AGENDA
Click on the plus sign beside each date below to see that day's agenda,
or download a PDF version here.

You can access CPE info here and see a list of poster presentations here.

 7:00 AM - 5:30 PM

Registration Open                                                                                                                                                     

JOINT GMDI/SIMD Session (Pre-registration required)
Newborn Screening: Bench to Bedside

Click Here for Joint GMDI/SIMD Session Info

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Introduction
Shawn McCandless, MD
Professor, Pediatrics, Clinical Genetics and Metabolism
Chair Department of Genetics and Metabolism
Children’s Hospital Colorado
Aurora, CO

 1:30 PM - 1:55 PM

Improving presymptomatic diagnosis for OTC
Nicholas Ah Mew, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics/George Washington University
Children’s National Rare Disease Institute
Children’s National Hospital
Washington, DC

1:55 PM - 2:20 PM

Neonatal Nutrition Management of OTC 
Krista Viau, PhD, RD
Research Consultant Boston Children’s Hospital
Co-Chair, UCD Nutrition Management Guidelines, GMDI

2:20 PM - 2:45 PM

Update from the OTC mRNA trial  
Markey C. McNutt II, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor in the Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development
UT Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, TX

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Coffee Break

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

The Establishment of a Phenylketonuria (PKU) Clinic in Iraq from Afar
Joshua Baker, DO, FAAP, FACMG
Attending Physician, Division of Genetics, Genomics, and Metabolism
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Assistant Professor, Northwestern University School of Medicine
Chicago, IL 
and 
Anne C Kozek, MS, RD, LDN
Ann & Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Chicago, IL

3:30 PM - 4:15 PM

Stronger together: The Case for Supporting Clinic–Patient Organization Collaboration

  • Danae’ Bartke, HCU Network America
  • Sarah Chamberlin, flok
  • Karen Dolins, MSUD Family Support Group, Teachers College Columbia University
  • Jill Chertow, Propionic Acidemia Foundation
  • Angela P Dempsey, RD, CNSC, The Medical University of South Carolina
  • Sandy Van Calcar, PhD, RD, Molecular and Medical Genetics,  Oregon Health & Science University

Essentials of Metabolic Nutrition Pre-Conference Class (Pre-registration required)

4:30 PM - 6:30 PM

The Essentials of Metabolic Nutrition: What to Do When You Are Just Getting Started
This will be an interactive session for metabolic dietitians with less than 2 years of experience.
Registered participants will be provided with pre-reading. 

Jessica Kopesky, MS, RD, CD, CLD
Children’s Wisconsin
Milwaukee, WI

Leslie Martell, MS, RD, LDN
Boston Children’s Hospital
Boston, MA

*You must register for this session in advance as part of your conference registration.  Registration is limited. 
                                                                                                                                        

GMDI Conference

7:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Registration Open                                                                                                                                                 

7:00 AM - 8:15 AM

Sponsored Breakfast Symposium* 
Sponsored by Vitaflo North America

Nutrition Management of Hepatic Glycogen Storage Diseases: Insights from the Glyde
International Multicenter Study
David A. Weinstein, MD, MMS
Weinstein Rare Disease and Clinical Development Consulting
 

*You must register for this session in advance as part of your conference registration.
Registration is limited to metabolic dietitians in clinical practice or research.

**Breakfast available at 6:45 AM

7:15 AM - 8:15 AM

Conference Breakfast

8:15 AM - 8:30 AM

Welcoming Remarks and Presentation of Phyllis Acosta Lifetime Achievement Award
Erin MacLeod, PhD, RD
GMDI President 

Suzanne Hollander, MS, RD, LDN
GMDI Conference Committee Chair

8:30 AM - 9:15 AM

Phyllis Acosta Keynote Address 
Let’s Travel…The Metabolic Dietitian’s Journey to Success

Mary Sowa, MS, RD, CSP
CHOC Children’s
Orange, CA

Chanel Suares, RD
UCLA Division of Clinical Genetics
Los Angeles, CA

9:15 AM - 10:15 AM

Anabolism for All: Thinking Beyond the Acute Setting

Erin MacLeod, PhD, RD
Children’s National Rare Disease Institute
Washington, DC

Kimberly Chapman, MD, PhD
Children’s National Rare Disease Institute
Washington, DC

10:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Break in the Exhibit Hall
Meet the sponsors and exhibitors in the exhibitor hall
 

Research Presentations
Moderated by Rebecca Koch, PhD, RDN, LDN, and Meriah Schoen, PhD, RD
GMDI Research Committee Co-Chairs

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM

Oral Abstract Presentations                                                                                                                                 
Three submitted abstracts were selected for oral presentation

A survey: nutrition management of children less than five years of age with glycogen storage disease type I

Mary Sowa, MS, RD, CSP
Division of Metabolics Children’s Hospital of Orange County
Orange, CA, USA

 

Protein requirements in phenylketonuria adults and bioavailability of glycomacropeptide compared
to an L-amino acid based product

