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Dietitian Advisory Group

The Dietitian Advisory Group reviews the content and materials on Kidney Kitchen to ensure:

  • All content is clinically accurate
  • Recommendations align with the most up-to-date, evidence-based dietetics practice and nutrition guidelines

The Dietitian Advisory Group will continue supporting future development of both patient-centered and provider-facing renal nutrition content and initiatives. We are grateful to the members of our Dietitian Advisory Group and to Amgen® for its support of this valuable digital resource.

Dietitian Advisory Group Members

Melanie Betz, MS, RD, CSR, CSG

is a Registered Dietitian who specializes in kidney stones. She is the founder of The Kidney Dietitian, an online business that provides easy-to-understand, evidence-based information about kidney stones and kidney disease. She has published research investigating patient knowledge and adherence to renal diets, plant based diets in kidney disease and the role of nutrition in kidney stone prevention. She volunteers for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois and the Renal Practice Group, a practice group of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. You can find her on Instagram @the.kidney.dietitian.

Antonio D. Cain, MBA, RDN, LDN

is a registered and board-certified dietitian. Antonio received his undergraduate education in dietetics from Life University in 2003 and obtained a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, Atlanta campus. Antonio was deemed a Community Health Ambassador (CHA) in the spring of 2006 after completing a training course on health disparities at the Morehouse School of Medicine – Mini Medical School. In 2007, Antonio completed the Georgia Department of Human Resources Dietetic Internship program, where as an intern, he completed self-studies and research on human development as it relates to social and physical growth. He was named the 2007 recipient of a Distinguished Service Award for a grassroots effort for obesity research conducted on Georgia Special Olympic athletes. He is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and a recent member of the member interest group, National Organization of Blacks in Dietetics and Nutrition. Antonio is also as an active member of the New Mexico Dietetic Association. His work experience includes geriatrics, public health and pediatrics, private practice, home infusion, public speaking and food/clinical nutrition management. Antonio is an emerging dietetic professional with a special interest in health information and literacy. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, outdoor activities and spending time with family.

Kathy Wong, RDN

received her Bachelor of Science in Clinical Nutrition from University of California, Davis (UCD). Her career as a registered dietitian began as a WIC dietitian in 2014. Later, she transitioned to the clinical setting, and for the past 3 years she has been working as a renal dietitian for DaVita with in-center hemodialysis patients. She is passionate about delivering nutrition education to patients so they and their caregivers can understand and practically apply. Her journey to becoming a dietitian began as she had to learn to navigate through diet recommendations and medical information given when she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease as a teenager. Fast forward several years, she worked as a nutrition assistant and later a dietitian for the WIC Program (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infant, and Children) setting where she developed the skills to deliver culturally sensitive adult education. It was in the community nutrition setting where she developed the awareness that nutrition education should not be simply delivered as blankets for various groups of people. She believes that the whole person should be taken into account - one's diet habits/beliefs may be linked to one's cultural background, emotional relationship with food, financial situation, etc. Now, as a renal dietitian, she enjoys the challenge of the clinical aspect of her work, as well as the community aspect - delivering nutrition education and collaborating with patients and their caregivers to establish individualized goals that are realistic for them to achieve.

Carolyn Feibig, MS, RD, LD, CCTD

is originally from Saint Louis, MO and moved to Washington, D.C. for her dietetic internship. Prior to becoming a dietitian, she was a 5th grade teacher. Carolyn became interested in kidney nutrition when her nephew was born with one working kidney. She has been volunteering for the American Kidney Fund (AKF) since 2015. Carolyn works with AKF on many projects including presenting multiple nutrition education webinars, reviewing the Kidney Health Coach program, and as a content developer for the Kidney Kitchen®. She also volunteers with the AAKP and the NKF. In 2018 she was awarded the NKF’s Regional Recognized Renal Dietitian for Region 2 (Southeast United States). Carolyn has also presented at the Alport Syndrome’s Annual Family Conference in 2020 and other renal nonprofit group events. Carolyn tries to live her life by some universal truths: the more you know the more interesting your dinner parties, the prequels to Star Wars should never have been made, art is all around you not just hanging in a museum, people who are ‘cool’ are boring, the best way to show love is in the kitchen, people who are outdoors seem happier, traveling is a good way to get over yourself, spontaneous dance parties keep you sane, eat food not supplements, don’t buy organic buy local and being a good person is important.

