Katherine Grubiak, RDN (she/her)
Director of Clinical Education, Co-Founder
Katherine Grubiak, RDN, graduated from the Coordinated Program in Dietetics at The University of Texas at Austin. She began her career in public health nutrition in San Diego and Los Angeles, with a focus on maternal and child health. While working in underserved communities in Los Angeles, she combined her passions for nutrition and dance by teaching and helping connect families of young dancers to public health clinic resources through the nonprofit Everybody Dance!, which received the National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award from First Lady Michelle Obama.
Katherine’s work in multidisciplinary eating disorder treatment began at the UCLA Arthur Ashe Student Health & Wellness Center. She went on to develop a distinctive approach to Family-Based Treatment (FBT)-informed care through close collaboration with Dr. Lauren Muhlheim at Eating Disorder Therapy LA. She also served as the eating disorder dietitian at Optimum Performance Institute in Woodland Hills, California, a residential program specializing in DBT-focused mental health treatment for young adults.
Katherine is a contributing clinician in the development, testing, and training of the Recovery Record Family App, designed to enhance connection and support between families and clinicians outside of sessions. As a master trainer, she co-instructs EDRD Pro’s FBT-Informed Eating Disorder Treatment: A Course for Dietitians, helping train dietitians in evidence-based, family-centered care.
As Co-Founder and Director of Clinical Training for the Eating Disorder Provider Education Network (EDPEN), Katherine is expanding access to eating disorder treatment by training and connecting healthcare providers across disciplines to deliver coordinated, evidence-based, family-centered care.
Sumner Brooks, MPH, RDN (she/her)
Executive Director, Co-Founder
Sumner is a registered dietitian and advocate specializing in eating disorder care. As the co-founder and Executive Director of the Eating Disorder Provider Education Network (EDPEN), she is dedicated to expanding access to high-quality, evidence-based education for healthcare professionals working across the eating disorder field.
Sumner earned her Master of Public Health from UCLA and completed her dietetic internship at the VA Los Angeles, where she developed a strong foundation in clinical nutrition and public health practice. She brings extensive experience in clinical care, program development, and professional training. In 2017, she founded EDRD Pro, where she has witnessed the transformative power of equipping clinicians and students with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively support individuals with eating disorders.
Her work emphasizes compassionate, person-centered, and family-centered approaches to eating disorder treatment. She is committed to bridging gaps in care by empowering frontline clinicians with the knowledge and skills needed for early intervention and ongoing support. She is committed to fostering a more inclusive and effective treatment landscape through education, collaboration, and advocacy.
Amanda Mellowspring, DSc,MS,RD/N,CEDS-C (she/her)
Director of Growth and Strategic Partnerships
Dr. Mellowspring is a seasoned behavioral healthcare executive and eating disorder expert with over 20 years of clinical and operational experience. She has helped to found, create, build, and lead programs and teams across the industry focusing on quality and compassionate care.
Amanda holds a Doctor of Science in Healthcare Leadership (DSc) from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, as well as degrees in Foods and Nutrition from both Appalachian State University in Boone, NC (BS) and Bastyr University in Seattle, WA (MS). Her DSc dissertation work focused on leadership response to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act across the residential behavioral healthcare landscape. She is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist and iaedp-approved Consultant, having served on the iaedp Certification Committee for a number of years. She is a prominent speaker and a highly engaged advocate for care.
In addition to her role with EDPEN, Dr. Mellowspring also provides Regional Outreach across Virginia and the Carolinas for Hidden River Healing, a residential eating disorder treatment center located in New Jersey. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia with her family, operating a family farm focused on heritage-breed livestock, beekeeping, fruit orchards, and vegetables, which also serves as the origin for the family’s wooden toy shop in Floyd, VA.
Julia Cassidy, MS, RDN, CEDS-C (she/her)
Program Lead for Education & Outreach
Julia Cassidy is a seasoned eating disorder dietitian with 20 years of experience in weight and nutrition-inclusive care within the behavioral health community. She has held notable positions such as Vice President of Clinical Nutrition and Senior Director of Nutrition and Wellness. Julia is a Certified Eating Disorder Specialist Consultant, a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor, certified in Nutrition Psychiatry, and a Licensed Body Positive facilitator.
