About
Clinical
Ben Atkinson, MS, RDN, CD
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Child Nutrition Coordinator and Dietitian, Auburn School District
MS, University of Washington, 2007
Ben Atkinson began his career managing a large dietary staff at the University of Washington Medical Center. Since completing his graduate studies, he has been involved in conducting and analyzing clinical research at the Institute for Translational Health Sciences, Northwest Lipid Research Clinic, and Harborview Medical Center. He has worked as a clinical dietitian at a large community health center and at Harborview Medical Center. In his current position at Harborview, he manages six outpatient dietitians, a technology program that reaches all staff and patients, and the staff wellness program. He has served as a preceptor for multiple University of Washington nutrition interns, overseen student placements with his staff, and provided guest lectures on HIV nutrition in our advanced nutrition course. He is the 2017 recipient of the Emerging Leader Award from the Washington State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (WSAND).
Cheryl Davis, RDN, CD, CNSC
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Director, Clinical Nutrition, Seattle Children's Hospital
BS, Nutrition, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, 2002
206-987-5518
cheryl.davis@seattlechildrens.org
Faculty PageCheryl Davis is a pediatric dietitian working in the areas of GI, intestinal rehabilitation, and liver transplant. She has published work in the areas of glycemic control, growth hormone treatment, selenium deficiency, and pediatric nutrition assessment. As the Inpatient Clinical Manager, she oversees a staff of 25 registered dietitians and coordinates clinical placements of our students with her staff. She has provided multiple guest lectures in our acute care and pediatric nutrition graduate courses.
Alysun Deckert, MSRD, CD, MHA
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Clinical Nutrition Manager, University of Washington Medical Center
MHA,University of Washington2008
MS, University of Washington, 1994
206-598-6351
Faculty PageMs. Alysun Deckert has been a clinical dietitian at UWMC since 1993, focusing primarily on solid organ transplant, specifically liver, kidney, and pancreas. She also has clinical dietetic expertise in the areas of renal, general surgery (including gastric bypass, whipple, and esophageal surgeries), otolaryngology, medical ICU, general medicine, obstetrics, and psychiatry. In 2011, she became the Clinical Nutrition Manager at UWMC, overseeing the clinical Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians, Registered.
Amy Ellings, MPH
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Healthy Eating Active Living Program Manager, Washington State Department of Health
MPH, Portland State University, 2005
BS, Dietetics, Nutriton, State University of New York (Oneonta), 2000
Amy Ellings is the lead for public health nutrition rotations at the Washington Department of Health Healthy Eating Active Living Program (HEAL). She shares their expertise with UW Nutritional Sciences Program students by mentoring class projects (NUTR 531) and through practicum rotation mentorship. HEAL manages several areas of projects that provide opportunities for NSP graduate students to participate in making a difference in improving state and local systems to increase healthy eating, and physical activity.
Natalia Groat, MS, RD, CD
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Registered Dietitian, Harborview Medical Center
MS, Clinical Nutrition, Oregon Health and Science University, 2007
BS, Nutritional Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2002
206-663-4638
Faculty PageNatalia Groat is a clinical dietitian at Harborview Medical Center (HMC) and currently works in the neuro-ICU. Over the past decade, she has precepted 1-3 Nutritional Sciences Program graduate students annually through their clinical rotations. Demonstrating her long-time commitment to training our students, she also guest lectures each year in Acute Care Nutrition (NUTR 563).
Blishda Lacet, MPH, MBA
Clinicial Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Community Program Manager, Health Eating Ative Living (HEAL) Unit, Public Health - Seattle & King County
MBA, Babson College, 2005
MPH, Boston University, 1994
Blishda Lacet has more than 20 years of experience in public health. Her experience includes working as a bridge connector among state agencies, universities, nonprofit organizations, hospitals, and community groups. Through her current position in HEAL, Lacet provides support to community-based organizations to identify and implement strategies to promote healthy food and beverage choices in communities with disproportionate rates of chronic disease. She has served as a preceptor for multiple University of Washington nutrition interns.
Mari Mazon, MS
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
MS, Nutritional Science, University of Washington, 2011
BS, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Washington, 2007
Research interests include: nutrition for children with special health care needs, nutrition and pulmonary diseases, and nutrition and sleep.
Susan McBride, MS, RD
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Foodservice Manager, Harborview Medical Center
MS, University of Washington, 2003
Susan McBride has worked in the field of nutrition for the University of Washington for over a decade in both clinical nutrition and foodservice management positions. Through her roles, she works with students and faculty in various capacities. McBride guest lectures to UW nutrition graduate students on topics including nutrition and neurological injuries, nutrition for liver disease and pancreatitis, and applying management theories to the development of programs and services (NUTR 563 & 561). Additionally, she has mentored several students per year since 2006 through full-time rotations in clinical, foodservice and management settings.
Megan Nordlund, MS, RD, CD
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Nutrition Services - Clinical Dietitian Manager, Harborview Medical Center
MS, Central Washington University, 2007
Megan Nordlund has been a clinical dietitian on a variety of units at Harborview Medical Center since 2008. She has worked as the burn unit dietitian with both pediatric and adult patients since 2010. She has served as preceptor for numerous UW nutrition interns and guest lectured on nutrition support in burn patients in NUTR 563 Nutrition and Acute Care. In addition to her work as a burn unit dietitian, she has served as Clinical Dietitian Manager at Harborview since 2012. As clinical manager, Nordlund coordinates and oversees our nutrition intern’s clinical training with the Harborview inpatient clinical dietitians.
Barb Pyper, MS, RD, SNS, FCSI
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Owner, An Apple a Day, LLC
MS, Case Western Reserve University, 1978
Barb Pyper has extensive training in food safety, culinary/recipe development, management, customer service, managing transition, and total quality management. Pyper has served as the director in large-volume food service operations in both colleges and health care and was an adjunct professor of food systems management at Seattle Pacific University for 17 years and also serves as the Executive Director for three dietetic practice groups.
Marilyn Shelton, RD, CNSD
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Clinical Dietitian, Harborview Medical Center
Marilyn Shelton has been a long-standing clinical inpatient (trauma, surgery ICU) preceptor for students in the Graduate Coordinated Program in Dietetics in the Nutritional Sciences Program. She has mentored student led quality improvement projects and has co-authored case studies with current graduate students. Shelton has provided numerous guest lectures on clinical nutrition topics (Trauma/Surgery Critical Care) and mentors student groups on case-based learning in NUTR 563.
Judy Simon, MS, RD, CD, CHES
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Clinic Dietitian, University of Washington Medical Center, Roosevelt Clinic
MS, University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, 1988
Judy Simon has spent her entire career in the field of dietetics. Over the years she has been employed at community and teaching hospitals, campus health facilities, and primary care clinics. She has mentored and taught dietetic interns at the University of Illinois and MidMichigan Regional Medical Center. For more than 10 years, Ms. Simon has mentored University of Washington students, lectured to numerous interns during their graduate coursework, and mentored student projects. Since 2011, she has been the instructor for NUTR 560 Nutrition Counseling for Chronic Disease. She is the 2017 recipient of the Community Excellence Award from the Washington State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (WSAND), and a recognized Fellow of the Academy.
Lina Pinero Walkinshaw
Clinical Instructor, Health Systems and Population Health
Research Scientist
MPH, Community Oriented Public Health Practice, University of Washington, 2014
206-616-1569
Lina Pinero Walkinshaw’s work focuses on community and population health, primarily centered on policies, systems, and environmental changes that support access to affordable nutritious foods and beverages for lower-income communities. She has training and experience in both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis methods, community-based participatory research, project management, and database design and management.