Donna H. Ryan, MD is Professor Emeritus at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge Louisiana. She served as Associate Executive Director at Pennington Biomedical for 34 years where she was active in research, teaching and administration. Her research accomplishments include landmark studies of omega 3 fatty acids, and membership on the teams that developed the NIH-sponsored feeding studies, DELTA (Dietary Effects on Lipoproteins and Thrombosis in Atherosclerosis) and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).

Dr. Ryan was an Investigator on NIH multicenter lifestyle intervention studies DPP (Diabetes Prevention Program) and POUNDS Lost and the Look AHEAD study. Dr. Ryan worked with the Louisiana Office of Group Benefits to conduct LOSS (Louisiana Obese Subjects Study), a pragmatic clinical trial of intensive medical therapy for severe obesity conducted in six Louisiana primary care clinics. Dr. Ryan was PI of a Military Nutrition Grant from 1988-2011 to develop improvements to soldier readiness, nutrition and health. Dr. Ryan is an active participant in continuing medical education efforts for primary care physicians. She served as co-Chair the panel to revise the NIH-supported evidence-based Guidelines on the Evaluation and Management of Overweight and Obesity in Adults.

Dr. Ryan is past President of The Obesity Society.  She is currently Associate Editor in Chief of the journal, Obesity. Her scholarly activities include authorship of more than 200 original publications and 45 books, chapters and reviews, primarily in the field of obesity. Dr. Ryan has served the scientific community as a reviewer and advisor in many capacities.