Melissa is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) and certified diabetes educator (CDE) who has been living with Type 1 diabetes since the age of 11. She is the Program Coordinator for NYU Langone Health’s Pediatric Diabetes Center in Brooklyn, New York. She is responsible for creating and developing the Center’s educational programs and providing patient care. Melissa has a passion for helping others manage and thrive with T1D. Before her career in healthcare, Melissa worked in media and played guitar in an indie rock band.
When a close friend was diagnosed with diabetes, she realized her passion for nutrition and diabetes education. She supported her friend, “practiced what she preached,” improved her own control and lost 30lbs in the process. She went on to become an RDN and CDE and was eventually hired as a pediatric nutritionist and diabetes educator at the same practice where she was first diagnosed!
Melissa went from being a camp alumna to a part of the DTC nutrition staff in 2016. Using what she’s learned at camp, she has become a committed gym rat (5-6 times per week) where she enjoys a variety of programs including her favorite work out Barry’s Bootcamp, general HIIT, cross-training classes, running and more. She was even able to apply the mental skills and training techniques learned at camp to tightly manage her blood glucose and exercise daily during her pregnancy.
When she’s not hanging with her daughter, you can find this indie rocker-turned-athlete-mom riding her Peloton, listening to live music, attending comedy shows or drinking wine and eating pizza on the couch with her husband. Melissa believes the key to a healthy lifestyle is balance!
