Ephi Morphew-Lu

Executive Director, Editor

Mrs. Lu received her B.S. in psychology from the University of Washington and MS in psychology from the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana. She has several years of formal training in the nutrition and related sciences, and is the developer of the first university-level curriculum in Nutritional Psychology taught from 2008-2020 at JFK University. In 2015, Ephi and colleague Dr. Amanda Hull launched The Center for Nutritional Psychology (CNP), now a non-profit educational organization, designed to consolidate the world's research in the diet-mental health relationship and develop methodology for placement within the university environment. Her vision is to see a nutritional component incorporated into mental healthcare by 2030.

Ephi Morphew-Lu

Executive Director, Editor

Olga Baryshnikova

Secretary

Ms. Baryshnikova obtained a degree in psychology from Cal Poly SLO, and is currently pursuing her MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from SJSU. She works on all aspects of CNP's programs, organizational development, and course design and administration.

Olga Baryshnikova

Secretary

Randi Clearfield

Treasurer

Mrs. Clearfield has dual graduate degrees in teaching from the University of Michigan and visual arts from Antioch University. She has assisted in the administrative, budgetary, and curriculum development for Columbia Visual Arts college, leading to the school’s accreditation by the state of Maryland. She has also assisted in the founding and development of a private middle school in Northern California through budget and fundraising management, curriculum development, and contributing to the school’s accreditation process. She presently serves as CNP's Treasurer.

Randi Clearfield

Treasurer

Chelsea Louise Doswell, BA

Curriculum Administration

Ms. Doswell graduated with a degree in Strategic Communication from the University of South Alabama, and is currently pursuing her MS in Clinical Mental Health and Counseling at Adam’s State University. She has completed the original 7-course Certificate in Nutritional Psychology from JFK University, and is a CNP curriculum contributor assisting in the development of the Interoceptive element of NP. Her long-term goal is to one day incorporate her knowledge of the Diet-Mental Health Relationship into her graduate/clinical work, supporting those who suffer from various eating disorders. Chelsea supports continuing education and library membership development for CNP.

Chelsea Louise Doswell, BA

Curriculum Administration

Shereen Albehairy, PhD (cand)

Curriculum Development

Shereen F. Behairy is a Clinical Pharmacist holding a Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacology & Toxicology), and her research has been published in high-impact scientific journals. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Neuropharmacology at Cairo University, Egypt. As she works toward her Ph.D., she's conducting experimental studies on novel dietary interventions in treating brain disorders. She is a recent member of the Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) and recently completed the Clinical Scholars Research Training (CSRT) postgraduate program, where her capstone project investigated the potential link between dietary-induced gut dysfunction and hypertension progression in adult Egyptian patients. Her passion for neuroscience has inspired her to begin writing her first book about the human brain and what goes beyond its normal physiological functions. Currently, she is pursuing her goal of becoming a professor because she firmly believes that good education has the power to enrich minds and the world. She is eager to contribute her relevant scientific background to and collaborate with CNP's diverse team of experts in various psychology and nutrition fields.

Shereen Albehairy, PhD (cand)

Curriculum Development

Nicole Barile, PhD, NTP

Curriculum Development

Dr. Lippman-Barile is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) who practices in New York. As a psychologist, Dr. Lippman-Barile specializes in treating anxiety and mood disorders, and she is an expert in treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related compulsive disorders. As a nutritional therapist, she specializes in treating blood sugar dysregulation, digestive health, and helping to improve mood using food and lifestyle modifications. Dr. Lippman-Barile intimately cares about the connection between gut health and brain health, and she applies evidence-based research in this field to optimize physical, mental, and emotional status. Dr. Lippman-Barile believes that by understanding the science behind the reasons for selecting and eating certain foods, as well as engaging in certain lifestyle behaviors, we can achieve more sustainable, effective, and longer lasting health. Dr. Lippman-Barile holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University and a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Certification.

Nicole Barile, PhD, NTP

Curriculum Development

Nabila Pervaiz, MS/Mphil

Curriculum Development

Nabila is a Medical biotechnologist and currently doing her MS research in the Health Microbiology field at Kinnaird College for Women, Pakistan. She has always been fascinated by microbial interaction with human bodies and how it modulates individual health. Her research has focused on E.coli and reported the novel virulent E.coli genes responsible for causing UTIs in Pakistani Females. Through her research, she presents novel research findings to educate young girls and women on personal hygiene and recent trends in antibiotic resistance and how microbes influence physiological and psychological states.