Abrar Turki, PhD, RD
College of Applied Medical Sciences
University of Hafr Al Batin, Hafr Al Batin
Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

 

Dietary intake among patients with long-chain 3-hydoxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (LCHADD)

Elaine Sim, MS, RD, LD
Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, OR, USA

 11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

GMDI Research Grant Recipient Presentations

Ceramide – the Unmasked Driver of VLCADD- Induced Heart Failure

Marie K Norris, MS, RD, CD. SNSC
PhD Candidate
Nutrition and Integrative Physiology
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, UT
 

Impact of the Formula Shortage on Metabolic Dietitians and Patients with Inborn Errors of Metabolism

Laura Sliwoski, MS, RD, LD, CNSC
Oregon Health and Science University
Portland, OR

12:00 PM- 12:10 PM

Mindful Movement Session

12:10 PM  - 1:30 PM

Lunch Break (lunch provided)
Opportunity to Network with Colleagues

Afternoon Workshops
There will be two afternoon workshop sessions. Each topic will be repeated so that attendees have the option to choose two
of the five topics listed below. There will be a break with exhibits between sessions. Schedule is as follows:
1:30 PM -2:30 PM – Session 1
2:30 PM -3:30 PM – Break - Meet the sponsors and exhibitors in the exhibitor hall
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM – Session 2   

The Teenage Brain: Considerations for Counseling Adolescents

Prof. Laurie Bernstein, MS, RD, FAND
Prof. Emerita University of Colorado School of Medicine and Managing Partner Met Ed Co

Flying Cheerios and Slipping on Applesauce: A Journey Through the First Year of Feeding Infants with Inborn Errors
of Metabolism 

Chanel Suares, RD
UCLA Division of Clinical Genetics
Los Angeles, CA    

Danielle Starin, MS, RD, LD
Children’s National Rare Disease Institute
Washington, DC

Ketogenic Diet: Introduction and Application of the Ketogenic Diet Therapy in IEM

Emily Stelle, MS, RD, LD, CSP
Children’s Mercy
Kansas City, KS

Jessica Brown, RD, CSP
CHOC Children’s
Orange, CA

Beyond the Clinic:  Career Options and Paths for Metabolic Dietitians

Nicole McWhorter, MS, RD
Healthcare Genetics and Genomics
Clemson University School of Nursing
Clemson, SC

Sharon Ernst, MPH, RD
Dept of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT

Nutritional Designs, LLC

Jennifer Beazer, MPH, RD
Soul Nutrition

Melanie Gillingham, PhD, RD, LD
Oregon Health and Sciences University
Portland, OR

Lindsay Ryan, MS, RD, LD
Emory University
Atlanta, GA

Bridget Wardley, MS, RD
BioMarin

International Symposium: Metabolic Nutrition Across the Globe: How Can We Help Each Other

This workshop will be scheduled concurrent with the afternoon workshops and consists of two parts, one before and one after the break.  The workshop will focus on issues of relevance to international colleagues.  
Moderated by Barbara Marriage, PhD, RD, Private Consultant

María Gabriela Valle, RD
Hospital de niños Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Anuja Agarwala, MS
Senior Metabolic Nutrition Consultant
Division of Genetics
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
New Delhi, India

Sara Guillen, MS, RD, CSP
National Institute of Pediatrics
Inborn Errors of Metabolism and Newborn Screening Laboratory
Mexico City, Mexico

4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

Opening Reception and Poster Session

Attended poster session with wine and cheese reception. Exhibits will be open during this time.
Authors should attend their poster on the following schedule:

  • Even numbers 4:30-5:15 PM
  • Odd numbers  5:15-6:00 PM

You can view a list of poster presentations here.

                                                                                                                                        

7:30 AM - 8:45 AM

Sponsored Breakfast Symposium* 
Sponsored by Nutricia North America

Journey to a Happy Eater
Anne C Kozek, MS, RD, LDN
Division of Genetics, Genomics, and Metabolism
Ann and Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital
Chicago, IL

*You must register for this session in advance as part of your conference registration.  
Registration is limited to metabolic dietitians in clinical practice or research.

**Breakfast will be available at 7:15 AM.

7:45 AM - 8:45 AM

Conference Breakfast

8:45 AM - 9:45 AM

Navigating the transition from youth to adulthood: An exploration of patient
and caregiver experience
Moderated by Prof. Laurie Bernstein, MS, RD, FAND
Prof. Emerita University of Colorado School of Medicine and Managing Partner Met Ed Co

This session will include 3 recorded patient and caregiver interviews and discussion.

