Cara Ebbeling

Cara B. Ebbeling is a clinical researcher with more than two decades of experience. She holds a PhD in nutritional sciences from the University of Connecticut and an MS in exercise science from the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Ebbeling has a passion for developing, implementing, and evaluating intensive interventions for preventing and treating obesity and related co-morbidities in clinic and community settings. She is recognized internationally for her expertise in conducting randomized controlled trials to compare the effects of dietary interventions on anthropometric and metabolic outcomes. She is leading development of a novel Community-Based Integrated Model for Weight Management that involves care integration and coordination among primary care practices, community partners (youth development organizations), and obesity specialists (registered dietitians, health educators).

Dr. Ebbeling has given scores of invited presentations at national and international professional meetings, and has testified at the Massachusetts State House on nutrition topics related to her research. In addition, she enjoys training fellows, medical students, and graduate students on methods for implementing dietary interventions and a wide range of clinical research methodologies, with particular focus on strategies to ensure treatment fidelity and scientific integrity. She served as associate editor for Obesity and guest editor for a special obesity issue of Clinical Chemistry, and is an associate editor for Contemporary Clinical Trials. Dr. Ebbeling is a fellow of The Obesity Society and the American College of Sports Medicine.