: Sports Drinks: Science and Practice (2000), Food and Fitness After 50 (2018), and Practical Guide to Exercise Physiology (2020).

Bob enjoys anything that involves physical activity—especially swimming—and competed in the 1992 Hawaii Ironman. Bob and his wife, Linda, live in Crystal Lake, IL, 50 miles northwest of Chicago.

Chris Oswald, DC, CNS

Chris Oswald, DC, CNS, is Head of Medical Affairs for Atrium Innovations and Pure Encapsulations. He is a chiropractor, certified nutrition specialist, and certified functional medicine practitioner and has been treating patients since 2007. His clinical work, in combination with working with professional dietary supplement companies, gives him unique insights into the creation and evolution of clinically useful tools, education, and support of the unique needs of clinicians and patients in functional, integrative, and natural health.

Anthony Paradis, MS, MA, RD, CSSD, CSCS, USAPL

Anthony joined the South Carolina Athletics staff in September 2021 as the department’s first director of Olympic sports nutrition. After eight years in private practice and five seasons at Tennessee Tech, Paradis will guide the nutritional education and development of the approximately 570 Gamecocks competing in Olympic sports.

Paradis is a registered dietitian nutritionist and licensed dietitian (2011), certified specialist in sports dietetics (SCAN, 2016) and certified strength and conditioning specialist (NSCA, 2016). He is a past president of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and a current member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Collegiate Professional and Sports Dietitians.

As an athlete, Paradis has consistently pushed himself to record-setting heights as both the Tennessee (2017) and Texas (2015) state record holder in powerlifting with Natural Athlete Strength Association. He also completed a solo 500-mile consecutive hike on the Colorado Trail in 2015, which was the foundation for his first master’s thesis, and competed on American Ninja Warrior in 2012.

Following his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech in 2008, Paradis earned a master’s in nutrition sciences from Texas Woman’s University in 2016 and a master’s in education from Tennessee Tech in 2020.

Yasuki Sekiguchi, PhD, CSCS

Dr. Yasuki Sekiguchi is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Sports Performance Lab at the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management, Texas Tech University. He received his bachelor’s degree at Kobe University in Japan, master’s degree at the University of Arkansas, and PhD and post-doctoral fellow at the University of Connecticut in exercise science. His area of expertise is optimizing hydration status and fluid balance, enhancing thermoregulatory response (i.e., heat acclimation, heat acclimatization, cooling), athlete training load and recovery monitoring, sleep monitoring, and wearable technology validation to improve exercise performance and overall health. He has managed and completed many research studies and published peer-reviewed manuscripts in those areas. His current research are supported by the federal and corporate fundings. He also has been working with youth to professional and Olympic athletes as a sports scientist and strength and conditioning coach. His expertise in sports science has been instrumental in applied sports settings. He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS) from National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Enhancing exercise performance and recovery with practically applicable and widely accessible methods based on science is a broad aim of his Sports Performance Lab at Texas Tech University.

Deborah Unruh, MS Ed

Deborah Unruh MS Ed serves as the Assistant Director for Student Life at Texas Woman’s University Institute of Health Sciences in Houston, Texas. In caring for the student population, Student Life offers several resources, including a food pantry inside the suite, used scrubs and lab coats, gently used clothing for women and children, and participation in the Food Scholarship Program – a partnership with the Houston Food Bank. Deborah is also the advisor for international students at the Houston site, and among other things, coordinates Orientations and the formal Commencement-related preparations, hosts both the Family as well as Multicultural Graduation Celebrations, and facilitates the Holiday Gifts Program, where children of TWU student parents are paired with a donor for end-of-the-year gifts. Both passive and active programming originate from this office, as well as the registering of student organizations and student government. Building relationships and a sense of community is of the utmost importance to Deborah. She strives to meet students where they are at, and deliberately creates intersections where they can enter the heart of Student Life.

Christina Weidman, MS, RDN, CSSD, LDN

Christina Weidman is a sports dietitian with almost a decade of experience working in collegiate athletics. She is currently the owner for her own private practice and an Advanced Clinical Dietitian for Northwestern Medicine helping to fuel Northwestern University student athletes. As a Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, she is passionate about providing safe, effective, evidence-based nutrition services for health and athletic performance.

Christina currently specializes in eating disorders within sport, RED-S, and dietary supplement education. As part of her role with Northwestern University, Christina has helped to build the expansive dietary supplement review process to ensure adequate and appropriate education of athletes and staff on the ever-changing landscape of dietary supplements in athletics.

For fun, Christina loves to cook, have dance parties with her two kids, and listen to the Office Ladies podcast.