Faculty for Panel Discussion on
Lipolymphedema

Matthew Carmody

Distinguishing between Lipedema, Lymphedema, and Obesity

Matthew Carmody, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine: Internal Medicine Physician practitioner, teacher, researcher (pt. interview, medical practice system change), Primary Care Center, Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge. Lipoedema and Obesity medicine lecturer and actively designing enhanced approaches to lipoedema and obesity in primary care practice.

Karen Herbst

Lipedema Standard of Care

Karen L. Herbst, PhD, MD is a board-certified Endocrinologist.  She retired from the University of Arizona, February 2020.  She is currently in private practice and research.  Dr. Herbst has been actively working in the field of lipedema and other disorders since 2006.  She has multiple publications on lipedema and other disorders including endotext.org/obesity.  Dr. Herbst was funded by the NIH HHLBI for the Standard of Care (SOC) for lipedema in the US.  She is currently working with the US Standard of Care Committee and to revise a SOC paper for publication.  The committee is working on a larger manual to be published online.  Dr. Herbst is currently the leader of the submission committee for the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes for lipedema the US and has now presented before the CDC.  Dr. Herbst is also an active member of Team Dercum at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

Leslyn Keith

Self-Management of Lipolymphedema

Leslyn Keith, OTD, CLT-LANA, has a Clinical Doctorate in Occupational Therapy with an emphasis on lymphedema and obesity. Dr. Keith has started four lymphedema therapy programs in California including two in private practice. In addition to treating lymphedema and other lymphatic disorders, she currently researches, consults, and lectures on lymphedema, lipedema, and obesity nationally.  She is Director of Research and Board President for The Lipedema Project and an instructor for Klose Training and Consulting.

Catherine Seo

Life Transformation Using a Wholistic Approach

Catherine Seo, PhD is Director of Lipedema Simplified, Co-Director of The Lipedema Project, course director for MasterClass: Beyond Lipedema and a professor of psychology.  She produced and directed the documentary, The Disease They Call FAT, and was one of the co-authors of the book, Lipedema-The Disease They Call FAT: An Overview for Clinicians. Catherine’s research focuses on empowering women who experience the distortions of body image applying self-compassion and other meditation techniques and also keto for lipedema. She holds a doctorate in Media Psychology. She has lipedema, lymphedema, and has struggled with obesity. Catherine brings knowledge, compassion, and humor to living with a chronic condition. She was recently certified as a Laughter Yoga Leader. 

Paula Donahue

Lipolymphedema Therapy

Paula Donahue, PT, DPT, MBA, CLT-LANA is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Physical Therapist Level IV at Vanderbilt Dayani Center for Health and Wellness. She received her training at Duke University (BS), Northwestern University Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences (DPT), The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School (MBA), and The Academy of Lymphatic Studies (CLT), and she has obtained Lymphology Association of North America (LANA) certification. She specializes in the treatment of lymphedema, lipedema and oncology rehabilitation and engages in related clinical care and research.

Elyssa Ronda

Lipedema & the Pelvic Floor

Elyssa Ronda is an Occupational Therapy Doctoral Student from West Coast University in Los Angeles, CA, set to graduate in August of 2021. She received her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Illinois State University in 2017. Posing a strong interest in Pelvic Floor Health and a burning curiosity in Lymphedema, Elyssa had the opportunity to learn about these subspecialists during her second, three-month clinical rotation under the expertise of Louisa Boyd, OTR, CLT-LANA, and Judy Barret, PT, CLT-LANA at Living Waters Physical Therapy in Bosque Farms, New Mexico. During her rotation, she learned how to measure applied force and pressure for adequate lymphatic flow, had the opportunity to co-treat lymphedema/lipedema patients under the supervision of Louisa Boyd, and learned about common pelvic floor dysfunction conditions and how to provide rehab through therapeutic exercises. Elyssa provided education to healthcare providers on various lymphatic, pelvic floor, and lipedema topics through weekly clinic in-services. Additionally, she researched and recorded a patient education webinar on the link between the pelvic floor and Lipedema utilizing group data from a self-created Lipedema questionnaire. Through the guidance and support of her clinical instructor and site mentor, she will be presenting at the NLN’s  2020 virtual conference to share her presentation on Lipedema and the Pelvic Floor.