Our Team

Emily Dhurandhar, Ph.D.

Chief Scientific Officer

Dr. Emily Dhurandhar received her PhD in Human Nutrition at Louisiana State University. She was an assistant professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham from 2014 to 2016 and then at Texas Tech University from 2016 to 2020. She transitioned to an industry position as Chief Scientific Officer of Obthera in August 2020.

Her research focused primarily on practical strategies for weight management in populations with obesity, including dietary, psychosocial, and exercise-based strategies. She has published 44 peer-reviewed publications. One of her manuscripts has been cited 688 times, and she has received numerous awards for her scientific research including Best Paper of the Year from the Science Unbound Foundation in 2012 and the Outstanding Woman UAB Postdoctoral Award in 2014. She is an active advocate for patients with obesity and served as Chair of The Obesity Society’s Advocacy Committee for three years. She also served as an active member of The Obesity Action Coalition.

In her role as CSO at Obthera, she develops and evaluates digital tools that enable healthcare providers, organizations, and individuals to engage in evidence-based obesity care.

Kristin Wilkinson

Program Coordinator

Kristin is a full-time working mother of two who holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Houston – Victoria, Texas, and a BA in Communication Studies with a minor in Sociology from Texas State University. Kristin has worked in the tech start-up industry for seven years, and her passion for helping others led her into the healthcare industry. Kristin and her husband, Bobby, are planning to open their own gym, which will focus on providing personal training for those with chronic health issues, soon.

Califia Suntree, MS, RDN

Recipe Author

Califia Suntree, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian, nutritionist, and writer. As a clinician, she works with patients to achieve their health goals through sustainable lifestyle changes and by helping them discover the fun and satisfaction of home cooking. Califia has a master’s degree in nutritional science from California State University, Los Angeles, and completed her dietetic internship at Kaiser Permanente and Cedars-Sinai, among other sites. She also has a master’s degree in English from Boston University and completed her undergraduate studies at Vassar College. Prior to becoming a dietitian, Califia worked in the publishing industry for 15 years as a cookbook editor, food and recipe writer, and magazine editor. She is the author of Bring Your Lunch, a cookbook for working adults, and Be Thrifty: How to Live Better with Less.

Christa Brown, MS, RSN

Recipe Author

Christa has been a practicing registered dietitian (RD) for just under a decade, starting her love for health and wellness in her younger years as a runner and exercise enthusiast. 

She has worked developing recipes, counseling clients looking to lose weight and manage their GI disorders, as an adjunct faculty member for Monmouth University, supervising the EFNEP Hudson County office for Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and even running food service departments—managing all operations, wellness initiatives, and feeding 3,000 people in the process! In her spare time, you’ll find her sharing her joy for food and wellness with online magazines including LIVESTRONG, Eating Well, Fab Fit Fun, Eat This Not That!, Verywell Health, and Yahoo Finance. She also runs a small LLC nutrition consulting business. Today, she is running all operations as the director for a Dietetic Internship, paving the way for future RDN professionals. Fun Fact: She actually plays the clarinet!

Sarah Ruiz, MPH, RD

Recipe Author

Sarah is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist in the Paso del Norte region. Prior to becoming a dietitian, she completed a culinary degree at Le Cordon Bleu in Austin, Texas. Her clinical experience has primarily been in the outpatient setting working with pediatric and adult populations. She completed her doctoral degree at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences program. Sarah has worked on nutrition- and obesity-related research and developing evidence-based community programs.