From Our Experts

There are many people working hard behind the scenes at The Paleo Diet® to bring you accurate and up-to-date nutrition and lifestyle information. Whether they’re part of The Paleo Diet team working in our office in Boulder, Colorado, or contributors writing recipes and articles from coast to coast, we take pride in the fact that our contributors bring with them unique expertise and experiences that directly impact our ability to better support you on your health journey.

Reflective of our commitment to only publish science-backed content written by real, live human experts, every piece of content on our website or in our books has been created by one of the individuals below. We do not use AI or LLMs for content creation. Simply click on any of the photos of our team members and contributors on this page to learn more about them and the body of work they’ve contributed here.

Feeling inspired? We regularly hear from authors, cookbook creators, aspiring wellness influencers, health care providers, and more, who want to contribute to the mission and vision of The Paleo Diet. If you’re interested in joining the team below in one way or another, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@thepaleodiet.com.

The Paleo Diet Team

Loren Cordain, Ph.D.

Founder

As a professor at Colorado State University, Dr. Loren Cordain developed The Paleo Diet® through decades of research and collaboration with fellow scientists around the world.

Lorrie Cordain

Co-founder

Lorrie Cordain co-founded The Paleo Diet alongside her husband, Dr. Loren Cordain and has been living the Paleo lifestyle for over 30 years.

Trevor Connor, M.S.

CEO

Dr. Loren Cordain’s final graduate student, Trevor Connor, M.S., brings more than a decade of nutrition and physiology expertise to spearhead the new Paleo Diet team.

Mark J. Smith, Ph.D.

Chief Science Officer

One of the original members of the Paleo movement, Mark J. Smith, Ph.D., has spent nearly 30 years advocating for the benefits of Paleo nutrition.

Dave Trendler

Chief Marketing Officer

Dave Trendler is Chief Marketing Officer of The Paleo Diet. Before joining our team, he worked in marketing in several roles in the book, magazine, and online publishing industry.

Andrea Dehnke

Content Manager

Andrea is the Content Manager at The Paleo Diet and has experience working with several health and nutrition publications.

Isabella Mead

Assistant Project Manager

Isabella Mead is the Assistant Project Manager at The Paleo Diet and has experience in creating digital content for lifestyle and nutrition brands.

Our Contributors

Jess Case

Recipe Developer

Jess Case is a professional chef and baker, graphic designer, photographer, and craftsperson.

Maureen Farrar

Content Creator

Maureen Farrar has spent more than 20 years as a writer and editor for several print and digital outlets. She writes about health, fitness and nutrition.

Ashley DeKam, N.D., C.H.S.

Lifestyle Writer

With several decades of experience in the health and wellness field, Ashley is passionate about educating, inspiring, and aiding those who want to better their lives and health.

Irene Jay

Nutrition Coach

Irene Jay is a Holistic Health Coach and a certified Nutrition Coach from Vancouver, BC.

Aimee McNew

Nutrition Writer

Aimee McNew is a nutritionist and writer who focuses on women’s health, infertility, and postpartum wellness.

Nell Stephenson, B.S.

Nutritionist

Nell Stephenson has been an advocate for The Paleo Diet since 2011, and is the co-author of The Paleo Diet Cookbook.

Jennafer Ashley

Recipe Developer

Jennafer has created over 1,000 Paleo recipes over the last 5 years working with Paleo clients and creating recipe content.

Kaylie Johnson

Recipe Developer

Kaylie Johnson is a recipe developer who is passionate about empowering others in wellness - body, mind, and spirit.

Betsy Schroeder

Lifestyle Writer

Betsy does research and writing for a few different websites in the natural health field after taking Masters level courses in Nutrition & Functional Medicine through the University of Western States.

birdseye view of someone taking notes off a computer

The Paleo Diet Team

The Paleo Diet® team consists of a group of scientists, journalists, experts, and recipe creators who stay at the forefront of nutrition science.

Kimberly Tessmer, RDN, LD

Registered Dietitian

Kimberly Tessmer is a registered dietitian, health coach, published author and freelance writer. She has written 10 books on nutrition and healthy living.

Bill Manci

Aquatic Culture Expert

Bill Manci is the president of a fisheries and aquaculture consulting company and he has worked with The Paleo Diet since 2002.

Marc Bubbs ND, MSc, CISSN, CSCS

Naturopathic Doctor

Dr. Marc Bubbs is a naturopathic doctor, author, and performance nutrition consultant for a portfolio of professional and Olympic athletes.

