Many factors affect a fetus's development. Some of those you can't change, such as their genetic makeup, hormone levels, and even environmental factors like the air quality where they live. However, other factors can impact the health and development of the fetus, and a big one is nutrition.  

An expectant mother's diet provides the essential building blocks for the baby's growth. A healthy diet also gives the mother energy, helping her body adjust to the demands of pregnancy.  

But what does it mean to have a healthy diet when you're pregnant? Nutritional needs shift while carrying a baby, and it's important to focus on certain foods to ensure you meet those needs.  

Understanding how your brain and nervous system functions helps to explain your physiological and psychological reactions to personal situations. In addition, gaining insight into the impact your social relationships have on your life is critical to understanding why you do the things you do. This knowledge then provides a basis for creating empathy in you toward other people and their motivations. 

The following article briefly describes relational neuroscience. You will also learn how studying this branch of knowledge helps you develop greater empathy toward people from other cultures and how they fit into U.S. culture. 

Vanessa Timmons has been a writer, activist, and women’s health advocate for over 25 years. She attended Marylhurst University’s Multidisciplinary Studies Program in Portland, Oregon, and has continued her formal education through certificates and training, including the Interpersonal Neurobiology of Trauma Certification Program at Portland State University. Vanessa has served as the Director of Programs at Raphael House of Portland, a Northwest regional field organizer for the National Organization for Women, and the domestic violence program coordinator for the Multnomah County Domestic Violence Coordination Office, in addition to serving OCADSV in the past as the Women of Color Coordinator and Board Chair.

Kristin Henningsen, MS, RH (AHG), E-RYT, IYT,  is a clinical herbalist, yoga therapist, writer, & educator, who first fell in love with plants in the desert southwest.  There she was inspired to complete her graduate work, researching the Ethnobotany of the region.  In addition to studying Indigenous herbal medicine in the Southwest, she has worked in academia and for non-profit organizations in the field of botanical research all over the country.  

Brandy Cummings, MS, CN, NC, CKNS, BCHN, CGP

Brandy is a graduate of Bauman college, earned her MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, and is a current doctoral student studying Clinical Nutrition at the University of Western States. Additionally, she is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition, a Certified Nutritionist in Washington state, a Certified AIP Coach, a Certified Gluten-free practitioner, a Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist, and has passed her Certified Nutrition Specialist exam. 

Brandy specializes in epigenetics and  environment-rooted disorders and conditions such as mycotoxin and biotoxin illness, parasitic infections, lyme disease and coinfections, and how these can impact a person’s life from preconception to postpartum and beyond. She has coined this phase of one’s life as the Pan-natal® phase and clearly defines an up-to-date, effective, and life-changing health journey and roadmap so that people can not only impact their health and well being, but also their children, and future generations to come. 

Brandy’s mission in life is to improve the health of future generations and believes the ultimate in preventative medicine is to support the lives of parents before their children are born. Brandy is the owner of Pivotal Origins where she supports families 1:1 as well as teaches classes in her local community. Brandy is also the lead Nutritionist with The Self-Esteem Project which focuses on improving the health of communities through animated education nutrition content in K-6 schools. 

Emily Somervell (she/her/hers) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 20 years of experience serving children and adults in mental health counseling, mentoring, crisis response and medical social work services.  She graduated from Santa Clara University with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and then received a Masters in Social Work from Portland State University.   

Bum Sang Kim has dedicated most of his career as an educator, teaching various courses based
on his diverse educational background. He teaches graduate courses in psychology as an adjunct faculty at Pepperdine University while teaching various physics courses as a full-time instructor at Biola University, where he taught as an adjunct faculty for over six years.

Hi all!

The world of medical research is constantly advancing, but breakthroughs often feel like they come slower than we would prefer. However, participating in research can help push research further. While we want excellent research with clear outcomes, research takes time and a lot of personnel. One of the best ways to ensure that clinical research proceeds quickly, bringing lifesaving treatment plans to the world, is by hiring excellent, well-trained staff. A significant error in managing a research project would delay and muddy the findings, so great training is one of the most crucial factors in creating this work.

As it turns out, training in clinical research is also a great way to widen job opportunities for people with biology and research backgrounds or who already work in the medical field. If you've considered how to participate in research studies and get involved in clinical, read on to see how it happens in a flexible, online, or hybrid setting.

Sheldon Levy, PhD, MPH is an instructor in the RCC-Institute for Health Professionals Foundations of Clinical Research.