Dr. Paul MacLean Ph.D. is a tenured Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine with 25 years of experience studying obesity and its metabolic complications. He has specific interests in the biological drivers of weight regain after weight loss, exercise as a strategy for weight loss maintenance, and understanding how obesity affects key aspects of women’s health. Dr. MacLean's research in women’s health has included studies of mammary gland development and its function during lactation, perinatal metabolic programming, the menopausal transition, and the risk for breast cancer. He is dedicated to building and supporting the broader research and educational enterprise on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus through the Colorado Nutrition Obesity Research Center, the Colorado Clinical Translational Science Institute, and the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Over the past 17 years at the University of Colorado, Dr. MacLean has leveraged their resources to develop the next generation of scientists who will advance the treatment of obesity and its complications.

Dr. Daniel Bessesen M.D. is a Professor of Medicine of Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Diabetes at The University of Colorado, the director of fellowship training in Obesity Medicine and the director of the Pilot and Feasibility Program of the NIH-funded Nutrition Obesity Research Center. Dr Bessesen is the current president of The Obesity Society. Dr. Bessesen received his MD with honors from The University of Colorado. He completed residency and fellowship training at The University of Colorado and has been on the faculty since 1991. Dr. Bessesen, who conducts studies in dietary fat metabolism, appetite and the clinical problem of obesity, has published more than 90 scientific articles and book chapters and is the coauthor of three books, including Treatment of the Obese Patient published in 2014. 

Caro holds the position of Grants & Contracts Professional for the CU NORC. Caro has worked in higher education for 10+ years, moving from program management into grants management several years ago. Most recently she was a member of the CU SOM – PreAward Shared Services team assisting investigators, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students in the Immunology and Microbiology Department with their PreAward needs. Prior to this, Caro worked for the Graduate School managing the Microbiology and Immunology doctoral training programs. Caro earned her Master’s degree in Communications from the University of Louisiana – Lafayette in 2006 and will be able to carry the Center forward in all things grants & contracts.

Olivia Schmidt joined the Colorado NORC as the Program Administrator in 2023. She came to the University of Colorado after spending 7 plus years in the sales and business development realm. Her previous roles have taken her from Upstate NY to Texas, New Mexico and Colorado.