Nabila Pervaiz, MS/Mphil

Curriculum Development

Youssef Soliman, MBChB (cand)

Curriculum & Statistics

Youssef is an aspiring physician-scientist and a 5th-year medical student at Asyut University, Egypt and has passed the United States Medical Licensing Exam STEP1. His main area of interest and research is in internal medicine and diseases related to neurocardiology. He has published numerous peer-reviewe studies and is also a reviewer at PLOS medicine journal. Youssef has a nanodegree in data analysis from Udacity, and is interested in the application of R programming, data analysis and machine learning to improve patient care and diagnostics. Youssef supports CNP with science-based writing, statistics, and curriculum development.

Youssef Soliman, MBChB (cand)

Curriculum & Statistics

Karim Maghraby, M.B.B.Ch, M.Sc

NPRL Development

Dr. Karim Maghraby is a Physician Scientist, holding a Medical Doctorate from Asyut University, Egypt, and a Masters’ degree in Nutritional Science from the University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Maghraby’s thesis focused on the treatment of gut dysfunction in acute malnutrition using novel dietary interventions and produced award-winning publications describing the use of milk extracellular vesicles to induce stem cell proliferation, a first of its kind. Dr. Maghraby believes dietary interventions hold a wealth of untapped potential that can further our overall health and continues to pursue his passion exploring nutrition and the interplay between diet, physical, and mental well-being. He is happy to be a part of our team and looks forward to applying his expertise to CNP.

Karim Maghraby, M.B.B.Ch, M.Sc

NPRL Development

Vladimir Hedrih Prof. Dr.

Academic Writing

Vladimir Hedrih is a full professor of psychology at the University of Niš in Serbia with more than two decades of research and teaching experience. His fields of research and expertise include organizational psychology, research methodology and the study of social trauma. He is the editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Psihologija. Professor Hedrih has joined CNP to support research article writing and reviewing.

Vladimir Hedrih Prof. Dr.

Academic Writing

Cassidy Axelrod, MS, (CNS Cand)

Scholarship and Communications

Cassidy is a graduate student at Maryland University of Integrative Health working toward her Master’s in Clinical Nutrition and Integrative Health. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Oregon, majoring in Psychology and Philosophy. Upon graduating, she was passionate about psychology but felt there was something missing in the approach to handling a person’s mental health without considering their diet and lifestyle. Through her own experience with food allergies, autoimmune disease, and mental health, as well as observing those around her, she noticed the complex and interconnected relationship that exists between nutrition and psychology. She is especially interested in the ways that diet and nutrition can benefit or harm one’s mental health and well-being, as well as the synergistic relationship between plants, herbs, and human health. After taking NP110, Cassidy hopes to learn more about and play a role in educating, providing tools and awareness to others about this exciting field.

Cassidy Axelrod, MS, (CNS Cand)

Scholarship and Communications

Travis Monson

Organizational Development

Travis brings to CNP his professional experience and expertise in business strategy and organizational development in both the education and mental health sectors. He is a globally recognized speaker, educator, and author. Travis is assisting with the development of CNP's educational and organizational infrastructure, and currently lives in Northern Utah with his wife Jessica. Travis and Jessica both enjoy long bike rides, hiking, goofing off, and quiet evenings curled up with a tv show or a good book.

Travis Monson

Organizational Development

Sam Scarnato, Psy.D, CFNC

Education Planning Committee

Dr. Scarnato has served the military community for 13+ years as a pediatric psychologist for the Department of Defense, and is a Certified Functional Nutrition Counselor. She has participated on multiple interdisciplinary assessment and treatment teams, to include the feeding team, which addresses caregivers’ concerns regarding the food choices and eating habits of their children. As a mother of three, including one child with a history of avoidant-restrictive food intake difficulties, she is committed to supporting families through potential feeding challenges and guiding mental health providers in their approach to exploring the diets and eating behaviors of clients and patients.

Sam Scarnato, Psy.D, CFNC

Education Planning Committee

Pediatric Psychologist

Kristine Lokken, PhD, AFMCP

Education Planning Committee

Dr. Lokken is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She is a clinician and a researcher, and will be bringing her skills to CNP to assist in curriculum development in nutritional psychology.