Julia has been an active member of the Behavioral Health Nutrition (BHN) board for the past six
years and served as the Nutrition SIG Co-chair for the Academy of Eating Disorders (AED) from
2016 to 2018. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics from Cal State Long Beach in 2006 and a master’s degree in Exercise Science from Cal U, Pennsylvania, in 2009. Throughout her career, Julia has presented on various topics related to mental health and eating disorders, such as the role of nutrition in brain function, integrating nutrition psychiatry with eating disorder treatment, intuitive eating, and food exposures. Her presentations have been featured both nationally and internationally. Julia is dedicated to helping individuals heal their relationships with food and their bodies, offering weight-inclusive and comprehensive nutrition care.
Katelynn Sasaki, MS, RDN (she/her)
Clinical Content & Marketing Specialist
Katelynn is a Southern California-based registered dietitian dedicated to supporting a recovery experience grounded in respect and compassion. She has experience working across multiple levels of care with adolescents and adults in eating disorder recovery, as well as in program development and education for professionals in the field.
As EDPEN’s Clinical Content and Marketing Specialist, Katelynn leads public health messaging and supports the development of clinical-informed educational and marketing content. She also helps streamline external visibility strategies to support organizational growth and strengthen relationships within the broader healthcare and professional community.
Katelynn is passionate about providing—and helping others find—care that supports individuals’ identities and values. She brings a warm, collaborative approach to her work and is committed to creating accessible, accurate, and meaningful resources for both providers and the public. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring food and nutrition, collecting hobbies, and fostering safe, nonjudgmental spaces for healing.
Contributing Experts
Asha Davidson, MD, MPH (she/her)
Adolescent Medicine Physician: Division of Adolescent Medicine at UTHealth Houston
Dr. Davidson is a double board–certified adolescent medicine physician who specializes in the care of teens and young adults with eating disorders. She has expertise in co-managing anxiety, depression, and other health conditions and provides a weight-inclusive approach. She enjoys working closely with other clinicians in nutrition and psychology to provide comprehensive, culturally sensitive care for patients and their families.
A native Houstonian, Dr. Davidson completed her undergraduate education at New York University and received her medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in Lubbock, Texas. She returned home to Houston to complete her residency in Pediatrics and her fellowship in Adolescent Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. She currently practices in the Division of Adolescent Medicine at UTHealth Houston and serves patients in the Greater Houston area. Her clinical interests in Adolescent Medicine include polycystic ovarian syndrome, menstrual cycle disorders, eating disorders, and comprehensive well-child care. Dr. Davidson and her division serve as consultants for teen patients at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. She is passionate about health care access, patient education, and provider education due to the sparse formal medical training regarding eating disorders. Outside of her clinical duties, she is assistant program director for the Adolescent Medicine Fellowship and coordinates the Adolescent Medicine rotation for undergraduate and graduate medical trainees.
Zach Appenzeller, PsyD (he/him)
Co-Director, Texas Institute for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (CBTTexas); Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
Zach Appenzeller, PsyD is a licensed psychologist specializing in evidence-based treatment for eating disorders, OCD, and anxiety, particularly when these conditions co-occur. He serves as Co-Director of CBTTexas, is an Affiliate Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine in their OCD and Related Disorders Program, and is the former Founding Director of the UTHealth Houston Center for Eating Disorders. In addition to outpatient therapy and treatment intensives, he consults with treatment programs and health systems on implementing research-supported treatments across levels of care, and regularly trains clinicians, parents, and community professionals to improve recognition of mental health conditions and expand knowledge and access to effective treatment.
Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., FAED, CEDS-C (she/her)
Psychologist and Owner at Eating Disorder Therapy Los Angeles
Lauren Muhlheim, Psy.D., FAED, CEDS is a psychologist, fellow of the Academy for Eating Disorders (AED), and certified eating disorder specialist (CEDS) and approved supervisor for the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals (IAEDP). She directs Eating Disorder Therapy LA in Los Angeles. She provides cognitive-behavioral therapy for adults and family-based treatment (FBT) for adolescents and adheres to Health at Every Size® principles. She is certified in FBT for adolescent eating disorders and is the author of When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder. Dr. Muhlheim has held leadership roles in several professional organizations including the AED, IAEDP LA Chapter, and the Los Angeles County Psychological Association. She is an IAEDP core course instructor. She is passionate about removing the weight bias in evidence-based treatments and training other professionals to deliver such treatments.