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan

Journalist

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan is a Montana-based freelance journalist who specializes in the outdoors, science, environment, and parenting.

Courtney Hamilton

Writer

Courtney Hamilton is a writer and editor with over nine years of experience.

Chris Case, M.A.

Journalist

Chris received his B.A. in neuroscience, art, and art history. He also has his M.A. in journalism.

Emily Rumsey

Writer

Emily Rumsey joined The Paleo Diet® in the summer of 2020 and then was promoted to Website Manager. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a BA in Journalism.

Felicia Lim

Recipe Developer

Felicia Lim has been developing Paleo recipes since 2015, and has worked with various Paleo websites to create recipes that are healthy, and taste good.

Megan Patiry

Nutrition Writer

Megan Patiry is a freelance writer specializing in ancestral nutrition. She has personally followed a Paleo-style, ancestral style of eating for over a decade.

Stephanie Vuolo

Nutritional Therapist

Stephanie Vuolo is a Certified Nutritional Therapist, an American College of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer, and a Certified CrossFit Level 1 Coach, and mother.

Ryan Kohler

Sports Nutritionist

Ryan Kohler holds a B.S. in exercise science, an M.S. in sports nutrition, and has been published in numerous scientific and popular media outlets.

David Seaman, D.C., M.S.

Science Writer

Dr. David Seaman has been writing about chronic inflammation for 25 years. He wrote the first published scientific article about how diet can induce inflammation and promote pain.

Raphael Sirtoli, M.Sc.

Molecular Biologist

Raphael Sirtoli has an M.Sc. in molecular biology and is a Ph.D. candidate in health sciences at the Behavioral and Molecular Lab in Portugal. Raphael is also co-founded Nutrita.

Robert Yang, M.S.

Nutritionist

Robert Yang has a master’s degree in human nutrition and is a certified nutritionist. He is also a strength and conditioning specialist.

Wendy Farrell, M.S.Ed.

Culinary Entrepreneur

Wendy Farrell, M.S.Ed received her Master’s in Education in Exercise and Sports Science from Colorado State University in 1987 with Dr. Loren Cordain.

Jodi M. VerWeire

Health and Nutrition Educator

Jodi lives in western New York state where she is an enthusiastic advocate for how diet affects overall health.

Casey Thaler, B.A., NASM-CPT, FNS

Fitness Nutrition Specialist

Casey Thaler is a certified personal trainer and nutrition specialist.

Christopher Clark

Nutrition Writer

Christopher Clark is an entrepreneur, food writer, and business owner with years of experience with nutrition.

C.J. Hunt

Nutrition Producer

C.J. Hunt is a writer, broadcaster, and producer who has covered diet and nutrition.

Jessica Resendez

Writer

With over five years of writing experience, Jessica Resendez has knowledge about topics from food and health to culture and community.

Johnathan David

Wildlife Biologist

As a reptile hobbyist since childhood, Johnathan David has years of experience in herpetoculture.

Dr. David M. Brady

Naturopathic Medical Doctor

Dr. David M. Brady is a leading naturopathic medical doctor and expert on fibromyalgia. He completed his initial clinical training as a doctor of chiropractics and is also dual board-certified in clinical nutrition.

Kyle Cordain

Researcher

Kyle Cordain is a graduate of Colorado State University with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Global Environmental Sustainability.

O. H. Okoye, MD, MBA, MSEpi

Health Care Consultant

Dr. Obianuju Helen Okoye is a US Health Care Consultant.

Maelán Fontes, M.S.

Researcher

Maelán Fontes is a researcher and PhD student at the Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University, Sweden.

Woodrow C. Monte, PhD

Nutrition Expert

Dr. Woodrow Monte is a leading expert on food-borne diseases and food additive safety.

Eirik Garnas

Nutritionist

Eirik Garnas is a nutritionist, blogger, writer for several health websites and magazines, and personal trainer.

William Lagakos, Ph.D.

Nutritional Biochemist and Physiologist

Dr. William Lagakos received a Ph.D. in Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology from Rutgers University where his research focused on dietary fat assimilation and integrated energy metabolism.

Chris Lesley

Chicken Expert

Chris Lesley is the Managing Editor at Chickens And More and has been raising chickens for over 20 years.

David Whiteside

Researcher

David Whiteside devotes his time to researching and promoting awareness of Paleo and ancestral dieting in the senior community.  

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