DIANNE DRUMMOND, MSc RD
Clinical Education Specialist
Eating Disorder Program, University of Alberta Hospital
For the past nine years Dianne has been working as the Eating Disorder Promotion & Prevention Specialist with Addiction and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton Zone. She is now the Clinical Education Specialist with the Eating Disorders Program at the University Hospital in Edmonton.
Dianne is a registered dietitian who has spent more than half her professional career working in mental health, specializing in eating disorders. Having seen the anguish and devastation that eating disorders have on both physical & emotional well being, she has a strong belief in prevention & early intervention as the keys to turning the tide on this increasing problem.
Since the early ‘90’s Dianne has been doing research in early detection and primary prevention/body image. Her work has included the development of a screen to detect risk of developing an eating disorder (called REDI – Risk of Eating Disorder Inventory), and Making the Most of ME, assessment of a wellness-based approach to eating disorder prevention in schools. Dianne’s current research project is called “Dietitians and Eating Disorders – An International Issue”.
Dianne has presented internationally at the International 7th London (UK) ‘2005 International Eating Disorders Conference, the ‘2004 International Congress of Dietetics in Chicago, the ‘2005 Academy for Eating Disorders Conference in Montreal, the ‘2006 Manitoba Eating Disorder Conference, and most recently the International Congress of Dietetics 2008 in Yokohama Japan. As well, she is locally sought after for presentations to health professionals, educators, and university students.
Dianne completed her postgraduate master’s degree in nutrition at the University of Alberta in 2006.
Addiction & Mental Health - Alberta Health Services Edmonton Zone
7-112Q Clinical Sciences Building (112 St. & 83 Ave.)
Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2B7
Tel: 780-407-8102 Cell: 780-499-3546 Fax: 780-407-6839
"It's easier to build healthy kids than to fix unhealthy adults... so let's build healthy kids."
GLORIA MICHALCHUK , PhD
Gloria has been both an educator at the University of Alberta for 10 years and a holistic practitioner for 28 years. As an educator of pre-service teachers, Gloria specializes in language learning, literacy (reading and writing), assessment and creativity. Her master’s degree investigated reading in a first and second language, while her doctoral research focused on creative responses written during high-stakes testing. Gloria has presented nationally and internationally at conferences related to cross-cultural communication, teaching, learning, and writing.
As a holistic practitioner, Gloria practiced yoga for 8 years, has a black belt in karate, is a provincially-certified fitness instructor, and has taught The NIA Technique for 12 years. Neuromuscular Integrative Action (NIA) focuses on energetic movement that creates joy, while feeding the body, mind, and soul.
Regarding therapeutic practice and counseling, Gloria put her Lifeskills Coaching Certificate (1986) to practice while employed as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and during her volunteer experience with the Sexual Assault Centre where she worked on the crisis line and as a co-therapist in a men’s support group.
By drawing on these inspirations and her personal strengths, Dr. Glo has formed MIND-BODY TALK, particularly effective as an adjunct to therapy or for those individuals who feel uncomfortable in mainstream fitness programs. MIND-BODY TALK integrates movement with journaling and expressive writing which makes it particularly adaptable to a wide range of populations and mental health therapeutic approaches.
RHONDA ZABRODSKI, BSc MSW RSW
Rhonda Zabrodski, B.Sc., MSW, RSW is a registered clinical social worker. She completed her Masters in Social Work degree at the University of Calgary in 1996. Her thesis topic "Beyond Dieting" dealt with the increasing preoccupation that women have with issues of self esteem and its relationship to body weight, exercise and food empowerment. She has over 15 years experience as a clinician, teacher and lecturer in weight preoccupation and dieting. She also provides general counseling to individuals, couples, and adolescents. She is a "solutions focused therapist" and certified hypno therapist as well.
DR. LAWRENCE C. H. WANG
Dr. Larry Wang was born in China and grew up in Taiwan. He received his B.Sc. in 1963 from National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, Taiwan. In 1967 he received his M.A. from Rice University in Houston, Texas, and in 1970 his Ph.D. from Cornell University in Ithica, New York. His training is in animal and human physiology, biochemistry, and pharmacology. After teaching at the University of Oregon in Eugene in 1969-70 he migrated to Canada and since that time has taught at the University of Alberta. He was a professor of physiology in the Department of Biological Sciences until he retired in 2005.
Dr. Wang’s research interests involve energy metabolism and temperature regulation and include exercise physiology, the enhancement of cold tolerance in man, hibernation and hypothermia, and the influence of herbal compounds (e.g. ginseng) on learning and memory, aging, exercise, and obesity. Since 2005 he has worked on eco-rehabilitation in the Upper Yangtze River in rural China.
Dr. Wang is an elected Fellow of the Academy of Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada (1993), and many further honors…
Dr. Wang is also the inventor of the ACESS BAR. An activity bar that access your fat stores to use as energy during exercise or other activities. It can increase endurance with less fatigue.
Read more about Dr. Wang and his development of the ACCESS BARS
Get information on how to use the ACCESS BARS and where to purchase them
Professor Emeritus
Department of Biological Science
University of Alberta
CAROL KOSTYNUK, MD FRCP(C)
Carol completed her BSc (Specialization in Physiological Psychology) in 1976, and her MD in 1980 at the University of Alberta. During her residency in Psychiatry, she was privileged to work with Professor Arthur Crisp in London, England, one of the pioneers in the field of Eating Disorders. As well as participating as a co-therapist in the inpatient groups and individual therapy with a highly specialized patient population at Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon, she was able to observe various intake and research procedures at St. Georges Hospital,. The advantages of working in such a well-established eating disorder program were invaluable, and fringe benefits included visiting other Eating Disorder units around the UK to compare the results of the different treatment approaches.
Carol obtained her medical license in 1982 during her residency, and was especially interested in eating disordered patients and some aspects of bariatrics. At that time, the local bariatric surgeon would send preoperative patients for a cursory psychiatric evaluation with a senior psychiatrist. If the patient was at all ambivalent about this treatment, instead of proceeding to surgery, the elder psychiatrist would refer them to Carol for individual psychotherapy.
Since 1985 she has been fully occupied with her private practice in Psychiatry, dealing exclusively with Eating Disorders and Body Image issues. Carol is a member of the Academy for Eating Disorders and she is founder and was the Medical Director (17 years) of a charity devoted to education and advocacy for eating disorder patients, their families and professionals in this area. During those years she was in a position to meet or renew friendships with many of these Eating Disorder and Obesity experts, bringing them to annual conferences in Edmonton to share their knowledge and experience.
She tries to attend and participate in as many eating disorder, obesity, and size acceptance conferences as possible.