Program Faculty
Jean LaMantia, B.S.Sc., RD
Registered Dietitian
Jean LaMantia is a registered dietitian, cancer survivor and author of The Essential Cancer Treatment Nutrition Guide and Cookbook. She lives in Toronto, Canada where she works with cancer patients and survivors one-on-one and in groups to help them manage their treatment side-effects and reduce their risk of recurrence with good nutrition. You can find out more about her on her website www.jeanlamantia.com.
Manolito G. Torralba
Doctoral Candidate – Catholic University of America
Laboratory Research and Development Manager
J. Craig Venter Institute
Manolito Torralba studied Biology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. He started his scientific career in clinical microbiology and expanded his research interests working as a Research Associate II (RAII) at the J. Craig Venter Institute. With encouragement from his mentor, Dr Karen Nelson PhD along with his own interests in genomics research, he decided to pursue a doctoral degree at Catholic University while continuing to work as an RAII. Through the years of his doctoral program, he moved into a leadership role at JCVI and is currently the Laboratory Research and
Development Manager. Currently, Manolito is on track to successfully defend his research on novel virulence factors of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in May of 2018. His other research interests include genomics approaches to studying microbial ecology and host-pathogen interactions in autoimmune diseases.
Adrienne C. Scheck, PhD
Adjunct Professor, Arizona State University
Associate Investigator, Cancer Biology Program,
Arizona Cancer Center of the University of Arizona
Adjunct Associate Professor, Barrow Neurological Institute
Adrienne C. Scheck, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor at Arizona State University and the Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI) and an Associate Investigator in the Cancer Biology Program at the University of Arizona. She received her BA from the University of Rochester and her PhD from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. After a postdoctoral fellowship in viral oncology at Pennsylvania State College of Medicine she moved to Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to study AIDS-related dementia. Here she began studies of brain tumors and moved to the BNI in 1989. Dr. Scheck is an acknowledged leader in the field of metabolic alteration as an adjunct to standard therapies to improve survival and minimize side effects in cancer patients. Her laboratory studies the use of the therapeutic ketogenic diet (KD) for the treatment of gliomas and has demonstrated that it reduces the growth of gliomas through a variety of mechanisms and potentiates standard therapy efficacy.
Agnes Horvath, MD
Pediatric Oncology
CHOC
Dr. Agnes Horvath is a pediatric hematology/oncology with CHOC Specialists and is affiliated with the Institute of Functional Medicine.
Dr. Horvath attended medical school at Semmelweiss Medical School in Budapest, Hungary. She served her residency training in pediatrics at Hematology University Pediatric Clinic in Budapest and University of East Carolina Medical Center in Greenville, North Carolina. Dr. Horvath completed fellowship training in pediatric hematology/oncology at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Dr. Horvath is board certified in three specialties: pediatrics, pediatric hematology/oncology, and hospice and palliative medicine, giving her a combination of expertise not seen at many other hospitals. She puts this training to use as the founder of the CHOC supportive care program, which focuses solely on supporting patients and families outside of traditional medical care.
Kristen Miller, RD, CSP, CLEC
Clinical Dietitian
CHOC
Kristen Miller is a Registered Dietitian at CHOC. She received her BS in Nutrition from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with minors in Biology and Child Development. She completed her Dietetic Internship at UC Davis Medical Center, and a Pediatric RD Residency Program at CHOC. She is currently working towards her MS through the University of Kansas Medical Center. Kristen is a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Nutrition (CSP) and holds a Clinical Lactation Educator Counselor (CLEC) certification. She works with inpatient and outpatient oncology patients and co-led the BMT/Neutropenic Diet Liberalization Project at CHOC. Her MS thesis project is focused on the ketogenic diet as a complimentary therapy to standard chemotherapy/radiation for pediatric neuro-oncology patients. Kristen regularly gives nutrition lectures for dietitians, nurses, and medical residents.
Lisa Klimpel, RN, BSN, MSN
Pediatric Oncology
CHOC
Lisa Klimpel is a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner at CHOC. She attended nursing school at Saddleback College where she received her associates degree in nursing. She began working as a bedside RN at UCLA Mattel Children’s hospital. She received her bachelors of science in nursing degree at California State University Dominguez Hills. Lisa went on to receive her masters degree in nursing at University of California Los Angeles. Lisa is a board certified pediatric acute care and primary care nurse practitioner. She has been a pediatric nurse for 16 years and has been working as a nurse practitioner for the last 11 years.
Lisa serves as a Principal Investigator for two clinical trials at CHOC: Testicular Tissue Cryopreservation; Bone Health in Pediatric Leukemia patients. She is also a Co-Investigator on multiple institutional and national clinical trials in pediatric oncology. She has collaborated with oncologist in the development of Empiric Anti-fungal Therapy in high-risk oncology patients, the development of outpatient management fever/neutropenia in low risk oncology patients and collaborated in the development of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell Cytokine Release Syndrome and Neurotoxicity Grading and Management algorithm.
Lisa’s passion for pediatric oncology began early on in her career. Her clinical expertise is with leukemia and lymphoma patients. The complexity and intricacy of leukemia has driven her passion for this specific patient population.
Lindsay Rypkema, RD, CSP, CLEC
Clinical Dietitian
CHOC
Lindsay Rypkema is a Registered Dietitian at CHOC. She completed her Dietetic Internship at the University of North Dakota and has worked as a pediatric dietitian for 12 years including Mayo Clinic, Rady Children’s, and UCSF. Lindsay has been part of the Comprehensive Ketogenic Clinic at CHOC for 2 years. She also works in Oncology and is a co-investigator of a study focusing on the Ketogenic and Modified Atkins Diet for solid tumors including CNS tumors. Lindsay also has credentials in Pediatric Nutrition (CSP) and is a Certified Lactation Educator (CLEC). She has been published in Nutrition Connection/PNPG Building Block for Life, Support Line, and the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Audra D. Wilford, MA
Chief Hope Officer
MaxLove Project
Audra is proud momma to Max and his little sister, Maesie. Inspired by Max’s (aka SuperMax) battle against brain cancer and the resilience that children demonstrate in the toughest of situations, Audra founded MaxLove Project to help families thrive through the childhood cancer journey. Audra graduated from Columbia University with a Masters degree in Philosophy and Education. For over 15 years she was an educator and administrator specializing in student leadership development in higher education. Previously Audra earned a degree in culinary arts and pursued a career in the restaurant industry as a professional cook. From educator to chef, all of this experience prepared Audra to pursue the very best comprehensive integrative therapies for Max and to create MaxLove Project, paying it forward to build a community of hope and help other families working to thrive against childhood cancers. Audra is passionate about pediatric integrative medicine and has seen first-hand the benefits of nutrition, acupuncture, massage, aromatherapy, sleep, exercise, narrative therapy, art, equine therapy, and much more. She believes that all kids deserve every opportunity to thrive in critical care situations and beyond.
