Dr John Berardi is a Canadian-American entrepreneur best known as the co-founder of Precision Nutrition, the world’s largest nutrition coaching, education, and software company. He’s also the founder of Change Maker Academy, devoted to helping would-be change makers turn their passion for health and fitness into a powerful purpose and a wildly successful career. Over the last 15 years he’s advised Apple, Equinox, Nike, and Titleist, as well as the San Antonio Spurs, Carolina Panthers, US Open Champ Sloane Stephens, and 2-division UFC Champ Georges St. Pierre. He’s also been named one of the 20 smartest coaches in the world and 100 most influential people in health and fitness.

Last year, Jennifer received the worst news of her entire life – that she had stage 3 ovarian cancer, with only a 9% survival rate. Despite a grim prognosis, Jennifer used her research skills as a Registered Dietitian and curious scientist to dive deep into the literature to give herself the best fighting chance of beating cancer. Against all odds, her widespread cancer went into remission in just 5 short months, and she remains cancer-free today. Jennifer’s talk will cover the most important strategies she used to allow her body to fight cancer and heal itself using a mix of conventional and alternative healing modalities, including her expertise in healthy eating.

Dr. Christie is an Assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology at Western University. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and Master’s degree in Kinesiology from Brock University and her PhD in Kinesiology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with a focus on exercise neuroscience and aging. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at UMass Amherst, with a focus on muscle physiology and aging. She studies neuromuscular mechanisms leading to declines in motor performance with advanced age.

Tom Hazell, PhD, completed his undergraduate studies at McMaster University and his graduate work at the Universities of Windsor and Western Ontario. Following his graduate studies Tom has spent time as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at McGill University in the School of Human Nutrition and as an Assistant Professor at the University of Lethbridge. He is now an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education at Wilfrid Laurier University. His research focuses on the effect of exercise intensity and biological sex on energy balance by measuring both energy expenditure and the regulation of energy intake.  Current funded work is examining potential mechanisms involved in the effect of exercise on appetite-regulating gut peptides. He is principally interested in the potential for exercise intensity to improve energy balance through alterations in appetite and post-exercise metabolism. Tom’s background in both exercise physiology and nutrition provide a unique and complementary focus to improve our understanding of how exercise (especially novel exercise paradigms) affect energy balance with a focus on better understanding how exercise can positively impact body composition.

Pete Lemon, PhD, FACSM completed his undergraduate education at McMaster University and his graduate studies at the Universities of Windsor and Wisconsin-Madison.  From 1979 to 1997, he was on the faculty at Ohio’s Kent State University working in the Applied Physiology Research Laboratory, most recently as the laboratory director.  In January of 1998, Dr. Lemon became the first recipient of the Weider Research Chair in Exercise Nutrition at The University of Western Ontario.

He mentors graduate students, lectures, and conducts research on the health and performance effects of exercise training and proper nutrition/supplementation.  A former university athlete, he remains involved in athletics as the head coach of the Western women’s fastpitch softball team.  Dr. Lemon is married and has two adult daughters.

Dr. Rebecca MacPherson is an Assistant Professor in the department of Health Sciences at Brock
University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Her laboratory investigates the effect of lifestyles factors
(i.e. diet and exercise) on the progression of metabolic diseases. Current investigations are examining
the role of exercise induced brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on reducing markers of
Alzheimer’s disease. Our overall aim is to understand the mechanisms by which BDNF reduces the
content and activity of brain beta-secretase (the rate limiting enzyme in beta-amyloid production).
Further ongoing investigations focus on dietary manipulations and adipose tissue and skeletal muscle
health.

Olivia McAllister is a current MScFN candidate at Brescia University College. She completed her first undergraduate degree in Sciences at Western and her second in Nutrition and Dietetics at Brescia. Her current research examines the use of nutrition recommendations as part of concussion recovery under the Co-Supervision of Dr. Colleen O’Connor (PhD, RD) and Dr. Jamie Seabrook (PhD). Olivia plans to continue with research involving both dietetics and injury recovery. She has great interest in athletics having grown up playing a variety of sports including soccer, rugby, volleyball and her favourite, basketball. She is a CanFitPro FIS Instructor and has taught group fitness classes at the WSRC for 6 years and counting. Olivia wants to further her education by becoming a Registered Dietitian where she will teach people of all ages how to make healthy living a part of their everyday routine.

Kari founded her gym and company Empower Conditioning in 2005 and has been a top strength and conditioning coach to Olympians, pro athletes and private clients for over 2 decades. She is a specialist in Strength and Conditioning, Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics and has her Masters of Science degree in Lumbar Spine Kinematics.

Over her career, Kari has presented multiple research abstracts at international conferences, taught university courses and coached countless athletes, sport teams and private clients to peak performance.

To be the best coach possible, she has spent the past 8 years immersed in the study of change psychology through multiple teachers. Mastery University with Tony Robbins, Introduction Leadership through Landmark and many more.

Kari loves spending time with her incredible husband Paul Duerden and their blended family of five children and 2 dogs. She enjoys running, Olympic-lifting, hiking, weight training, snowboarding and traveling while inspiring and changing lives through example. She believes in continual learning and endless possibilities and runs her company accordingly!

A native of Montreal and former varsity baseball player at McGill University, Graeme moved to London, Ontario to pursue a graduate degree in exercise physiology and sports nutrition.

A lover of all things fitness and technology related, Graeme spends his time as a professor in the Fitness and Health promotion department at Fanshawe college and moonlighting as a web developer on the side. Currently in the midst of overhauling the Fitness & Health Promotion program, the team at Fanshawe is rolling out curriculum changes designed to set the standards for personal training education in Ontario.