Lunch and Learn: Nutrition and Health in the GLP-1 Era
Wednesday, June 24 at 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
U.S. Capitol, Location TBA
Washington, D.C.
The Coalition for Metabolic Health will host a Capitol Hill briefing with a panel of experts examining how nutrition can help address chronic disease and reduce healthcare costs in the United States.
The program will feature remarks from Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-Kan.), followed by a panel discussion. Drawing on research and real-world clinical practice, panelists will examine the evidence behind nutritional approaches for addressing type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, obesity, and related conditions; the role of dietary interventions, like low-carb and ketogenic therapies, and GLP-1 medications; and how policymakers and regulators can expand access to nutrition support while lowering healthcare costs tied to chronic disease.
Lunch will be provided.
Speakers
Maya Maroto, Ed.D., M.P.H., R.D. (Moderator)
Dr. Maya Maroto is the executive director of the Coalition for Metabolic Health. A registered dietitian, she has more than 20 years of experience in nutrition, health policy, and public affairs. She previously held senior roles at FoodMinds, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She holds an Ed.D. from Morgan State University and an M.P.H. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Bret Scher, M.D.
Dr. Bret Scher is a board-certified cardiologist and lipidologist and the medical director of the Coalition for Metabolic Health. With more than 20 years of experience, he focuses on treating and preventing cardiovascular disease with an emphasis on cardiometabolic health. Dr. Scher is a world-leading expert in the use of ketogenic therapy to address metabolic conditions. He holds an M.D. from The Ohio State University College of Medicine.
Tro Kalayjian, D.O.
Dr. Tro Kalayjian is a board-certified internal and obesity medicine physician with 15 years of experience and founder and chief medical officer of Toward Health. His work is grounded in lived experience. After struggling with obesity and losing 150 pounds through diet and lifestyle intervention, he dedicated his career to helping others reverse chronic disease and challenge the limitations of conventional care. He holds a D.O. from Touro University.
Caroline Roberts, M.D.
Dr. Caroline Roberts is a board-certified endocrinologist with nearly 25 years of experience caring for thousands of patients navigating insulin resistance, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. As medical director of research at Virta Health, she works on clinical trials and real-world data analyses and publishes peer-reviewed research on reversing type 2 diabetes and obesity through a digital health platform. She holds an M.D. from Johns Hopkins University.