Surekha Pendyal, MSc, MEd, RD, FAND
Duke University
Durham, NC

Sommer Gaughan, RDN
Children’s Hospital of Colorado
Aurora, CO

Danielle Starin, MS, RD, LD
Children’s National Rare Disease Institute
Washington, DC

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM

The Psychological Impact of Managing Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Deborah Bilder, MD
University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute
Salt Lake City, UT

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM   

Break in the Exhibit Hall
Meet the sponsors and exhibitors in the exhibitor hall

11:00 AM - 11:05 AM

Mindful Movement Session

11:05 AM - 11:50 AM

Case Conundrums
This session will include brief case presentations and discussion.
Active audience participation is encouraged.             

Jennifer Branov, RD
Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver, BC  Canada

Taelyr Mellor, MS, RD, LDN
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA  

Matthew Rasberry, RD, CD
Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI                                                                                                                    

11:50 AM - 12:30 PM

What’s New in PKU?
Stephanie Sacharow, MD
Board Certified in Pediatrics, Medical Genetics and Medical Biochemical Genetics
Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School

12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Lunch Break (lunch provided)
Opportunity to Network with Colleagues

Afternoon Workshops
There will be two afternoon workshop sessions. Each topic will be repeated so that attendees have the option to choose two
of the five topics listed below. There will be a break with exhibits between sessions. Schedule is as follows:
2:00 PM -3:00 PM – Session 1
3:00 PM -4:00 PM – Break - Meet the sponsors and exhibitors in the exhibitor hall
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM – Session 2   

Nutrition Management of Newly Diagnosed Infants and Young Children with Glycogen Storage Disease Type I (GSDI)

Heather Saavedra, MS, RD, LD
University of Texas Health Sciences Ctr.
McGovern Medical School
Houston, TX

Malaya Mount, MS, RD, CDN
Connecticut Children’s Hospital
Farmington, CT

Intuitive Eating for RDs and the Inborn Error of Metabolism Community

Stephanie Hacker, MS, RD/N, LD/N,CSSD
Univ of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Miami, FL

Danielle Starin, MS, RD, LD
Children’s National Rare Disease Institute
Washington, DC

Emergency nutrition management of IEMs and steps for creation of an afterhours metabolic nutrition management resource

Jodi Wright, RD, CNSC
Stanford Medicine, Children’s Health
Palo Alto, CA

Tope Pedro, MPH, RD, CSP
Stanford Medicine, Children’s Health
Palo Alto, CA

Lauren Bell, MS, RD
Stanford Medicine, Children’s Health
Palo Alto, CA

Research on a Shoestring Budget

Rebecca Koch, PhD, RDN, LDN
Dept of Pediatrics, Div of Medical Genetics
Duke University Medical Center 
Durham, NC

Meriah Schoen, PhD, RD
Dept Human Genetics 
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA

Nicole McWhorter, MS, RD
Healthcare Genetics and Genomics
Clemson University School of Nursing
Clemson, SC

Katie Draper, MS, RDN, LD
Georgia PKU Connect

María Gabriela Valle, RD
Hospital de niños Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Reducing measurement error and improving reliability and validity of dietary intake assessment and dietary data collection in clinical trial

Melanie Gillingham, PhD, RD, LD
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, OR

Elaina Jurecki, MS, RD
National PKU Alliance
San Ramon, CA

5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

Evening Happy Hour
Hosted by GMDI

Drinks, appetizers, and networking with colleagues                                                                               

                                                                                                                                        

7:30 AM - 8:45 AM

Sponsored Breakfast Symposium*
Sponsored by Ultragenyx

Glycogen Storage Disease type Ia: investigational therapies and the evolution of nutritional management

Anne Blake, MEd, RD, LDN
Associate Director, Global Metabolic Nutrition Programs, Medical Affairs
Ultragenyx

Heather Saavedra, MS, RD, LD
Associate Professor
Co-Director, Glycogen Storage Disease Program
Director, Metabolic Nutrition
UTHealth, University of Texas, Houston

*You must register for this session in advance as part of your conference registration.
Registration is limited to metabolic dietitians in clinical practice or research.

**Breakfast available at 7:15 AM

7:45 AM - 8:45 AM

Conference Breakfast

8:45 AM - 9:15 AM

GMDI Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony 
Erin MacLeod, GMDI President

9:15 AM - 9:45 AM

Exploring Compensation and Workforce Trends: Insights from the GMDI Salary Survey
and NCC Genetics Workforce Survey
Erin MacLeod, PhD, RD
Children’s National Rare Disease Institute
GMDI President

Krista Viau, PhD, RD
Research Consultant Boston Children’s Hospital
Co-Chair, UCD Nutrition Management Guidelines, GMDI

9:45 AM - 10:30 AM

Microbiome Alterations in Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Anne Daly, PhD
Birmingham Children’s Hospital
Manchester, UK

10:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Break

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Closing Keynote Session
Empowering Providers: Strategies for Easing Anxiety and Preventing Compassion Fatigue

Mina Nguyen-Driver, Psy D
Clinical Psychologist
UAMS Health
Springdale, AR

12:00 PM - 12:15 PM

Closing Remarks and Announcement of 2026 GMDI Conference
GMDI President and GMDI 2026 Conference Chair