Josephine Connolly Schoonen, PhD, RD
Assistant Clinical Professor of Family Medicine
Executive Director, Nutrition Division SBUMC
Director, Dietetic Internship Program
Ms. Connolly received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition from Cornell University and her Master's Degree in Nutrition with a minor in Exercise Science from the Pennsylvania State University. After working in industry for two years, she pursued a degree in academic medicine, joining the Department of Family Medicine in 1992. Ms. Connolly is the director of the Dietetic Internship Program, as well as the director of two New York State Department of Health funded community nutrition grants. She has also secured internal funding from the NIH funded General Clinical Research Center to support an obesity research project. Ms. Connolly has served as an American Dietetic Association media spokesperson, editor of the Sports and Cardiovascular Nutritionists newsletter the Pulse, and board member for the Long Island Dietetic Association. In addition, Ms. Connolly has copyrighted a unique food guide, the Bull's-Eye Food Guide. Based on this guide she has published a weight management book for the general public, called Losing Weight Permanently with the Bull's-Eye Food Guide (Bull Publishing, 2004) and a manual for health care professionals. She is published in professional research journals as well as in books and literature for the general public. Her areas of interest include obesity, diabetes, eating disorders and hyperlipidemias.
Lorraine Danowski, MS, RD
Clinical Instructor of Family Medicine
Coordinator, Dietetic Internship
Ms. Danowski received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition from the State University of New York at Oneonta and her Master's Degree in Nutritional Science from Long Island University at CW Post. Ms. Danowski has over 15 years of experience in the field of nutrition, including 13 years in clinical nutrition, 7 years in nutrition support, 2 years in sales of nutrition-related products and 5 years in food service management. She has taught in college and university settings for 4 years. Ms. Danowski was instrumental in the development of the SUNY Stony Brook Dietetic Internship, serving on the Advisory Board and writing curriculum. She served as president of the Long Island Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. Her areas of interest include nutrition support, pediatrics, diabetes and food service management.
Lauren Gargiula Brand, MS, RD
Coordinator, Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)
Ms. Gargiula received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Resources with a major in Dietetics and a minor in Biology from the University of Delaware. She has recently completed a Master of Science Degree in Nutrition. She coordinates the Women, Infants, and Children Program a pediatric weight management program. She joined the Department of Family Medicine in May 2000. Ms. Gargiula has an interest in community nutrition, pediatric obesity and eating disorders.
Leah Nemerson Holbrook, RD
Coordinator, Heart Links Program of Suffolk and Nassau Counties
Leah Nemerson - Holbrook received her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition from Long Island University and is currently pursuing a Masters in Health Care Policy and Management from Stony Brook University. Prior to joining the Department of Family Medicine in 2003, Ms. Holbrook worked in the area of weight loss, diabetes management and pediatric nutrition. She currently coordinates The Heart Links Project of Suffolk and Nassau Counties, a grant-funded program offering resources to school districts to address nutrition and physical activity environments. Ms. Holbrook also offers individual and group counseling at Student Health Services on the Stony Brook main campus. Her areas of interest include community health, child nutrition and weight management.
Wendy Hildebrant, MS, RD
Coordinator, Heart Links Program of Suffolk and Nassau Counties
Ms. Hildebrant received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Community Health Education with a minor in Nutrition from Ithaca College, and her Master's Degree in Health Care Policy and Management with a concentration in Nutrition from the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She has recently completed the SUNY Stony Brook Dietetic Internship Program, and joined the Department of Family Medicine in February 2006. Along with Leah Nemerson Holbrook, she coordinates the Heart Links Program of Suffolk and Nassau Counties. Ms. Hildebrant has an interest in community nutrition, diabetes, and obesity.
