Comprehensive Weight Control Program

Director, Louis J. Aronne, M.D., F.A.C.P
Clinical Professor of Medicine
Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital

  • Home
  • Research
  • Program Structure
  • CMSN
  • Staff
  • Publications
  • Tools

A resource for weight control information

STAFF

  • Louis J. Aronne, MD, FACP, Director
  • Clinical Professor of Medicine
  • Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital
  • Adjunct Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine
  • Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
  • New York, New York
  • Director, Comprehensive Weight Control Program
  • New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, New York

Louis J. Aronne, MD, FACP, is a leading authority on obesity and its treatment. He is Clinical Professor of Medicine at Weill-Cornell Medical College and has an adjunct appointment at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is Director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program, a state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary obesity research and treatment program affiliated with New York Presbyterian Hospital.

A graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College with a BS in Biochemistry. He completed his internship and residency at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Bronx Municipal Hospital Center. He completed his graduate education as Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Fellow at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Aronne is Former President of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity and a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He has authored more than 40 papers and book chapters on obesity, and edited the National Institutes of Health Practical Guide to the Identification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. He was a consultant to the VA Weight Management/Physical Activity Executive Council.

Dr. Aronne has won several awards for medical teaching, including the Davidoff Prize from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Elliot Hochstein Award from Cornell University. He is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society.

Since 2001, Dr. Aronne has been ranked annually in New York Magazine's 'Best Doctors' in NY as a specialist in obesity, diabetes and internal medicine.

  • Jonathan Waitman, MD
  • Clinical Instructor of Medicine
  • Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital

Jonathan Waitman grew up in New York. He attended Boston University, where he received his B.A. in Psychology. He then attended the Mount Sinai School of Medicine where he received his MD. He then completed a 3-year residency in Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY. He was asked to, and accepted, the position of Chief medical resident in the department of internal medicine from 2001-2002. Following completion of his training in Internal Medicine he then went to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center where he completed a fellowship in clinical nutrition. Dr. Waitman is board certified in Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition.

He is currently working at the Comprehensive Weight Control Program at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center with Dr. Louis Aronne. He is the course director for the nutrition curriculum and Weill Cornell Medical College. He is also the Medical Director for Specialized Nutrition Support New York Presbyterian Hospital, Weill-Cornell Medical Center.

He has co-authored numerous articles on the subject of obesity. He has been interviewed by the New York Times, Fox5news, CNN, Headline news, CBS news and The Today Show.

  • Ileana Vargas, MD
  • Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics
  • Columbia University-New York Presbyterian Hospital
  • Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Residency: Babies Hospital, Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, NY, NY
  • Fellowship: Mount Sinai Hospital, NY, NY

The increasing incidence of type II diabetes in the young, and its association with childhood obesity, has led Dr. Vargas-Rodriguez to collaborate with Dr. Rudolph Leibel and Dr. Louis Aronne in basic and clinical research with obese patients. She has participated in the establishment of the pediatric component at the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center and the Comprehensive Weight Control Program. She instructs residents and fellows in the management of childhood obesity and both type I and type II diabetes. She is involved in a number of ongoing clinical trials and was a fellow in 2000 of the National Hispanic Medical Association Leadership Program. She is active in recruiting patients from the community to participate in ongoing efforts to promote changes in lifestyle with regard to childhood obesity. Her practice is principally related to the care of overweight and its co-morbidities. She is Board certified in Pediatric Endocrinology.

  • Judith Townsend, MPA-C, MPH
  • Physician Assistant
  • Jane Aronne, RN, BSN
  • Administrative Director
  • Kathy Isoldi, MS, RD, C.D.E.
  • Coordinator of Clinical Nutrition Services

Kathy Keenan Isoldi, MS, RD, CDE, has been guiding patients in their quest to make healthier food choices, and become more physically active for the past twenty-five years. Kathy is currently the coordinator of nutritional services at The Comprehensive Weight Control Program- affiliated with New York Presbyterian Hospital. At this busy Manhattan-based program, Kathy continually translates the latest evidence-based scientific knowledge into effective patient care delivery.

Kathy has brought her nutritional advice and guidance to the masses via television appearances and through her writing for the public. Kathy has designed weight-loss programs and appeared on-air for Good Morning America, The Early Show and UPN9 News. Kathy has authored nine articles for Woman’s Day Magazine outlining how today’s woman can regain and maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. Kathy has published two books- The Woman’s Day Weight-Loss Plan: Lose, Weight, Eat Right, Be Fit and Feel Great at Every Stage of Life (Filipacchi, 2003), and The Woman’s Day Guide to Lasting Weight Loss:10 Steps to a Healthier You at Any Stage of Life (Filipacchi, 2007). Kathy’s practical guidance, delivered with a hefty dose of hope and understanding has been well-received by patients, viewers and readers around the country.

Kathy’s passion to offer the best possible patient care has led her back to the world of academia. She is currently a doctoral candidate in nutrition at New York University, and her dissertation focuses on our current obesity epidemic. Since returning to school, Kathy has served as an instructor and educator for other students and health care professionals. She has served as an adjunct professor at New York University, and has co-authored eight articles and one textbook chapter in peer-reviewed journals on the topic of obesity treatment options. Kathy’s commitment to reversing the current obesity crisis drives her to continue to work towards providing the best quality of care to obese patients.

