Weight Management Expert Faculty 

Dr. Mandeep Brar is a board certified Endocrinologist with extensive experience in the management of complex endocrine disorders.  After finishing her residency in Los Angeles, California she pursued her fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of Colorado, Denver under the mentorship of renowned faculty such as Dr. Chester E. Ridgeway and Dr. Robert Eckel.  After spending time on bench research in Colorado Dr. Brar shifted her focus to develop clinical protocols for the management of Diabetes and served as medical director at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health diabetes center in the greater Seattle area.  Dr. Brar moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 2014 to take over Tenet Healths' Abrazo Diabetes Care Centers.  During the past five years Dr. Brar has focused on population health interventions for management of diabetes and training the next generation of providers. 

Dawn Graham, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Instruction the Department of Social Medicine at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. She earned a Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Purdue University in 2010 and Master of Arts in Applied Behavioral Science from Valparaiso University in 1999. Clinical and education experience includes work the University of Chicago Hospitals, Michigan City Area Schools, Purdue University, Porter Starke Community Mental Health and Logansport State Psychiatric Hospital. In addition, she has experience running a multi-million dollar federal grant to promote maternal/child health in Southeastern Ohio with partnerships in coordination with the Ohio Department of Health. She previously acted as the chair of the Ohio Psychological Association Public Sector Issues committee. She is a certified community health worker through the Ohio Board of Nursing and is a CHW Master Trainer in the Appalachian Region. In addition, she has participated in national webinars and speaking engagements for SAMHSA’s- Rural Behavioral Health, The March of Dimes, and The American Institutes for Research. Areas of interest include creativity and mental health, global mental health, rural health and policy change. Current projects include qualitative research on integrated healthcare in rural settings across the United States. Her research interests also include the impact of compassion fatigue for healthcare professionals working with underserved patients and currently teaches Trauma Informed Care and Mindfulness to health professionals. Within the community, Dr. Graham has worked with Habitat for Humanity, OU Woman’s Mentoring Program, Vinton County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and Athens Girls Rock Camp. She served as a board member for Athens Mental Health, and is currently on the board of the Athens Artist Memorial Project and the leadership team for the Paw Paw Festival. Dawn spends her free time camping, fishing, playing music, and chasing her Basset Hounds.

Holly Bryant has more than 15 years' experience in the community health care setting as a nutrition professional. She has worked in roles at Women, Infant, and Children (WIC), an in-patient hospital, United Way of Southern Arizona as a community health program coordinator, and supervisor of a community-based diabetes program with the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Health Department. She began her career at El Rio Health in May of 2016 and now serves as the Registered Dietitian Department Director, overseeing a team of nine Registered Dietitians serving in 10 of El Rio's locations. Holly earned a Bachelor of Dietetics at Central Michigan University, completed her clinical rotations at Loyola University Chicago, serves as a Peace Corps member in Uganda 2008-2010, and earned a Masters of Public Health at University of Arizona in 2013. Since starting at El Rio she had become a Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, and Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. Holly has trained and guided her department to provide weight inclusive and trauma informed care that centers the patients personal body narrative and acknowledges the systems of oppression that shape the environment of and access to health and wellness for individuals. 

Dr. Joy Mockbee is a family physician and medical director at El Rio Health in Tucson, Arizona, where she has been caring for her patient panel for 25 years and continues to be energized by the innovation and mission of community health centers. She attended medical school at the University of Arizona and completed a Master of Public Health at the Harvard School of Public Health, followed by a Family Medicine residency at Ventura County Medical Center. She then returned home to Tucson, Arizona and has been a part of the community health center movement ever since. Responding to a request by El Rio Health staff and patients, Dr. Mockbee became interested in medical weight management and pursued board certification through the American Board of Obesity Medicine in 2015. Since that time, she has collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to develop El Rio's Weight Management programs for adults and children and to promote the practice of medical weight management by primary care clinicians throughout the health system.

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.