Kristine Lokken, PhD, AFMCP

Education Planning Committee

Neuropsychology/Functional Medicine

Hira Shaheen, MD

Curriculum Development

Hira Shaheen is a London-based MD, writer, and mental health advocate. She manages patients as her day job and advocates for a holistic lifestyle passionately. Through this course, she combines her love for research and evidence-based medicine to explore a connection between gut, nutrition, and mind and its potential health outcomes.

Hira Shaheen, MD

Curriculum Development

Microbiome and Mental Health

Dori Coetzee, MS, RD

Nutrition and Dietetics

Dori Coetzee is a registered dietitian who specializes in plant-based nutrition. Dori currently serves as the Chair for the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, which is a part of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dori works with food systems that use plant-based diets to improve nutrition and to benefit the planet. Dori is glad to be part of the CNP team.

Dori Coetzee, MS, RD

Nutrition and Dietetics

Plant-Based Nutrition

Julia Vandergrift, BS

Dietetic Intern

Julia graduated with her Bachelors of Science in Dietetics at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH. She is completing her last internship rotation with the Center for Nutritional Psychology before becoming a Registered Dietitian in June 2023. Julia became interested in the gut-brain axis after much research pointed to the gut microbiome as one of the most important factors in overall health. She plans to start her own private practice specializing in gut health.

Julia Vandergrift, BS

Dietetic Intern

Gut-Microbiome & Mental Health

Katie Haas, BS

CNP Contributor

Katie has a BS in psychology and joins the CNP team to support the development of the Dictionary of Terms & Definitions in nutritional psychology. She will also be assisting in article reviewing, and identify studies for inclusion within the NPRL. She will also be developing a new CNP webpage which will be a quick-reference guide to free resources we provide to the public. Katie will be with us for the 2023-2024 Contributor cycle. Welcome Katie!

Katie Haas, BS

CNP Contributor

Resource Development

Sofia Segal

NP Spanish Translation

Sofia Segal is an Argentine psychologist currently training as a Health Coach at the Center for Integrative Nutrition. Sofia is joining the CNP team with the intention of bringing nutritional psychology to Spanish-speaking populations worldwide, working on content translation. She has been interested in nutritional psychology for several years since she first heard about the gut-brain-microbiota axis during her university studies and began researching. She hopes that all health professionals and patients around the globe can access relevant, evidence-based information without language barriers.

Sofia Segal

NP Spanish Translation

NP Curriculum

Anthony Todd Nichols, PhD, LP

CNP Article Reviewer

Dr. Nichols is a licensed psychologist in Minnesota. He provides therapy services in a clinic and teaches graduate students in a counseling program at a state university. Dr. Nichols specializes in providing clinical services to adults and children with histories of physical and sexual trauma and specializes in work with individuals with attachment disorders, anxiety, depression, and related diagnoses.

Anthony Todd Nichols, PhD, LP

CNP Article Reviewer

Clinical Psychology

Eileen Santana, RD, CDN

CNP Article Reviewer

Eileen is a registered dietitian who completed her dietetic training at New York University and CUNY Hunter College. She specializes in community nutrition, public health and wellness nutrition. Eileen currently helps clients create sustainable dietary habits that support their mood, energy, and overall health.

Eileen Santana, RD, CDN

CNP Article Reviewer

Nutrition & Public Health

Nanette Stroebele Benschop, PhD

CNP Article Reviewer

Dr. Stroebele-Benschop is a Full Professor in the Institute of Nutritional Medicine at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. She is a psychologist and researcher in the field of nutritional psychology with a focus on health behavior changes using a wide range of research methods from experimental settings to public health approaches.

Nanette Stroebele Benschop, PhD

CNP Article Reviewer

Psychology & Behavior

Deb Orlick-Levy, MS, RDN

Dietetics

Deborah is a registered dietitian who specializes in eating disorders, disordered eating, weight management, food allergies and sports nutrition. She completed her Master’s in Clinical Nutrition at New York Medical College and takes a research-backed approach to health and wellness. She started her career in the medical nutrition industry and has since built a successful private practice while working as a consultant and spokesperson for food companies and senior living communities. Her passions include helping individuals achieve their goals and supporting fact-based health messaging to reach larger audiences. Deborah is committed to providing accurate nutrition information and providing resources to help people make informed choices for their own health and well-being.

Deb Orlick-Levy, MS, RDN

Dietetics

Disordered Eating