Janelle Gonyea, RDN, LD, FNKF

has 30 years of experience as a renal dietitian at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, working with chronic kidney disease patients in all stages of their disease process and across all treatment options. In addition to patient care, she authored medical nutrition therapy protocols, chaired committees in charge of developing patient education materials and programing for the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and educated countless nephrology colleagues, medical students, nephrology fellows and dietetic interns, holding the rank of Assistant Professor of Nutrition for the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. She has authored numerous articles for patient and professional publications and often speaks at regional and national meetings on various topics related to renal nutrition. She has served on the executive committee of the National Kidney Foundation's Council on Renal Nutrition as editor of their Renalink newsletter, chair of the planning committee for the annual Spring Clinical Meeting and preconference workshop coordinator. Currently she serves as an editor for the 3rd edition of A Clinical Guide to Nutrition Care in Kidney Disease, a committee member for the revision of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics National Kidney Diet and on the Medical Review Committee for the Midwest Kidney Network.

Beth Guthrie, MS, RDN, LD

has provided individual medical nutrition therapy to a diverse culture of patients requiring dialysis at both in-center and home clinics in the Columbus, Ohio, area for more than 20 years. Her goal is to promote optimal nutrition outcomes that will improve the quality of life for her patients. Beth serves as adjunct faculty at Columbus State Community College for the dietetic technician program for supervised practice for medical nutrition therapy, working with the students at local rehab facilities and the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to complete their competencies as set forth by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Beth holds a master’s degree in medical dietetics from The Ohio State University.

Amanda Lane, MS, RD, LDN, CDCES

is a renal dietitian, Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist and Founder of Healthful Lane Nutrition LLC. While working with dialysis patients, Amanda became passionate about patients with CKD when she learned most of her dialysis patients had not met with a dietitian prior to dialysis. Amanda enjoys helping patients understand the complexities of diabetes and CKD by working to remove the fear and stigma of both diseases. She values the links between food, culture and health and enjoys seeing patients thrive while enjoying their preferred foods and living a healthful lifestyle.

María Eugenia Rodríguez-León, MS, RD, CSR, LND

is a Spanish-speaking renal dietitian living in San Juan, Puerto Rico. María started to work in dialysis in Chicago, IL, while studying her Master of Science in Clinical Nutrition. She has been working with dialysis patients for the past 11 years and with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease patients in private practice for the past 7 years. María has been a preceptor to dietetic interns for the hemodialysis rotation since 2016. She enjoys speaking about different renal nutrition topics to different audiences: patients, nurses, renal dietitians, nephrologists and nephrology fellows. María collaborates with PR and US-based nonprofit organizations such as Consejo Renal de PR, Colegio de Nutricionistas y Dietistas de PR and Dialysis Patient Citizens Education Center to educate Hispanic patients on the renal diet through webinars, educational videos and guided supermarket tours. Most recently, María started to provide an online renal nutrition education program for chronic kidney disease patients and has created culturally adapted educational material on renal nutrition in Spanish for dietitians. María has witnessed how a well-planned renal diet as part of the medical treatment can stop kidney disease progression.

Aisling Whelan, MS, RDN, CDN

Aisling’s passion for kidney nutrition started when she learned that most of her patients at a dialysis center never met with a dietitian before starting dialysis. She was inspired to start her own private nutrition practice specializing in nutrition therapy for pre-dialysis kidney disease patients. Aisling helps people reclaim their health and improve their quality of life through a whole-person, whole-food approach. She helps people with kidney disease slow down their progression to kidney failure, and people already on dialysis to improve their health and reduce their risk for complications.