Faculty

Christopher Bolling, MD, FAAP, is a Volunteer Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.  A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and the pediatric training program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, he co-founded Pediatric Associates in the northern Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati in 1992.  Over the ensuing thirty years, Pediatric Associates became one of the largest single specialty pediatric practices in the country. Dr. Bolling retired from Pediatric Associates in December 2022. After residency and during a three-year appointment mid-career at Cincinnati Children’s, he pursued research, advocacy, and clinical skills related to the prevention and management of pediatric obesity. He helped found the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity in 2009 and served on the Section Executive Committee and as Chair through 2019. He is published in the area of behavior change, obesity treatment, and community research. Most recently, he has been a co-author of the AAP policy statements on bariatric surgery and of the AAP Clinical Practice Guideline on the Evaluation and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents. He remains engaged in quality improvement, education, advocacy, and research activities.

Amber Healy D.O. is a physician who practices in Appalachian Ohio at OhioHealth Physician Group Heritage College and an associate clinical professor at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUHCOM). Dr. Healy has focused her practice on the management and treatment of diabetes in one of the most underserved regions of Ohio, where the prevalence of diabetes is much higher than in most areas of the rest of the country. Her clinical practice involves both inpatient and outpatient diabetes management. She is actively involved in medical education, teaching medical students, residents, fellows, and peer colleagues. Dr. Healy is the program director of the diabetes fellowship program at Ohio University, 1 of 6 such fellowships in the country. She is involved in several committees related to both clinical practice and the university and serves as director of the clinical division of the Diabetes Institute at OUHCOM. Her research and advocacy have focused on diabetes, more specifically focused on care delivery for those with limited access to endocrinologists.

Karen Bailey, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist who has been working at Ohio University for more than 15 years. She implements a recognized National Diabetes Prevention program and has been a lifestyle coach and Master Trainer Select for 8 years. She coordinates and implements a diabetes self-management education and support program accredited by the ADCES at OU DI and provides clinical services at OhioHealth Physician Group Heritage College Diabetes and Endocrinology.

David Drozek D.O. trained and practiced as a general surgeon for many years before his introduction to Lifestyle Medicine as a patient in 2011. Having personally experienced the reversal of chronic lifestyle-related disease, he transitioned into Lifestyle Medicine as a specialty. He is certified by the American Board of Lifestyle Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, teaches and is involved in research at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, Ohio. He is Medical Director of Lifestyle Medicine at Marietta Memorial Health System, where he has a clinical practice and works with the employee wellness program which serves as a teaching and research venue. His research is focused on the teaching and delivery of Lifestyle Medicine, especially for people with a lower socioeconomic status.

Allyson Hughes MA, Ph.D. earned her PhD in Health Psychology and MA in Clinical Psychology at the University of Texas at El Paso. She has years of experience working in academia, the nonprofit sector, and partnering with pharmaceutical companies to promote the voice of people with diabetes. She is very passionate about health policy and improving diabetes care. Her research in diabetes and behavioral medicine focuses on the psychosocial challenges of diabetes management and improving health equity. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1995. 

Yuanjie Mao MD, Ph.D. is a graduate of Peking University Health Science Center where he was awarded both MD and Ph.D. degrees. He trained in Internal medicine at the University of Maryland and Cleveland Clinic Hospitals and subsequently in Endocrinology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Mao is board certified in Internal medicine and Endocrinology. Mao has been practicing at OhioHealth Castrop Health Center, Athens, Ohio since 2019. His practice specializes in the care of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism disorders. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at Ohio University where he has ongoing clinical studies and trials. His research includes stem cell therapies for diabetes, statin therapy in diabetes, and diabetic nephropathy, and he has had numerous publications in prestigious journals. His current research interest is glucose metabolism in obesity and nutritional therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Joseph Bianco Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Medicine at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in integrated behavioral health and primary care. Dr. Bianco’s teaching includes medical student and GME didactics in traumatic stress and health, screening and diagnosing mental health disorders in medical settings, addiction medicine, and narrative-based medicine. Dr. Bianco’s research explores the effects of childhood trauma on adult health, traumatic stress and resilience among primary care patients, and physician burnout. He and his colleagues have developed trauma-informed primary care training programs for the rural health care workforce. A narrative enthusiast, Dr. Bianco co-created and currently teaches “The Open Book Project: A Narrative Medicine Program for Social Justice and Inclusion.” He also serves as the Associate Director of the Barbara Geralds Institute for Storytelling and Social Impact and is the co-producer and co-host of “Defining Moments,” a narrative-based podcast that promotes stories of health and healing.

Weitzman Institute Disclosure Statement

It is the policy of the Weitzman Institute to ensure that Continuing Education (CE) activities are independent and free of commercial bias. To ensure educational content is objective, balanced, and guarantee content presented is in the best interest of its learners' and the public, the Weitzman Institute requires that everyone in a position to control educational content disclose all financial relationships with ineligible companies within the prior 24 months. An ineligible company is one whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients. Examples can be found at accme.org.

Faculty participating in a Weitzman Institute-sponsored activity must disclose to the planning committee and audience all financial or other relationship(s) with ineligible companies.