  • Janet Feinstein, MS, RD
  • Nutrition Consultant

  • Guadalupe Minero, MPH
  • Program Director, CMSN

Guadalupe is the Manager for Special Projects at the Comprehensive Weight Control Program where she is charged with managing and coordinating all non-clinical treatment and research programs and projects. Guadalupe is a graduate of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health with a Masters in Public Health specializing in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego in Human Development, with a minor in Chemistry.

Guadalupe has a wide array of experience in program planning and development. As part of her work with the Dr. Louis Aronne and the Comprehensive Weight Control Program, Guadalupe was involved in the development of the Comprehensive Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction Program sponsored by the National Lipid Association. Guadalupe also played a key role in the development and implementation of The NO LIMITS Program, a weight loss intervention, designed to target high-risk members of one of the largest unions in the Northeast. Prior to her current position she was involved in the planning, development, implementation and/or evaluation of several health related research studies and treatment programs including Downstate New York Healthy Start, a HRSA awarded competitive grant, Por La Vida, an NIH funded minority research program, and the Measurement and Evaluation Research Group.

Guadalupe completed her internship at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia participating in the enhancement of The Guide to Community Preventative Services. She was awarded the Phoenix Fellowship and the Community Scholar Fellowship from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

  • Suzanne Wright, BS, MA
  • Clinical Research Manager

Ms. Wright has been working in the field of obesity research for seven years. Ms. Wright completed an honorary degree in Molecular Biology at Brock University in Ontario, Canada. She completed her post-graduate degree under the direction of pediatric obesity specialist, Dr. Leonard H. Epstein, earning a Masters degree in Psychology in Pediatrics, Division of Behavioral Medicine, at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She was awarded the prestigious Mark Diamond Research Foundation Award for completion of her Master’s thesis. After graduation, Ms. Wright coordinated two individually funded NIH R01 grants investigating behavioral treatment for childhood and adolescent obesity. In addition to her duties as research coordinator, Ms. Wright completed the statistical analyses and writing for several manuscripts involving obesity research. Ms. Wright also directed weekly obesity research meetings at the University’s Behavioral Medicine Laboratory.

In 2004, Ms. Wright began working with renowned obesity expert, Louis J. Aronne, MD, as a Clinical Research Coordinator, and since that time has coordinated over 15 clinical research studies of obesity medications and/or devices. During this time, the research department of the Comprehensive Weight Control Program has expanded to include a team of clinical research coordinators, managed by Ms. Wright. In September of 2007, Ms. Wright was elected to the Editorial Board of Obesity Research. She has written articles with Dr. Aronne, and continues to enrich her obesity training by regularly attending and presenting at professional conferences, such as Weill-Cornell’s Bariatric Surgeons Conference, and the Obesity Society.

  • Dennis Roarke, BS
  • Clinical Research Coordinator

Dennis Roarke was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology from Binghamton University, State University of New York, where he graduated Cum Laude in May 2006. Following the completion of his degree Dennis participated in the Investigator Training Program, which focused on ICH/GCP, sponsored by Pfizer, Inc. in June 2006 at Bellevue Hospital in New York City. Dennis has been working with Dr. Louis J. Aronne, nationally recognized obesity expert and Immediate Past- President of the North American Association for the Study of Obesity since July 2006. Dennis coordinates clinical trials involving weight loss medications and/or devices at the Comprehensive Weight Control Program. His responsibilities include implementing clinical research studies in accordance with FDA guidelines, Good Clinical Practices and IRB requirements, collecting physiological data from study participants, maintaining accurate and up to date documentation including all study related correspondence and paperwork, developing patient recruitment and retention strategies, and ensuring proper study conduct by maintaining communication with Clinical Research Monitors, IRB representatives, study physicians, and study patients.

Dennis is originally from Long Island, NY, he currently resides in Queens, NY

  • Catherine Wedick, BS
  • Clinical Research Coordinator

Catherine is responsible for independently monitoring and coordinating the execution of clinical research trials specializing in obesity.

This involves creating and designing clinical research for Dr. Aronne, independently managing several clinical research projects, designing tracking systems and protocols for studies, assessing patient protocol adherence, developing patient recruitment and retention strategies, performing study evaluations, completing clinical study IRB applications, collecting and managing study related data, overseeing the grant and contract preparation process, and supervising administrative staff.

Catherine began her career in clinical research working as a Research Intern for the Division of Psychiatry Research at Zucker Hillside Hospital of the North Shore – Long Island Jewish Health System.

Catherine earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Sciences from The Pennsylvania State University in 2006.

  • Josie Idoko, BS
  • Clinical Research Coordinator

Josie Idoko earned two Bachelor of Sciences degrees from Bates College, a B.S. in Biology and a B.S. in Environmental Studies. She also has 19.8 contact hours through the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She serves as the primary coordinator for 2 clinical trials involving investigational medication for the treatment of obesity and Type II Diabetes.